1 Kings 5 & 6
When God has a mission for you and you take it seriously, He makes a way for you to complete it well. He provides the way and feeds your passion for it. And oh, you will have passion for the ministry, mission, or message He has for you. Some people know what it is God has purposed for them, others do not. I can assure you, He has something and probably several things for you to do. Whatever it is, the underlying commission for all of us is found in Matthew 28:18-20.
“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
If you do not know the specifics, you do know this. And you can do use the gifts God has given you and the things you enjoy and find many ways to carry out the Great Commission. If you ask the Lord, I can assure you He will tell you what it is He has for you.
Solomon knew it was his jobs were. One of them was the building of the Temple. It was a huge undertaking. But God had chosen Solomon for the job and He provided the way. He sent the servants of Hiram, King of Tyre to Solomon. King Hiram had loved King David and he was eager to connect with Solomon. Solomon saw it as an opportunity from The Lord. Chapter 5 Verses 3-6 read,
“You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. 4 But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary nor misfortune. 5 And so I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord said to David my father, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, shall build the house for my name.’ 6 Now therefore command that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. And my servants will join your servants, and I will pay you for your servants such wages as you set, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”
Hiram was thrilled to make a treaty with Solomon. It would benefit both of them. Hiram understood the intricacies of getting all that lumber from Tyre to Jerusalem, which was a massive undertaking.
It was God who directed Hiram to start talking to Solomon at that time and made it possible for Solomon to begin building the Temple, which had been his father’s dream, but would be his mission. Just because you desire a certain job, doesn’t mean that is the one God will give you. David wanted very much to build the Temple but was not qualified for the job because of the warfare he constantly had to fight. He had blood on his hands, and the Temple had to be holy.
But God had assured David and Solomon that Solomon would build His house. And build it he did. It was magnificent, just as God deserved it to be and only as Solomon could have done it. Israel had left Egypt 480 years before and Solomon had been ruling for four years when he began building the temple. Verses 2-6of Chapter 6 in The Message describe the Temple,
“The Temple that King Solomon built to God was ninety feet long, thirty feet wide, and forty-five feet high. There was a porch across the thirty-foot width of The Temple that extended out fifteen feet. Within The Temple he made narrow, deep-silled windows. Against the outside walls he built a supporting structure in which there were smaller rooms: The lower floor was seven and a half feet wide, the middle floor nine feet, and the third floor ten and a half feet. He had projecting ledges built into the outside Temple walls to support the buttressing beams.”
Solomon took it very seriously, this wasn’t just any house, it was Holy Almighty God’s house. He didn’t let anything sully it. Verse 7 reads,
“When the house was built, it was with stone prepared at the quarry, so that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was being built.”
It was Holy and truly Extraordinary and Majestic. Verses 20-22 read,
“The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high, and he overlaid it with pure gold. He also overlaid an altar of cedar. 21 And Solomon overlaid the inside of the house with pure gold, and he drew chains of gold across, in front of the inner sanctuary, and overlaid it with gold. 22 And he overlaid the whole house with gold, until all the house was finished. Also the whole altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold.”
The inner sanctuary was made to echo the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. Verses 23-28 describe it.
“In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olivewood, each ten cubits high. 24 Five cubits was the length of one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the length of the other wing of the cherub; it was ten cubits from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other. 25 The other cherub also measured ten cubits; both cherubim had the same measure and the same form. 26 The height of one cherub was ten cubits, and so was that of the other cherub. 27 He put the cherubim in the innermost part of the house. And the wings of the cherubim were spread out so that a wing of one touched the one wall, and a wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; their other wings touched each other in the middle of the house. 28 And he overlaid the cherubim with gold.”
The Lord honored the care Solomon took and when the Temple was completed He spoke to Solomon. Verses 11-13 read,
“Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon, 12 “Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. 13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel.”
It took seven years to complete the Temple. Solomon made sure it was done right, the way the Lord specified.
The Lord has a job for you. He will reveal it to you if you ask and if you seek. He will make it possible for you to do it well. And He will make you prosper in the endeavor. If you don’t know what it is God has for you, ask Him. Look around and serve where you have opportunity. Use your gifts to edify the church, use your gifts to carry out the Great Commission. Chances are you will be doing what God wants you to do, and you will discover more of what He wants from you.
Remember, you have His Holy Spirit within you. You are not far from God, He is within you. He knows how to ensure you hear Him.
When God has a mission for you and you take it seriously, He makes a way for you to complete it well. He provides the way and feeds your passion for it. And oh, you will have passion for the ministry, mission, or message He has for you. Some people know what it is God has purposed for them, others do not. I can assure you, He has something and probably several things for you to do. Whatever it is, the underlying commission for all of us is found in Matthew 28:18-20.
“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
If you do not know the specifics, you do know this. And you can do use the gifts God has given you and the things you enjoy and find many ways to carry out the Great Commission. If you ask the Lord, I can assure you He will tell you what it is He has for you.
Solomon knew it was his jobs were. One of them was the building of the Temple. It was a huge undertaking. But God had chosen Solomon for the job and He provided the way. He sent the servants of Hiram, King of Tyre to Solomon. King Hiram had loved King David and he was eager to connect with Solomon. Solomon saw it as an opportunity from The Lord. Chapter 5 Verses 3-6 read,
“You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. 4 But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary nor misfortune. 5 And so I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord said to David my father, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, shall build the house for my name.’ 6 Now therefore command that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me. And my servants will join your servants, and I will pay you for your servants such wages as you set, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”
Hiram was thrilled to make a treaty with Solomon. It would benefit both of them. Hiram understood the intricacies of getting all that lumber from Tyre to Jerusalem, which was a massive undertaking.
It was God who directed Hiram to start talking to Solomon at that time and made it possible for Solomon to begin building the Temple, which had been his father’s dream, but would be his mission. Just because you desire a certain job, doesn’t mean that is the one God will give you. David wanted very much to build the Temple but was not qualified for the job because of the warfare he constantly had to fight. He had blood on his hands, and the Temple had to be holy.
But God had assured David and Solomon that Solomon would build His house. And build it he did. It was magnificent, just as God deserved it to be and only as Solomon could have done it. Israel had left Egypt 480 years before and Solomon had been ruling for four years when he began building the temple. Verses 2-6of Chapter 6 in The Message describe the Temple,
“The Temple that King Solomon built to God was ninety feet long, thirty feet wide, and forty-five feet high. There was a porch across the thirty-foot width of The Temple that extended out fifteen feet. Within The Temple he made narrow, deep-silled windows. Against the outside walls he built a supporting structure in which there were smaller rooms: The lower floor was seven and a half feet wide, the middle floor nine feet, and the third floor ten and a half feet. He had projecting ledges built into the outside Temple walls to support the buttressing beams.”
Solomon took it very seriously, this wasn’t just any house, it was Holy Almighty God’s house. He didn’t let anything sully it. Verse 7 reads,
“When the house was built, it was with stone prepared at the quarry, so that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was being built.”
It was Holy and truly Extraordinary and Majestic. Verses 20-22 read,
“The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high, and he overlaid it with pure gold. He also overlaid an altar of cedar. 21 And Solomon overlaid the inside of the house with pure gold, and he drew chains of gold across, in front of the inner sanctuary, and overlaid it with gold. 22 And he overlaid the whole house with gold, until all the house was finished. Also the whole altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary he overlaid with gold.”
The inner sanctuary was made to echo the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. Verses 23-28 describe it.
“In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olivewood, each ten cubits high. 24 Five cubits was the length of one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the length of the other wing of the cherub; it was ten cubits from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other. 25 The other cherub also measured ten cubits; both cherubim had the same measure and the same form. 26 The height of one cherub was ten cubits, and so was that of the other cherub. 27 He put the cherubim in the innermost part of the house. And the wings of the cherubim were spread out so that a wing of one touched the one wall, and a wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; their other wings touched each other in the middle of the house. 28 And he overlaid the cherubim with gold.”
The Lord honored the care Solomon took and when the Temple was completed He spoke to Solomon. Verses 11-13 read,
“Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon, 12 “Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. 13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel.”
It took seven years to complete the Temple. Solomon made sure it was done right, the way the Lord specified.
The Lord has a job for you. He will reveal it to you if you ask and if you seek. He will make it possible for you to do it well. And He will make you prosper in the endeavor. If you don’t know what it is God has for you, ask Him. Look around and serve where you have opportunity. Use your gifts to edify the church, use your gifts to carry out the Great Commission. Chances are you will be doing what God wants you to do, and you will discover more of what He wants from you.
Remember, you have His Holy Spirit within you. You are not far from God, He is within you. He knows how to ensure you hear Him.
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