The Beauty of Solomon’s Temple
I’ve been reading the passages of First Kings where Solomon has listed the LORD’s design for building the temple in Jerusalem, Israel. His father David had already gathered much of the material necessary for its construction, but the task of following God’s blueprint fell onto thte Solomon’s shoulders. Solomon gathered the cedars from Lebanon for the beams, pilllars, and doors of the ssanctuary. Many of those beams, pillars, and doors were covered in gold. The presious stones and the stones for the walls and floors were shaped and fashioned off site tto remove the noise and dust from the temple.
The text lists the actual dimensions for the several porches and courts. There are verses that describe the pillars of brass and capiters for the pillars. He had artisans to make a “sea of molten brass” with knops compasing the sea cast in two rows. Its brim was wrought like lilies and it stood on the backs of twelve brass oxen. On and on in multiple passages the text describes the wonders that the craftsmen wrought. It must have been something to see. At one time Solomon’s Temple was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It had to be an impressive sight because it drew kings, queens, and visitors from surrounding areas to come to Solomon’s court.
The Temple was designed as a place for the LORD to reside when He came to earth. I can’t help think that even though the temple as wondrous as, it was could not compare to the glorious realm of heaven that God designed and created with His imagination and hands.
I can see in my mind’s eye God looking at Solomon’s temple like an earthly father seeing a preschooler’s first drawings with crayons. The father may have no idea wht the child has drawn, but he is thrilled that his child has used its time and talents to make something for him with its limited skill.
I can feel that the LORD inspected the workmanship with the eye of a Father seeing something that His child had dedicated and offered to Him as a gift; the Father viewing the gift with the eyes of love for His child. The child’s gift of love is what impressed the Father even though it did not have the quality of something that God could have created. Our gifts of love, although inadequate is what our heavenly Father sees.