Sun.’s Devo - Building God's Temple

Read: 1 Kings 5:1-6:38; Acts 7:1-29; Psalm 127:1-5; Provers 16:28-30 When King Hiram learned Solomon was now king, he sent his congratulations to Solomon. Hiram had been a loyal friend of David’s. Solomon told him of his desire to build a Temple to his God, the Lord which had been David’s desire. He asked him if he could buy cedar from him and use his men to carve the wood for his Temple. Hiram was very pleased and asked for grain and oil in return. They worked out an agreeable trade that blessed both nations. *** Solomon began building in the seventh month of Ziv and it took seven years to complete. It had been 480 years since God had rescued them from the land of Egypt. They had been in Egypt 430 years (Ex. 12:40). *** The Temple was 90 feet long and 30 feet wide and 45 feet tall. The back 30 feet was sectioned off as the Most Holy Place where the Ark of the Covenant and the mercy seat was. The front 60 feet was the Holy Place and the entrance was an additional 15 feet in front of the Temple. *** On the outer wall of the Temple three stories of rooms were built. Each story was one and a half feet wider than the one below it. Winding stairs were used to get the second floor and another flight of stairs to the third. *** None of the construction was done at the Temple sight, but done in a quarry and carried there so that there was no sound of hammers or iron tools used around the Temple sight. *** God promised that if they kept all his decrees and regulations and obeyed all his commands, He would live among the Israelites and never abandon the people of Israel. *** The inside of the Temple was paneled in cedar wood with cypress wood on the floor. The walls of the Most Holy Place was paneled in cedar with carvings of gourds and open flowers. It was then overlaid with solid gold and gold chains protected the entrance to the Most Holy Place. The altar and the two cherubim were made of wood and covered with gold. *** The inner sanctuary was paneled with cedar that had palm trees, flowers and cherubim carved on them. They were covered in gold. It was all to represent the Garden of Eden. *** In Acts, Stephen had been accused of blaspheming the law of Moses and the Lord. Stephen was asked to give his side of the story. He began by teaching them about the history of the Israelite people beginning with God’s call to Abraham to leave and go to a land he had never been. He told of Jacob, Joseph and Moses. We will continue in tomorrow’s reading. *** Stephen was establishing his knowledge of their foundation and God’s overall purpose for their people in hopes that they would see it also. *** Lord, help us to see that you are building your temple inside us and we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Just like our Psalm says, “unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted.” May we allow you to build in us a temple to honor your name.