Read: 1 Kings 7:1-51; Acts 7:30-50; Psalm 128:1-6; Proverbs 16:31-33
From what I can understand about today’s reading, we are reading about different building projects of Solomon - his own house, the house of the forest of Lebanon, an house for Pharaoh’s daughter and the house of God. His own house took 13 years to build.
Solomon sent for Hiram who worked in brass to make the pillars for the temple. He made two special pillars for the porch of the temple. The one on the right was called Jachin which means “God will establish” and the other named Boaz. Jachin was the name of three Israelites. Boaz was the name of a half Jewish, half Caananite who was grafted into Jewish culture and the family. He became a direct descendant of David and thus, Jesus.
These pillars had a chain of pomegranates on the top. Pomegranates stand for the Word since there are the 613 seeds each fruit which is the same number of laws in God’s word. Everything in nature gives glory to God. He created everything with a purpose and a plan in mind.
In Acts, Stephen continued building his defense telling them about Moses. He was stressing the propensity of the Jews to fall away after idolatry and what God’s plan really was. All through their history, they kept getting it wrong. They tried to mix their plan with His and it doesn’t work that way. Solomon built God a house even though God had made it plain he didn’t want to be put in a box. The whole cosmos is his throne.
To sum today’s readings up, God never wanted a physical representation in a building. He wanted his building to be in us. We are to be the temple of the living God. We are God’s building project. He allowed man to build a temple to show his glory in since we were such obstinate people who needed a sign.
Religion always wants proof but truth is Spirit and intangible and must be accessed by faith.
Lord, help us to embrace your Spirit and your way.
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