A Tale of Two Prophets
First Kings 13: 1-34

A tale of two prophets DIG: What warnings came from God to Jeroboam? How did Jeroboam respond to those warnings? Because the prophet was deceived and then disobeyed, he was punished. What message should this have been to King Jeroboam? To believers today?

REFLECT: Are you being tempted in any way right now to step off the straight and narrow path? What’s the remedy? How would you respond if someone told you they had a word from God for you to do something? How would you know whether to do what that person said?

God’s Word will come true no matter what the circumstances.

This long chapter is not about young and old prophets; it’s about King Jeroboam and his sins. The young prophet’s ministry here is very important in this account, for all that he said and experienced, including his death, were a part of God’s warning to King Jeroboam. According to First Kings 13:33, Jeroboam did not turn back from his evil way. In this chapter, a prophet died, but in the next chapter, the crown prince died (to see link click Dg – The Prophecy of Ahijah)! Obviously, Ha’Shem was trying to get Jeroboam’s attention. Jeroboam made two serious mistakes during his twenty-two-year reign. One, he didn’t believe in God’s promises (see Dd – Golden Calves at Dan and Bethel), and two, he didn’t heed God’s warnings.

The message: An anonymous prophet came from Judah since there were still faithful servants of God there whom YHVH could use. He met Jeroboam at the shrine at Bethel, which eventually became the king’s sanctuary, a royal temple (Amos 7:13). When you make up your own religion, as Jeroboam did, you can do whatever you please, and Jeroboam chose to be a priest and a king. Jeremiah and Ezeki’el were priests who were called to be prophets, but the Torah didn’t permit kings to serve as priests (Second Chronicles 26:16-23). Yeshua Messiah is the only King who is also a Priest (Hebrews Chapters 7 and 8). And all who believe in Messiah are kings and priests (Revelation 1:6) and a royal priesthood (First Peter 2:9). Jeroboam’s priesthood was counterfeit, and therefore rejected by ADONAI. That may be why the anonymous prophet from Judah delivered his message while the king was standing at the altar to burn incense.

But the prophet spoke to the altar, not to the king, as though God no longer wanted to address Jeroboam, a man so full of himself and plans that he had no time to listen to the LORD. The message declared that the future lay with the house of David, not with the house of Jeroboam. Because of Jeroboam’s evil ways, the kingdom would become so polluted with idolatry that it would be wiped out within two centuries. In 722 BC the Assyrians captured Isra’el and all those who were unfaithful to ADONAI walked off the pages of the Bible. David’s dynasty continued in the South until the reign of Zedekiah (597-596 BC). He was Judah’s last king before the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 586 BC.

The prophet’s looked ahead three hundred years to the reign of godly King Josiah (see the commentary on Jeremiah Ai – Josiah Ruled For 31 Years from 640 to 609 BC), who rooted out the idolatry in the Land, including the king’s shrine at Bethel (Second Kings 23:15-16). The man of God cried out against the altar: “Altar, altar, here is what ADONAI says: A son will be born to the house of David; his name will be Josiah; and on you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you! Josiah desecrated Jeroboam’s altar by burning human bones on it, and then he tore down the altar and let the ashes spill out on the ground. They will burn human bones on you, which would desecrate it permanently and make it unfit for any further religious use of any kind! That same day he also gave a sign, saying, Here is the sign which ADONAI has decreed, “The altar will be split apart; the ashes of the sacrifices, saturated with fat which were the deities portion of the sacrifice, on it will be scattered about on the ground, another desecration” (First Kings 13:1-3). In this case, a desecration by God Himself. The prophecy was fulfilled just as the prophet had spoken. So sure was his promise that the man of God even named the exact king!³⁴⁰

The miracles: The king paid no attention to the message from God; all he wanted to do was punish the messenger. He was enraged to hear that a king from Judah would one day desecrate and destroy his self-proclaimed religious system. When the king heard what the man of God said, how he denounced the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam took his hand away from the altar and said, “Seize him!” But his hand, the one he had stretched out against him, shriveled up; so that he could not draw it back to himself. What a humiliating experience for such a powerful king and priest! Also at that moment the altar was split apart, and the ashes scattered from the altar on the ground, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of ADONAI. YHVH often authenticates His Word by miracles (Hebrews 2:1-4), but only to give emphasis to the message. In spite of Jeroboam’s stubborn pride and willful disobedience, God graciously healed his hand. The king then responded to the man of God. “Ask now the favor of ADONAI your God,” he said, “and pray for me, that my hand will be restored to me.” The man of God prayed to ADONAI, and the king’s hand was restored to him and became as it had been before. Too bad the king was more concerned about physical healing for his body than moral and spiritual healing for his soul (First Kings 13:4-6).³⁴¹

The maneuver: Jeroboam was a clever man and tried to trap the prophet by inviting him to the palace for a meal. The Adversary comes as a roaring lion to devour us (First Peter 5:8), and then if that fails, he comes as a serpent to deceive us (2 Corinthians 11:3; Genesis 3:1ff). The king then said to the man of God, “Come home with me, and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward. But the man of God replied to the king, “Even if you give me half your household, I will not accept your hospitality; nor will I eat food or drink water in this place. For this is the order I received through the word of ADONAI, ‘Don’t eat food or drink water, and don’t return by the road you took when you came.’ ” Had the prophet eaten a meal with the king, that one simple act would have wiped out the effectiveness of his witness and ministry. In the east, sharing a meal is a sign of friendship and endorsement. So he went another way and did not return by the road by which he had come to Bethel (1 Kings 13:7-10). Up to this point the man of God has been obedient to ADONAI.³⁴²

The mistake: Now there lived an old prophet in Bethel. He was like Balaam, he had the true prophetic gift, but was given over to worldly self-promotion. And one of his sons came and told him all the things the man of God had done that day in Bethel; also they told their father what he had said to the king because he had witnessed the confrontation. The plural indicates that when the first son spoke the other son joined in, confirming what his brother had said. Their father asked them, “Which way did he go?” For his sons had seen what road the man of God from Judah had taken. He then said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him; and, riding on it, he went after the man of God.

He found him sitting under an oak tree and said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” He answered, “I am.” Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat some food.” He replied, “I cannot return with you or partake of your hospitality, nor will I eat food or drink water with you in this place; because it was said to me by the word of ADONAI, ‘You are not to eat food or drink water there, and you are not to go back by the way you came.’ ” The other prophet lied to him, saying: I too am a prophet, just like you; and an angel spoke to me by the word of ADONAI and said, “Bring him back with you to your house, so that he can eat food and drink water.” But he was lying to him. So he went back with him and did eat food and drink water in his house (First Kings 13:11-20). The man of God knew what ADONAI had said to him and should have obeyed until he heard from God Himself. This is a good principle for us today.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You that You are always there to answer my prayers. You are Sovereign over the whole world, yet You graciously have time to listen to me. You are always right there with me for You have made your home within me (John 14:23). Thank You that when I ask You for wisdom, You never put me off and say You are busy; instead, You graciously give me wisdom and help. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all without hesitation and without reproach; and it will be given to him (James 1:5).

Thank You that I don’t have to wait till heaven to talk to You and to bless You. I can pray praises and requests to You any time of the day and You are always there to listen. Now this is the confidence we have before Him – that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have the requests we have asked from Him (First John 5:14-15). It is a joy to live pleasing to You. Thank You for being such a wonderful and loving Father. Please help me to remember to trust Your Word, praying for Your wisdom in the situation. I love You! In Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection! Amen

Since he knew what the prophet from Judah was supposed to do, why did the old man deliberately lie to the young man and encourage him to disobey the LORD? Was the old man worried that the visiting prophet might stir things up in a comfortable Bethel and create problems for him and the other satisfied compromisers? Perhaps the younger prophet was feeling proud of what he had done – preaching a powerful message and performing three miracles – and God used the old man to test him and bring him back to reality. By telling a lie, the old prophet tempted the young man, but the young prophet fell right into his trap by believing him. Why didn’t the young visitor seek the face of YHVH and find out His will? The text tells us only the events, not the motives in the hearts of the participants, so we can’t be dogmatic about these questions.

As they were sitting at the table, the word of ADONAI came to the prophet who had brought him back; and he cried to the man of God who had come from Judah, “Here is what ADONAI says: Since you rebelled against the word of ADONAI and didn’t obey the mitzvah ADONAI your God gave you, but came back and ate food and drank water in the place where he warned you not to eat food or drink water, your corpse will not arrive at the tomb of your ancestors.” After he had eaten food and drunk, he saddled the donkey for the prophet he had brought back. But after he had gone, a lion encountered the man of God on the road and killed him. His corpse lay there in the road, with the donkey and the lion standing next to it. In time, people passed by and saw the corpse lying in the road with the lion standing next to it; and they came and told about it in the city where the old false prophet lived (First Kings 13:21-25).

When the prophet who had brought him back from the road heard about it, he said: It is the man of God who rebelled against the word of ADONAI; this is why ADONAI handed him over to the lion to tear him to pieces and kill him, in keeping with the word ADONAI spoke to him.” To his sons he said, “Saddle the donkey for me,” and they saddled it. He went and found his corpse lying in the road, with the donkey and the lion standing next to the corpse; the lion had neither eaten the corpse nor attacked the donkey, a very unusual sight, showing God’s hand. The prophet picked up the corpse of the man of God, laid it on the donkey and brought it back to the city where he lived, to mourn and bury him. He laid the corpse in his own burial cave, and thus the prophecy was fulfilled because he was not buried in the cave of his fathers. And they mourned him – “Oh! My brother!” Now the family tomb of the lying prophet and the man of God was still known three centuries later (Second Kings 23:17). The old prophet knew the young prophet’s words would come true. So after burying him he said to his sons, “When I die, put me in the burial cave where the man of God is buried; lay my bones next to his bones. For the thing he cried by the word of ADONAI against the altar in Bethel and against all the temples on the high places near the cities of Samaria will surely happen” (First Kings 13:26-32). The old man was a mixture of curiosity, dishonesty, accuracy and conviction.

But did any of these unusual events convict the heart of King Jeroboam and bring him to a place of repentance? No. After this, after the death of the man of God, Jeroboam did not turn back from his evil way but continued appointing priests for the high places from among all the people; he consecrated anyone who wanted to be a priests of the high places. This brought sin to the house of Jeroboam that would eventually cut it off and destroy it from the face of the earth (First Kings 13:33-34).³⁴³

Rehoboam Received Many Blessings
Second Chronicles 11: 5-23

Rehoboam received many blessings DIG: Did Jeroboam act out of paranoia or conviction? Why did the priests and Levites migrate to the south? Why are there no “lost tribes” of Isra’el? How did those refugees strengthen public courage against Jeroboam’s northern forces?

REFLECT: Would you be willing to lose all of your earthly possessions for your belief in God? Why? Why not? What would you do if you were forced to leave your job, your property or your family because of your faith? Do you believe that God would bless you for your faith?

If the leaders of God’s people imitated the ideal kings,
the nation would receive the blessing of political stability and strength.

This material divides into three reports which are joined together by the common thread of divine blessing toward the king, as is generally the case in Chronicles.

Rehoboam Fortifies Judah: Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem and built up towns for defense in Judah: Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, Beth Zur, Soko, Adullam, Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, Zorah, Aijalon and Hebron. These were fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. He strengthened their defenses and put commanders in them, with supplies of food, olive oil and wine. He put shields and spears in all the cities, and made them very strong. So Judah and Benjamin were his (Second Chronicles 11:5-12 NIV).

To understand the significance of this report, we must remember that ancient Near Eastern royal propaganda in the cultures surrounding Isra’el often demonstrated the success of kings by counting their building projects. These building projects usually included Temple construction (as in the case of Solomon), was well as fortifications of cities (as we see here). This motif was so common in the ancient world that the Chronicler felt no need to start the implication that Rehoboam’s fortifications demonstrated the blessing of God.

It is not possible to settle precisely when these fortifications occurred. The list of cities does not focus on Rehoboam’s northern border and may therefore reflect a time early in his reign before troubles with the north began to rise (First Kings 14:30). Even so, it is possible that these fortifications took place throughout Rehoboam’s reign. The last portion of this section (Second Chronicles 11:18-23), certainly covers events throughout Rehoboam’s life. In all events, the proximity of this report to Rehoboam’s reaction to the prophecy of Shemaiah the man of God (Second Chronicles 11:1-4), indicates that the Chronicler attributed the king’s successful fortifications to his submission to Shemaiah (to see link click Dc – A House Divided: Rehoboam’s plan for war averted). This report certainly would have attracted the interest of the Chronicler’s post-exilic readers. Their military vulnerability must have led many to wonder how they could find security in their day. The example of Rehoboam made this path plain. Fortification of Judah would come if they submit to the prophetic word.³³⁷

Rehoboam received many defectors from the north: The second illustration of God’s blessing for Rehoboam’s response to the prophet Shemaiah is the support he received from the northern defectors. On several occasions the Chronicler reported that faithful northern Israelites gave their support to the kings of Jerusalem (Second Chronicles 13:8-11, 15:9, and 20:10-20). The political division of the nation did not utterly destroy connections between the South and North. As these examples demonstrate, religious affections of many Northerners led them to shift their political loyalties as well. The defection of Northerners began with the priests and Levites, but their example quickly led other Northerners to join Rehoboam, which resulted in tremendous benefits for the king.

Rehoboam’s support from priests and Levites: The priests and Levites from all their districts in all Isra’el sided with him. The Levites even abandoned their pasturelands and property and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests when he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat and calf idols he had made (2 Chron 11:13-15). The Chronicler didn’t estimate the numbers of priests and Levites that sided with Rehoboam, because he mentioned that they came from all throughout Isra’el, representing all the northern tribes. From the time of Moses, the Levitical families lived without district territory, but they received portions of land throughout the tribes. The Chronicler noted the level of commitment from those defectors by mentioning that they even abandoned their pasturelands and property and came to join Rehoboam.

The reason for this defection is also noted. The priests and Levites were displaced from their services in the North when Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of ADONAI. Jeroboam had appointed his own priests. The Chronicler omitted the portion of First Kings that reports Jeroboam’s worship centers at Dan and Bethel (see Dd – Golden Calves at Dan and Bethel). As First Kings explains, Jeroboam feared that permitting his people to worship in Jerusalem would eventually lead to a political reunification of the nation. Chronicles simply mentions that Jeroboam had erected goat and calf idols and this was unacceptable to the priests and Levites who defected. In fact, the Chronicler belittled Jeroboam’s golden calves so much that he equated them with the goat idols so condemned in Lev 17:7.

At any rate, it is clear that those who defected to Rehoboam did so for religious, not political reasons. As we have seen, in many respects the northern tribes were justified in their rebellion against Rehoboam’s tyranny (see Dc – A House Divided: The decision). They were not free; however, to turn from the true worship of ADONAI at the Temple in Jerusalem. Like the post-exilic readers of Chronicles, they were obligated to proper worship despite their circumstances.

Rehoboam’s support from other Northerners: Those from every tribe of Isra’el who set their hearts on seeking ADONAI, the God of Isra’el, followed the Levites to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to ADONAI, the God of their ancestors (2 Chron 11:16 NIV). The Chronicler widened his view for a moment and mentioned that the priests and Levites were not alone. People from every tribe of Isra’el followed their example and came to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to ADONAI. To highlight the character of those defectors the Chronicler mentioned that they came to worship the God of their ancestors. This traditional terminology characterized their worship as true and acceptable in contrast with the false worship begun by Jeroboam. Moreover, the Chronicler noted that they had their hearts on sincerely seeking God for His blessing. Those defectors were the faithful Israelites whose hearts were devoted to pursuing the worship of God as He had ordained it. Thus, there are no “lost tribes” of Isra’el.

Rehoboam’s benefits: They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam, son of Solomon for three years, following the ways of David and Solomon during this time (Second Chronicles 11:17 NIV). The Chronicler closed with an explicit statement of his main purpose in this section. He first noted that the defectors strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam. The event was a great blessing to all of Judah. This historical fact certainly encouraged the post-exilic readers to reflect on what benefits would come to them as they responded appropriately to the prophetic wordand welcomed the faithful from the North in their day. The defectors benefited Rehoboam for three years so long as he was following the ways of David and Solomon. After that, Rehoboam’s situation would change for the worse (see Di – Rehoboam King of Judah). At this time, however, Rehoboam imitated the ideal kings David and Solomon and tasted the widespread national support similar to that of the united monarchy. The lesson for the readers was plain enough. David and Solomon served as ideals for his readers to follow. If the leaders of God’s people imitated the ideal kings, as Rehoboam did, the nation would receive the blessing of political stability and strength.³³⁸

Rehoboam’s Enlarged family: Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was the daughter of David’s son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse’s son Eliab. She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah and Zaham. Then he married Ma’acah daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith. Rehoboam loved Ma’acah daughter of Absalom more than any of his other wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters (Second Chronicles 11:18-21). The Chronicler added yet a third illustration of the blessings Rehoboam received because of his submission to the prophet Shemaiah. At this point, he focused on the increase of Rehoboam’s family. Two of Rehoboam’s wives are mentioned by name: Mahalath and Ma’acah, the one Rehoboam loved more. Their sons were named as well. Then the Chronicler calculated the total. Rehoboam had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. The large numbers of children were signs of God’s favor toward Rehoboam.

Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maakah as crown prince among his brothers, in order to make him king. He acted wisely, dispersing some of his sons throughout the districts of Judah and Benjamin, and to all the fortified cities. He gave them abundant provisions and took many wives for them (Second Chronicles 11:22-23). To close off this section, Chronicles also mentions that Rehoboam acted wisely with regard to his sons. In contrast to the opening episode of the king’s reign (see Dc – A House Divided: Right and wrong advice), he is now characterized as a wise king. His wisdom was illustrated in his appointment of Abijah as successor to the throne, and the distribution of territories to his other sons. By making these arrangements, Rehoboam spared the next generation from the turmoil often associated with the transfer of power. The increase of Rehoboam’s family and the security he provided the next generation spoke directly to the needs of the post-exilic readers. They lived in a day of many uncertainties. If the nation would adhere to prophetic instruction, it would enjoy the kind of prosperity and security that Rehoboam experienced at this time.³³⁹

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You that you bless those who love and follow You with the greatest blessing there could be – an eternal loving relationship with You! For God Himself has said: I will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5c). You are with me now to help and to guide, and Yeshua is preparing an eternal home for me with You in heaven. Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me.  In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to Myself, so that where I am you may also be  (John 14:1-3). How wonderful heaven will be! My trials now will seem so insignificant compared to the great eternal joys of heaven! For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). May I never stray from keeping my heart and eyes fully fixed on the joy of Your eternal love as I praise and worship You throughout all eternity! In the holy name of Yeshua and the power of His resurrection. Amen

Golden Calves at Dan and Bethel
First Kings 12: 25-33

Golden calves at Dan and Bethel DIG: What human tendency did Jeroboam take advantage of as he started his new religion. When in your lifetime have you seen these tendencies in action? What various commands of God did Jeroboam change when he set up his new religion?

REFLECT: What is wrong with selecting elements from different belief systems that seem like they work well for people in their lives? What is wrong with thinking that all religions lead to God? How do you know that the belief in Yeshua is the only path to salvation?

Sin always costs you more than you want to pay, and takes you further than you want to go.

King Jeroboam I was a doer, not a philosopher; he was a man who first caught Solomon’s attention because he was busy, efficient, dependable, and productive (First Kings 11:26-28). He was the ideal popular leader who knew how to fight the people’s battles and champion their causes. But ask him about his personal faith in ADONAI and his answers might get a little foggy. He had lived in Egypt (First Kings 11:40) long enough to develop a tolerance toward idolatry as well as an understanding of how religion can be used to control people. In that regard, Jeroboam was in kahoots with Nebuchadnezzar (Dani’el 3), Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:19-25), and the Antichrist (Revelation 13 and 17), and today’s latest demagogue. But Jeroboam made three serious mistakes during his twenty-two-year reign.

He didn’t believe in God’s promises: Success in life depends on doing God’s will and trusting in God’s promises, but Jeroboam failed in both. When Ahijah gave Jeroboam God’s message that guaranteed him the throne of the kingdom of Isra’el (First Kings 11:28-39), the prophet made it clear that political division did not permit religious departure. ADONAI would have given Jeroboam the entire kingdom except that He had made an everlasting covenant with David to keep one of his descendants on the throne (see the commentary on the Life of David, to see link click Ct – The LORD’s Covenant with David). This protected the Messianic line so that the Savior would come into the world. YHVH tore the ten tribes away from Rehoboam because he had followed Solomon’s bad example and turned the people to idols. This should have been a warning to Jeroboam to be faithful to Ha’Shem and stay away from false gods. God also promised to build Jeroboam a continual dynasty if he would just obey ADONAI and walk in His ways. What a promise! Yet, Jeroboam didn’t believe it.³³³

Fear: One of the first pieces of evidence of unbelief is fear. Jeroboam’s fear was that Rehoboam would attack him. So, Jeroboam fortified Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built up Peniel on the east side of the Jordan River, and thus, much more defensible from an invasion by Judah (First Kings 12:25 NIV). Instead of trusting in God to be his shield and defender, Jeroboam trusted in his own defenses and strategy. Another fear of Jeroboam was that his own people would desert him and go back to Jerusalem to worship. Therefore, he thought to himself, “The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam” (First Kings 12:26-27 NIV). All his human reasoning showed a lack of faith from what God promised Jeroboam He would do.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise and thank You for Your steadfast love and your abiding presence in those who love You. Yeshua answered and said to him: If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him (John 14:23). It is such a comfort to know You are Almighty and All- Powerful, even when there are wars and world tensions and things seem to be falling apart. ADONAI, God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in Your hand and no one can stand against You  (2 Chronicles 20:6).

When I keep my heart and eyes focused on You, I can have peace in my heart. I do not have to fear – no matter how awful the situation is, for You are with me to strengthen, help and to uphold me. Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Surely I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. . . I will help you. It is a declaration of ADONAI, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Isra’el (Isaiah 41:10, 14b-c). It is a great comfort to know that You, my Holy Helper, rules over all nations, and has paid the promised to redeem me. I pray in the Name of the One sitting at Your right hand. Amen

Substitutes: The easiest solution for Jeroboam was to establish worship centers in Isra’el. But what authority did he have to devise a rival religion when the Jews had received their form of worship from the very hand of God? He certainly couldn’t build a temple to compete with Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem, or write another Torah that matched what Moses had received from YHVH, or set up a sacrificial system that would guarantee the covering of sins. He was no Moses, and he certainly couldn’t claim to be God! What Jeroboam actually did was to take advantage of the tendency of the Jewish people to turn to idols, and the desire of most people for a religion that is convenient, not too costly, and close enough to the authorized faith to be comfortable for the conscience. Therefore, Jeroboam made four drastic changes in the true worship of ADOANI.

First, he changed the object of worship from ADONAI to two golden calves. He didn’t tell the people to forget YHVH, but to worship Him in the form of golden calves. Jeroboam’s own words indicate Aaron’s golden calf was exactly what he had in mind (Exodus 32:4). Worshiping the golden calves couldn’t have been more convenient: He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Isra’el, who brought you up out of Egypt.” And the people were more than willing to believe him. If the Canaanites and the Egyptians could worship calves, so could the Hebrews!

Secondly, he changed the place of worship from Jerusalem to Dan and Bethel. One he set up on the furthest southern border of his kingdom at Bethel, just a short distance from Jerusalem, and the other at Dan, on the furthest northern border. And this thing became a sin; the people came to worship the one at Bethel and went as far as Dan to worship the other (First Kings 12:28-30 NIV). He forgot (or chose to ignore) the teachings of the Torah, “I am ADONAI your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the abode of slavery. You are to have no other gods before Me. You are not to make for yourselves a carved image of any kind of representation of anything in heaven above, on the earth beneath or in the water below the shoreline. You are not to bow down to them or serve them, for I, ADONAI, am a zealous God (Exodus 20:1-5a). But Ha’Shem didn’t forget!

Thirdly, a religion needs ministers or priests, so Jeroboam built shrines on high places and he changed the priests of worship from Levities to all sorts of people. The only requirement was that each candidate bring with him a young bull and seven rams (Second Chronicles 13:9). God made it clear when He gave Moshe the Torah that only the sons of Aaron could serve as priests (see the commentary on Exodus Fv – The Selection of Aaron and His Sons as Priests) and if anyone from another tribe tried to serve, he would be put to death (Numbers 3:5-10). Even the Levites, who were from the tribe of Levi, were not allowed to serve at that golden altar in the Holy Place on penalty of death (Numbers 3:38). Unauthorized priests and unauthorized temples could never have access to ADONAI or present sacrifices acceptable to God. It was a man-made religion that pleased the people, protected the king, and unified the nation – except for the faithful Levites who abandoned the northern kingdom and moved to Judah to worship God according to the teachings of Torah (Second Chronicles 11:13-17).³³⁴

And fourthly, he changed a true God-given festival for a counterfeit festival. YHVH required the Jews to celebrate seven divinely appointed feasts each year (see the commentary on Leviticus Dw – God’s Appointed Times), so Jeroboam instituted a counterfeit festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, to take the place of the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar of his own temple. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made. On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, he offered sacrifices to the calf that he had made on the altar he had built at Bethel. So, he instituted the counterfeit festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make offerings (First Kings 12:31-33 NIV). Completing his religious innovations, Jeroboam instituted an brand-new annual feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, no doubt rivaling the feast of Booths in the seventh month in Jerusalem. The institutionalization of a counterfeit religion was then complete. A syncretistic mix of Judaism and Baalism was in place. Northerners had to make a special effort just to worship YHVH. Just as there were then two nations, two capitals, two governments, and two kings, there were also two religions.³³⁵

Apostasy: Today we live an age when “manufactured religion” is popular, approved, and accepted. The biblical leaders of the blind assert that we live in a “pluralistic society” and that nobody has the right to claim that only revelation is true and only one way of salvation is correct. Self-appointed “prophets” and ministers put together their own theology and pass it off as truth. They aren’t the least bit interested in what the Bible has to say; instead, they substitute their fabricated stories (Second Peter 2:3) for God’s unchanging and inspired Word, and many gullible people fall for their lies only to bring on themselves swift destruction (Second Peter 2:1-2). Jeroboam’s “religion” incorporated elements of the Torah and from pagan nations that the Jews had already conquered. His system was what today is called “eclectic” (selective) or “syncretic” (combining many parts), but God called it heresy and apostasy. When Isaiah confronted the new religion of his day, he cried out: To the Torah and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them (Isaiah 8:20).

Because Jeroboam didn’t believe God’s promise given by the prophet Ahijah, he began to walk in unbelief and to lead the people into false religion. The religion he invented was comfortable, convenient, and not costly, but it wasn’t authorized by the LORD. It was contrary to the revealed will of God in Scripture, and it had as its purpose the unification of his kingdom, not the salvation of the people and the glory of God. It was man-made religion, and God totally rejected it. Centuries later, Yeshua told the woman of Samaria (the former kingdom of Isra’el), You people don’t know what you are worshipping; we worship what we know, because salvation comes from the Jews (John 4:22). When He made that statement, He instantly wiped out every other religion and affirmed that the only way of salvation is from the Jews. Yeshua was a Jew, and the faith of all believers spring from father Abraham (see the commentary on Genesis Ef – Abram Believed the LORD and He Credited It to Him as Righteousness). Our modern “pluralistic society” notwithstanding, Peter was right when he declared: There is salvation in no one else! For there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by whom we must be saved (Acts 4:12)!³³⁶

A House Divided
First Kings 12:1-24 and Second Chronicles 10:1 to 11:4

A house divided DIG: Given Rehoboam’s character, what do you think would have been the best way the ten northern tribes and Jeroboam could have dealt with the situation? What would servant leadership have looked like in Rehoboam’s situation? In your congregation?

REFLECT: Rehoboam was arrogant and angry. Have you ever known someone like that? If so, how did you deal with him or her? What legacy would you like to leave behind in the world when you are gone? When you have big decisions to make in your life, who do you go to for advice?

Servant leadership is the best kind of leadership, modeled after Yeshua’s leadership.

Perhaps Rehoboam didn’t sense the depth of the northern dissatisfaction with Solomon’s policies. Maybe he assumed that since David and Solomon didn’t gain consensus support immediately, that he would have to win over those who doubted him. Whatever his mindset was, he didn’t handle the situation well. The people awaited him at Shechem, and there was not reason to believe that they were determined to reject Rehoboam.³²⁵

Rehoboam’s action: After taking, or being called to, the throne of Judah in Jerusalem, Rehoboam sought the endorsement by the northern tribes, who were already unhappy because of Solomon’s harsh rule. Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Isra’el had gone there to make him king (First Kings 12:1; Second Chronicles 10:1). We are not explicitly told why he went to Shechem. That city does not appear in the narrative in relation to the kingship of either David or Solomon. It is, however, a name that strikes a number of chords with those who know the story of Isra’el prior to the monarchy. It seems likely, given the dialogue that follows, that this is significant. It is the place of real covenant renewal (Joshua 24:1-27) – a place where the Israelites, having entered the Land, first took stock of themselves and reflected upon their identity and direction. It is the place where Joseph’s bones are buried (Genesis 50:22-26). It is also the place where kingship first, if only briefly, intruded itself into the tribal life of Isra’el, a mortal being (and a wicked one at that) taking the place of God as ruler over God’s people (Judges 8:22-23 and 29). Thus, Shechem was an ideal place to which a prospective king might be invited if you wished to ask him (as the Israelties did) how his kingship was going to be conducted, so as to gauge the nature of their relationship.³²⁶

When Jeroboam, son of Nebat, heard of the assembly on what was friendly ground to him (he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from Egypt. Obviously he didn’t fear Rehoboam as he had Solomon. So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Isra’el went to Rehoboam and said to him, “Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.” The people were willing to serve Rehoboam only if he was willing to serve them. Rehoboam answered, “Go away for three days and then come back to me.” So the people went away (First Kings 12:2-5; Second Chronicles 10:2-5 NIV). The proposal for a three-day waiting period for Rehoboam’s decision reflects a well-known motif in which the third day becomes a day of special emphasis, decision, and finality (Exodus 19:10-16; Esther 4:15-16; Second Kings 20:8). Yeshua predicted His own resurrection on the third day, a prophecy that was gloriously fulfilled.³²⁷ But now, sectionalism, with all its force and fury, had backed Rehoboam into a corner.

How would he react?

Right and wrong advice: Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. Those elders, who had undoubtedly had the benefit of Solomon’s own wisdom (First Kings 10:8), and had little hope of or a desire for further advancement from his son – gave Rehoboam wise advice: that effective leadership is servant leadership (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Kh – Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet).³²⁸ Those seasoned political veterans seemed to know exactly what the young king was facing. It was time to submit to the wishes of those he wished to lead.

“How would you advise me to answer these people?” he asked. They replied, “If today you will be kind and a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.” Any politician could have given this advice. It was not exceptionally clever nor profound. Nor was it based on unique values of Torah. The concession they advised him to make was small, almost insignificant. It was a matter of words, not deeds. All he would have to do was to speak humbly and reassuringly. And even that, only for one day. Once he was crowned, he could do as he pleased. He would be their legal king, and all the powers that the Torah granted as a king would be his.³²⁹

But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him various governmental offices. There is no evidence that the king sought out ADONAI in prayer or that he consulted the high priest or a prophet. We get the impression that his mind was already made up, but that he was willing to go through the motions in order to please the people. One of the marks of David’s leadership was that he was willing to humble himself and seek the mind of YHVH, and then pray for God’s blessing on his decisions. Leaders who try to impress people with their skills, but take no time seek God, only prove that they don’t know the most important thing in spiritual leadership: They are second in command (see Joshua 5:13-15).

The elders gave Rehoboam the best advice: be a servant leader. However, Rehoboam had already made up his mind, so he immediately rejected their advice and turned to his contemporaries, whom he knew would give him the answer that he wanted (Second Timothy 4:3). He had no intention of weighing the facts, seeking God’s will, and making the wisest choice.³³⁰ So, he asked them, “What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?” They counseled the young king to intimidate the crowd by declaring that he was tougher than his father. The young men who had grown up with him replied, “These people have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter.’ Now tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. This is a proverbial expression meaning, “My power will be greater than the power of my father.” My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions’ (First Kings 12:6-11; Second Chronicles 10:6-11 NIV).” Their theory was that servant leadership would not work. Only a bully could handle a diverse kingdom. Tragically, then, Rehoboam chose slogans over wisdom and machismo over servanthood.³³¹

The decision: Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, “Come back to me in three days.” The king answered the people harshly. Rejecting the advice given him by the elders, he followed the advice of the young men and said, “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge (plain leather) you with scorpions (metal embedded in the leather).” So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the Lord, to fulfill the word the Lord had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite (First Kings 12:12-15; Second Chronicles 10:12-15 NIV). Nothing occurred here because of “chance.” There is no “chance.” ADONAI is sovereign. Still, Rehoboam’s decision was his own. The text maintains the tension between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility that can be seen all throughout the Bible.

Isra’el breaks away: Without hesitation the people reject Rehoboam’s harsh authority over them. They deny any obligation to David’s dynasty and leave Rehoboam to rule Judah and Benjamin. When all Isra’el saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What share do we have in David,  what part in Jesse’s son? To your tents, Isra’el! Look after your own house, David!” So the Israelites went home. But as for the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah, Rehoboam still ruled over them. Solomon’s first official decision brought him the reputation for great wisdom (First Kings 3:16-18), but his son’s first official decision told the nation that he was foolish and unwise. For centuries, the Jews considered the division of the nation the greatest tragedy in their history and measured every other calamity by it. One incredibly poor decision tore down in a few days what David and Solomon labored eighty years to build.

King Rehoboam made one final, futile attempt to maintain control over the north. He sent out Adoniram, who was in charge of forced labor (First Kings 4:6), in an obvious attempt to reestablish his authority over the Israelites, but Rehoboam once again miscalculates the northerners’ depth of anger and they stoned him to death. King Rehoboam, however, managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. So Isra’el has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. When all the Israelites heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the house of David (First Kings 12:16-20; Second Chronicles 10:16-19 NIV). Rehoboam had followed the wrong counsel, used the wrong approach, and chosen the wrong mediator. What else could he do? He could declare war!

Rehoboam’s plan for war averted: Persistent to the last, Rehoboam again tried to impose his will upon the ten northern tribes by force. When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered all Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, and some other mysterious people – a hundred and eighty thousand able young men – to go to war against the northern tribes and to regain the kingdom for himself. But this word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, or prophet, “Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, to all Judah and Benjamin, ‘This is what YHVH says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is My doing.’ ” To Rehoboam’s credit, he called off the attack, obeyed the word of the LORD and turned back from marching against Jeroboam, as Ha’Shem had ordered (First Kings 12:21-24; Second Chronicles 11:1-4 NIV).

The plan of God was the most important factor, but there was another factor as well. It was wrong for Judah and Benjamin to fight against their brothers. It seems strange, yet family and national conflict appears repeatedly in the history of Isra’el. Abraham and Lot disagreed (Genesis 13), and Abraham reminded his nephew that they shouldn’t fight because they were brothers (Genesis 13:8). Jacob and Easu had a lifelong battle that their descendants continued for centuries (Genesis 27:41-46; Psalm 137:8; Obediah 10-13). Joseph’s brothers hated him (Genesis 37), and Aaron and Miriam criticized their brother Moses (Numbers 12). Sha’ul was David’s enemy and on many occasions tried to kill him. O, how good, how pleasant it is for brothers to live together in harmony (Psalm 133:1).

Frequently in the history of the TaNaKh we find a prophet confronting a king with: This is what YHVH says. Whenever a king, a priest, or even another prophet stepped out of line, a prophet would step forward and rebuke him, and if the prophet’s message was ignored, God’s hand of judgment would fall (see First Kings 13:21-22, 14:6-11, 16:1-4, 20:28ff, Second Kings 1:16 and 22:14-15). Isra’el was to be a people of God’s Word, and God’s Word must be held higher than even the word of the king.³³²

The Personal Implications of
First Kings 12:1 to 16:34 and Second Chronicles 10:1 to 17:1

Today, believers must decide what ideas, practices, and attitudes erode, then obliterate, biblical faith. As Paul House relates in his commentary on First Kings, it should be obvious that certain worldviews, lifestyles, theologies, and organizations are hostile to a distinctive faith in Yeshua Messiah. Basically, such affections deny the uniqueness of God’s covenant with His people and the universal Church, encourage the worship of other things or gods, or destroy the authority of ADONAI in everyday life. Certainly, individuals must decide for themselves what constitutes essential faith, but some broad guidelines exist in First Kings Chapters 12 through 16. Whatever leads one away from clear biblical teaching about the Lord constitutes an opportunity for losing distinctive faith.

One way of not ending up in a theological ditch is to have gratitude for what God has already done. Jeroboam and Baasha illustrate this truth. Both men were elevated to the throne through YHVH’s direct intervention, yet neither man served Ha’Shem, who considered them both to be extremely ungrateful (First Kings 14:8-9 and 16:1-2). They failed to remember that responsibility and privilege go together, and the beginning of this “amnesia” began when they didn’t thank ADONAI for their position by serving Him exclusively.

People who disobey God, reject the covenant, adopt a syncretistic attitude toward their faith (see the commentary on Galatians, to see link click Aj – No Other Gospel) and are ungrateful, contribute to the long-term problems in their lives, the family’s lives, and their nation’s life. Each of the northern kings helped guarantee their country’s demise by what they did. Jeroboam and Baasha created an atmosphere of rebellion and violence that harmed their descendants. Omri’s plan for national expansion and security included an alliance with Tyre, which included the worship of Ba’al, which ultimately caused Isra’el more problems than it solved. Sin leads to short-term inconvenience and long-term tragedy. Asa’s life demonstrated, though, that the reverse is also true. Those who follow ADONAI, even stumbling now and then, dignifies Isra’el in the long run. They are not shielded from battles, fears, and hard decisions (First Kings 15:16-22), yet they do more good than harm.

Modern readers have a hard time accepting the notion that the real fabric of history is not the interplay of economics, or the march of national destiny, but the issue of faithfulness to ADONAI. Certainly, most rational people understand that actions have consequences. Still, many hope that somehow individual and national sin will not lead to tragedy. First Kings does not have an automatic theory of retribution. Rather, the author seeks to warn apostates and give hope to the faithful. The book’s original readers needed to know that they suffered for a reason, but that their situation was not permanent if they obeyed the LORD in their own era. Today’s reader needs to hear the same message.³²⁴

Historical Details Related to
First Kings 12:1 to 16:34

Four issues need special consideration. First, the division of the division of the nation into two parts has had a tremendous impact of the history of Isra’el. As Paul House relates in his commentary on First Kings, the separate entities never regained the prestige David and Solomon had established. They were also less able to fend off foreign invaders. Of course, First Kings 11:1-40 discusses the religious roots of the breakup. The Bible also notes that Jeroboam, a northerner, was already a likely candidate to take Solomon’s place. His position was supervisor over a forced labor project (11:27-28) underscored why northern Isra’el were tired of Solomon’s policies. They were drafted to work in the south, their tax burden was heavier than Judah’s and their love for the Davidic dynasty was always tenuous at best. Only spiritual commitments would keep the nation united, and those commitments had already been weakened by Solomon.

Second, because of the division of Solomon’s kingdom, other nations moved in against Judah and Isr’ael. That Pharaoh Shishak of Egypt favored Jeroboam meant that Solomon’s trade pact with Egypt was no longer valid. In fact, in Rehoboam’s fifth year Shishak attacked Judah with such force that the only payment of tribute induced him to withdraw (1 Kings 14:25-28). This invasion also greatly diminished the Isra’el-Egypt trade alliance. Egypt’s era of submissive weakness was over. To make matters worse, smaller nations rebelled against their former masters. Syria became impossible for Isra’el to control and soon became a threat in the north. Judah could not hold neither Ammon nor Philistia, and only Mo’ab continued to pay tribute. Each part of the divided kingdom had to face the future with less income from trade, with more external threats from countries small and large, and with turmoil between each other, a difficult future lay ahead.

Third, Jeroboam’s apostate religion made covenant keeping even more difficult than it had been. Jeroboam was clever enough to realize that if his subjects traveled to Jerusalem for the religious festivals their loyalty might revert back to the house of David (First Kings 12:26-27). Therefore, he set up shrines in Dan on the extreme northern border and a more significant one at Bethel on his southern boundary. Jerusalem’s uniqueness in God’s sight was ignored. Jeroboam also set up golden calves to represent God’s presence in the new sanctuaries (to see link click Dd – Golden Calves at Bethel and Dan). Those images quickly became used as idols (First Kings 12:30), thus shattering the first two of the Ten Words (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Bk – The Ten Words). New priests were appointed who were not Levites (First Kings 12:31), and he changed the date of the feast of Booths from the seventh month to the eighth month (First Kings 12:33). Jeroboam’s changes were a compromise between Canaanite idolatry and traditional Judaism. Such syncretism led to loyalty to neither tradition. Ultimately, this false religion sapped Isra’el’s spiritual fiber to the extent that they did not have enough character to endure as a nation.

Fourth, the prophetic movement began to have more importance in both kingdoms. Ahijah, the prophet who declared Jeroboam’s rise to power in Chapter 11 returns in First Kings 14:1-8 to denounce Jeroboam and predict the end of the king’s dynasty. Unnamed prophets reaffirm God’s sovereignty over kings and governments in Chapter 13. Given the tension that already existed between monarchs and prophets, greater conflicts in the future appeared to be inevitable.³²³

The Gold Furniture of Solomon’s Temple
First Kings 7:48-51 and Second Chronicles 4:7-10

The gold furniture of the Temple DIG: Why was it necessary for the Ruach Ha’Kodesh to record for us the furniture of the Temple? Which took longer to build, the Temple or Solomon’s palace? Why? From its construction what seems to be the function of this palace?

REFLECT: Are you involved in a project taking “years to finish?” Does faith make a difference? Do you resent other people “living like kings?” Why? What does Yeshua Messiah say about such power displays (see Matthew 20:25-28). How is your soul well furnished?

Is your soul well furnished?

Solomon had all the objects made of gold that were inside the house of ADONAI. Here, the Ruach Ha’Kodesh makes a clear distinction between Solomon and Hiram (to see link click Bd – Hiram, a Master Craftsman) where the furniture of gold and bronze are concerned. Hiram only takes responsibility for the work in bronze; it is Solomon who is in charge of the work in gold. Hiram may have been full of wisdom and understanding and knowledge himself, and a worthy successor to Bezalel and Ohaliab (see the commentary on Exodus Ew – The Appointment of Bezalel and Ohaliab), but the Ruach is anxious that we should remember who is the foremost picture of those qualities (see As – Solomon’s Wish). At the close of the account about building the Temple, as it was in the beginning, the spotlight falls on Solomon.¹⁴⁸

First, the golden altar of incense (see the commentary on Exodus Fp – Altar of Incense in the Sanctuary: Christ, Our Advocate with the Father). In effect, the high priest was approaching the mercy seat – the very place where YHVH answers prayer. As the incense rose from that gold altar, it ascended to heaven with his prayers. In the words of King David, referring to the worship of Isra’el’s priests: Let my prayer be counted as incense before You, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice (Psalm 141:2; Rev 5:8 and 8:3-4).

ADONAI has furnished us with a golden altar for prayer in the power of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh. Yeshua said that His house should be called a house of prayer (Matthew 21:13). If our souls have become His temple by the indwelling of the Spirit of God, then our lives should be full of prayer. Every time we receive any blessing from the LORD – even something as simple as a good meal – our prayers of thanksgiving should rise like sacred incense. Every time we see someone in need, our prayers of intercession should be lifted up like the arms of a holy priest. Every time we are feeling anxious or guilty, we should ask God to send His merciful help from heaven. In this way, we make our heart an altar of prayer.¹⁴⁹

Second, there were ten tables of gold on which the showbread was displayed, five on the right and five on the left (First Kings 7:48; First Chronicles 28:16; Second Chronicles 4:8a). Every week the priests put twelve loaves of sacred bread on this golden table, presumably to represent the twelve tribes of Isra’el. The bread was a reminder of the provision of ADONAI. The same God who gave His children manna in the wilderness, continued to provide life-giving bread. The bread was also a sign of God’s presence, and of His desire to have fellowship with His people. Each week the priests would eat this sacred bread in the presence of YHVH (Leviticus 24:9), sharing their table fellowship with their covenant God.¹⁵⁰

The table of bread is yet another way ADONAI furnishes our souls with His grace, for God still gives bread to His people. Yeshua said that He Himself is the bread of life, (see the commentary on Exodus Fo – The Bread of the Presence in the Sanctuary: Christ, the Bread of Life). The true bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world (John 6:33 and 35). If we have received Messiah by faith, our souls will never go hungry again. In the same way that bread gives us physical life, Yeshua gives us spiritual life forever. We are reminded of this every time we eat the daily bread we pray for God to provide (Matthew 11), or eat the bread of the Lord’s Supper, where Messiah feeds our souls with the bread of His grace.¹⁵¹

Third, Solomon made ten menorahs of pure gold. The Tabernacle in the wilderness had only one menorah (see the commentary on Exodus Fn – The Lampstand in the Sanctuary: Christ, the Light of the World). But the Temple was bigger, so Solomon installed five menorahs on the right and five menorahs on the left in front of the Most Holy Place. They were placed there for three reasons; first, providing light in a dark place because the Holy Place had no windows, secondly, it added beauty to the room, and thirdly, it symbolized the concept of life through both the tree of life and light.¹⁵² And on them were the flowers, lamps and tongs of gold. And he also made of pure gold the cups, snuffers, incense pans, fire pans, and hundreds of basins for the various rituals in the Temple (First Kings 7:49; Second Chronicles 4:7-8b and 20-22a).

Now we see the light of ADONAI in the person of Yeshua Messiah. The same Yeshua who said that He was the bread of life, also said that He was the light of the world (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Gr – I AM the Light of the World). Yeshua Messiah is the true light who enlightens everyone entering the world – the Light has come into a dark world for our salvation (John 1:9). When we put our trust in Him, the light of God starts to illuminate every dark corner of our lives. Messiah gives us the light that shows us the truth, uncovers our sin, reveals the right path for us to take in life, and makes us shine for God in a dark world.¹⁵³

As for the entryway to the house, the hinges for the inner doors for the Most Holy Place and the doors of the Sanctuary were of gold. Solomon made the courtyard for the priests and the great outer courtyard, also the doors to the courtyard, which he overlaid with bronze. The Sea he placed on the right side of the Sanctuary, toward the southeast (First Kings 7:50; Second Chronicles 4:9-10 and 22b).

Thus, all the work that King Solomon did in the house of ADONAI was finished. After this, he brought in the gifts which David his father had dedicated — the silver, the gold and the utensils — and put them in the treasuries of the house of ADONAI (First Kings 7:51: Second Chronicles 5:1). Solomon honored his father’s long term commitment to ADONAI and His house. Thus, his faith continued to be a witness to Isra’el and to the readers of First and Second Kings.

This is the way that God wants to furnish our souls; with stability like the mighty pillars (see Be – Two Bronze Pillars), with the cleansing grace of the Bronze Sea (see Bf – The Bronze Sea), with prayer like rising incense, with spiritual food like holy bread, and with shining light like a Sanctuary full of holy menorahs. Is your soul well furnished? If so, then use the furniture ADONAI has given you, making it part of everyday life. When life seems to be falling apart, and you are not sure how much longer you can stand, remember that Yeshua Messiah is your pillar of strength. When you are defeated by sin and feeling so unworthy that you doubt there is anything you can do for God, remember that the blood of Messiah purifies you from all sin. Use the spiritual furniture that the LORD has given you every day. Go to the sweet altar of prayer. Feed on His bread and live by the light of His Word.¹⁵⁴

The Summary of Hiram’s Work
First Kings 7:40-47 and Second Chronicles 4:11-18

The summary of Hiram’s work DIG: What were the smaller items used for? Who was Hiram compared to during the days of constructing the Tabernacle? Why weren’t they weighed?

REFLECT: What is your spiritual giftedness and how are you using it? In what ways are you presenting yourself as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God in spiritual worship?

We too should give our first and our best to God.

Hiram made the ash pots, shovels and sprinkling basins. With that, Hiram completed all the work he had done for King Solomon in the house of God – the two columns, the two tops of the columns, the two nettings covering the tops of the columns, and the 400 pomegranates for the two nettings, two rows of pomegranates for each netting, to cover the caps of the columns. He also made ten mobile bronze wash-carts, the ten basins for them, the one Bronze Sea, the twelve oxen under it, the ash pots and the shovels for removing the ashes from the bronze altar (see the commentary on Leviticus, to see link click Ao – The ‘Olah Offering), the forks, the sprinkling basins, probably for the catching of the blood. All these articles that Hiram the master craftsman made for King Solomon in the house of ADONAI were of burnished bronze (First Kings 7:40-45).

The king cast them in the plain of the Jordan River in the clay ground between Sukkot and Zarethan about 35 miles north of the Dead Sea and on the east side of the Jordan. His craftsmanship took planning and skill and required him to know how to transport his molds and finished products from the plain of the Jordan back to Jerusalem. Surely this man on loan from Tyre deserves to be remembered with Oholiab and Bezalel (Exodus Ew – The Appointment of Bezalel and Ohaliab) as one whose wisdom was revealed through the artwork and practical items he created.¹⁴⁶

The clay was used to make the molds into which the bronze was cast. Thus, the furniture for Solomon’s Temple was made much the same way that man himself was created: out of the ground. Given the large number of sacred articles that Solomon used to furnish his Temple, perhaps it is not surprising that they were never weighed because there were so many of them; thus, the total weight of the bronze could not be determined (First Kings 7:46-47; Second Chronicles 4:11-18).

The sacred furniture in Solomon’s Temple were part of the sacrificial system in the Dispensation of Torah (see the commentary on Exodus Da – The Dispensation of the Torah). We too are called to a life of sacrifice – not of our animals or our grain, but of our very selves. Yeshua Messiah has offered Himself as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. In joyful response, we now offer everything we are and have back to Him. Somewhere in the sacred interior of our souls, we tell our Savior that we are totally available for His service, in whatever way our lives can be used for his glory: giving, praying, singing, teaching, organizing, discipling, or simply showing up and caring for people in need. By the mercy of ADONAI, we present ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is our spiritual worship (Romans 12:1). Nothing we could offer could ever be good enough for God, and Solomon was wise to give in proportion to the relative worth of the Recipient of his gifts. We too should give our first and our best to God.¹⁴⁷

Dear Heavenly Father, What a wise and loving Father You are! For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies (Psalms 57:10). What a joy it is to abide in You by listening, and following You so that I might please You and bear much fruit! I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for apart from Me, you can do nothing (John 15:5). 

You are worthy of all my time, thoughts and love. In heaven, earthly trials will be forgotten. For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). We will be so glad when we say no to personal pleasures for the joy of spending our time and our money on pleasing You! You are so glorious and wonderful to live for! In Your holy Son’s name and power or resurrection. Amen

Ten Mobile Bronze Wash-Carts
First Kings 7:27-39 and Second Chronicles 4:6

Ten mobile bronze wash-carts DIG: What was the purpose of the ten mobile bronze wash-carts? Why did God require so much washing? What did water represent in such an arid land?

REFLECT: If you could tackle any task for ADONAI, what would you like to do and why? Does your place of worship offer everything you need to use your spiritual gift(s)?

We need God’s cleansing every day.

Hiram’s third project was to make ten beautifully decorated bronze mobile wash-carts to be filled with water from the Bronze Sea (to see link click Bf – The Bronze Sea) that was needed for various Temple rituals. Each one is seven feet long, seven feet wide, and five-and-a-quarter feet high (to see a video of Solomon’s Temple in 3D click here). They were designed with panels that were set between the corner-posts, and on the panels between the corner-posts were lions, oxen and priests and cherubim. The corner-posts above were similarly designed. Below the lions and oxen were wreaths of hammered work. Every wash-cart had four bronze wheels and bronze axles, and its four legs each had cast supports which were under the bronze basin, with wreaths next to each. The opening was a circular ring on top of the wash-cart into which an eighteen inch basin was inserted; the stand was round, resembling a pedestal, and it was two-and-a-half feet in diameter (First Kings 7:27-33).

On the stand were carvings, and the outside was square, not round. The four wheels were under the panels, and the axles for the wheels were attached to the wash-carts; each wheel was two-and-a-half feet. The wheels were made like chariot wheels; their axles, rims, spokes and hubs were all cast metal. Since the wash-carts were on wheels, they could be used in different parts of the Temple court. There were four supports at the four corners of each wash-cart; the supports were attached to the wash-cart itself. In the top of the wash-cart was a circular support ten-and-a-half inches high, and the wash-cart’s corner-posts and panels were attached to its top. Even these utterly functional objects were given elegance, style, and beauty. Hiram decorated the sides of the panels with carved cherubim, lions and palm trees, with wreaths surrounding. According to this design he made the ten mobile bronze wash-carts; all of them were cast from a single mold, so that they had the same size and shape. Holy objects in Solomon’s Temple were useful and attractive (First Kings 7:34-37).¹⁴³

Hiram designed the wash-carts to hold a smaller basin for washing; each basin’s capacity was two-hundred-twenty gallons of water and had a diameter of seven feet; there was a basin for each of the ten wash-carts. The wash-carts were kept in the Court of the Priests right next to the Temple, five of the wash-basins on the south side of the house and five on the north side. The dirty water could then be wheeled away and disposed of in a proper place and the wash-carts could then be filled again with clean water from the Bronze Sea. Their purpose was to supply water for the ritual rinsing of animal sacrifices and the removal of blood and refuse from the area around the Bronze Altar. But the Bronze Sea itself was to be used by the priests for washing. Solomon placed it on the right side of the Temple, toward the southeast (First Kings 7:38-39; 2  Chronicles 4:6). Notice that in Ezeki’el’s Temple the river flows from the southeastern corner (Ezeki’el 47:1-2).¹⁴⁴

The huge amount of water in all these basins shows that ADONAI has an all-encompassing concern for personal holiness. At the Temple, cleanliness really was “next to godliness,” because in order to perform their sacred duties, Solomon’s priests had to keep themselves ceremonially pure through ritual cleansing. So in order to do their kingdom work at the Temple of God, both the priests and the sacrifices needed to be washed in water. First, they washed themselves (Leviticus 16:4), but they also washed the animals they presented as clean offerings to the LORD (see the commentary on Leviticus Ah – The Offerings from the People’s Perspective).

God’s priests still need cleansing today, except that there are two major differences. The first difference is that now all of God’s people are priests. In the days of Solomon only the descendants of Aaron could perform priestly duties, but today ADONAI has a whole Kingdom of priests. Every believer in Yeshua Messiah has been called into the holy service of YHVH. Ha’Shem is building us into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Yeshua Messiah (First Peter 2:5). Now that the atonement has been made for our sins through Messiah’s sacrifice on the cross, there is no further need for us to offer God any more animal sacrifices. But we do offer Him the sacrifice of our praise, with a life given to His holy service. Our priestly duty is to proclaim the Gospel to the world and to pray for people who need God’s saving grace.

In order to offer ADONAI service that is truly holy, we must be clean, which brings us to the second major difference between Solomon’s Temple and the invisible, universal Church of Yeshua Messiah. The cleansing at the Temple was only skin deep; it washed the outside of the priest’s body. But now that we have become the temple of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh (First Corinthians 6:19) – the place where God dwells – the cleansing takes place right inside of us. The various washings that went on at the Temple could not perfect the conscience of the worshiper (Hebrews 9:9). But now, the great sea of God’s cleansing grace is furnished to our souls. Through faith in Messiah, the Ruach Ha’Kodesh makes our hearts clean from sin.

We need cleansing every day – not just the day we were saved, but every day we sin and need to be forgiven. Every day. God declares that the blood of Yeshua His Son cleanses us from all sin (First John 1:7). We receive this cleansing at the very moment we trust in Messiah for our salvation (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Bw – What God Does For Us at the Moment of Faith). The blood that Yeshua shed on the cross gives us spiritual cleansing from all the guilty stains of our sin. Yet, we continue to sin, and therefore we continue to need our Savior’s cleansing, not as a matter of salvation, but as part of the holy work of the Spirit in making us holy for the service of God. He has promised us that the blood of Messiah will purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God (Hebrews 9:14)

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise Your wisdom in showing to the Israelites that before the lamb was killed as a sacrifice to atone for sins, purity of the one making the sacrifice was important. People live in a busy world with so many things to do and to go to. Time is squeezed between earning a living at a job and handling the many family activities and needs. You deserve great respect and honor! Worship of You is so crucial. When we can meet openly in congregations of God that is good to do, but we must first have our hearts washed clean by the blood of Jesus who purifies us from all sin (First John 1:7).

Praise You for how great the cost for You to cleanse me by Your own pain and shame of death on a cross. Praise You that it was not an afterthought to have Yeshua die, but You planned it even before You created the world! He chose us in the Messiah before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before Him in love. . . He made known to us the mystery of His will, in keeping with His good pleasure that He planned in Messiah. The plan of the fullness of times is to bring all things together in the Messiah – both things in heaven and things on earth, all in Him (Eph 1:4, 9-10). I am so humbled by Your love and Your washing me clean. I desire to abide in You so that I can bear much fruit to please You. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for apart from Me, you can do nothing (John 15:5). In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

When believers sin, we sometimes start to doubt whether ADONAI can still accept our service. But whenever we are tempted by these doubts, we need to remember the furniture God has provided for our souls. As often as we sin, there is cleansing for our forgiveness in the face of God’s grace: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (First John 1:9). Knowing the promise of forgiveness encourages and enables us to obey the Bible’s command for our sanctification: Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God (Second Corinthians 7:1).¹⁴⁵

The Bronze Sea
First Kings 7:23-26 and Second Chronicles 4:2-5

The bronze sea DIG: What was the function of the bronze sea? Given the Golden Calf incident in Exodus 32:1-35, do you think it was a good idea to furnish the Temple with bronze bulls?

REFLECT: Have you ever had an encounter with the sea? Saved through the sea as the Israelites were? Rescued from the sea as Jonah was? Has God calmed the waters for you?

We have been cleansed by the washing with water through the Word.

The second item that Hiram made for Solomon’s Temple was an enormous basin. The cast metal “Sea” was circular, seventeen-and-a-half feet from rim to rim, eight-and-three quarter feet high (to see a video of  Solomon’s Temple in 3D click here). This beautiful bronze sea (as it was called) was one of ancient Isra’el’s great technical achievements. Anyone who knows the history of America’s famous Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, which was cast and then recast, knows how hard it is to fabricate a large metal object, especially one with a curved edge. The bronze basin in Solomon’s Temple was much larger than the Liberty Bell, with a circumference of fifty-two-and-a-half feet.¹⁴⁰

Under its rim, three hundred gourds encircled it in two rows; they were cast when the Sea was cast. It rested on twelve oxen representing the twelve tribes of Isra’el, three looking north, three looking west, three looking south and three looking east, all with their hindquarters toward the center. The Sea was set on top of them. It was a handbreadth thick, or the thickness of the palm (about four inches), its rim was made like the rim of a cup, like the flower of a lily (First Kings 7:23-26a: Second Chronicles 4:5a). The capacity of the Bronze Sea was two thousand baths, or about 11,500 gallons (First Kings 7:26b). The Chronicler, however, gives us a different number of three thousand baths, or about 17,500 gallons (Second Chronicles 4:5b). Therefore, either there were two sorts of baths, as there are two types of cubits, the one common, the other sacred, and the sacred held half as much as the common; or possibly, he speaks of what it did actually and usually contain, or two thousand baths, which was sufficient for use. In Second Chronicles 4:5 the Chronicler speaks of what it could contain if it were filled to the brim, as it is implied in the Hebrew words, which differ from these, and properly sound like strengthening itself, (that is, to receive and hold as much as it could, or being filled to its utmost capacity,) it contained, or could contain, three thousand baths.¹⁴¹ There must have been a system for removing small amounts of water, but this system isn’t explained in the text. Perhaps there were spigots at the base of the basin, or coming out of the mouths of the oxen.

As Philip Ryken relates in his commentary on First Kings, the Bronze Sea may have reminded the Israelites of their own encounter with the sea. When they made their famous exodus from Egypt, the people of God walked through the Sea of Reeds on dry land, while Pharaoh’s chariots and horsemen drowned (see the commentary on Exodus Ci – The Waters Were Divided and the Jews Went Through the Sea). We can give a similar testimony, for we too have passed through a symbolic sea. For believers in Messiah, baptism is a deliverance from death – a saving passage through water (First Corinthians 10:1-4; First Peter 3:20-21).

The water may also have represented the peace of YHVH controlling the chaotic troubles of a fallen world. The sea was a threatening force for people in ancient times, as it still is today, and thus it represents the forces of chaos. We find similar imagery elsewhere in the Bible, where the sea is sometimes regarded as an ominous, threatening force. Its waters roar and foam, wrote the psalmist; the mountains tremble at its swelling (Psalm 46:3). Or consider the desperate prayer of Jonah, “You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounding me; all Your waves and Your billows passed over me (Jonah 2:3).

But since ADONAI is Lord of the sea, He is able to bring its waters under His control: You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, You still them (Ps 89:9). Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, ADONAI on high is mighty (Ps 93:4)! The mighty power of God was on display at Solomon’s Temple, where a large volume of water was symbolically stilled. The chaos of the sea was kept in its place by a bronze basin, much the way God keeps the waters of the sea within the boundaries of land.

The same is true for our own troubles in life. No matter how chaotic things may seem, ADONAI is still in control and wants to furnish us with inner peace. Rather than getting thrown around by all kinds of turmoil, tossed up and down in an ocean of anxiety, we can trust our Savior to calm the trouble of our worried thoughts. Knowing that Yeshua is the commander of the winds and the waves, who stilled the storm on the Sea of Galilee (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ff – Jesus Calms the Storm), we are able to heed the apostolic command: Let the peace of Messiah rule in your hearts (Colossians 3:15).

One further aspect of the sea’s symbolism is perhaps the most important of all: the Bronze Sea emulated the bronze basin in the Tabernacle (see the commentary on Exodus Fh – The Bronze Basin: Christ, Our Cleanser). The water in the basin made Aaron and his sons holy as they performed their priestly duties. When they enter the Tabernacle – they are to wash with water, so that they won’t die. Also when they approach the altar to minister by burning an offering for ADONAI, they are to wash their hands and feet, so that they won’t die. This is to be a perpetual law for them through all their generations (Exodus 30:20-21). And as we are sanctified, being cleansed by the washing with water through the Word (Ephesians 5:26), we also become holy for His service.¹⁴²

Dear heavenly Father, Praise You that You wash us clean thru the blood of the Lamb of God (John 1:29). Though my life is very busy, making time for You is the most important and wonderful thing I can do. To be cleansed by You is so refreshing. It takes away the burdens of our sins when I submit to You as my Lord and Savior. For if you confess with your mouth that Yeshua is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart it is believed for righteousness, and with the mouth it is confessed for salvation (Romans 10:9-10).

It is wisest to give You the glory and honor that is due You by planning to begin and end each day in meditation of Your greatness. You are Awesome and worthy of my making the time for You! It is important to check often to ask You to help us see what we can do to walk closer with You and have You show me any little sins in my life that I need to daily cleanse.

No matter what is happening in my life, it is always a joy to bow in my heart, giving You all the praise. David praised You and wrote Psalm 57 while he was in great trouble and fleeing from the king. My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing, yes, I will make music. Awake, my glory! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise You, my Lord, among the peoples. I will sing praises to You among the nations. For Your lovingkindness is great up to the heavens, and Your truth to the skies. (Psalms 57:8-11). You are always worthy to be praised! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Two Bronze Pillars
First Kings 7: 15-22

Two bronze pillars DIG: Since they do not seem to be holding anything up, what is the purpose of the two bronze pillars? Where were they located? Why name them? What do their names mean? How would their names be a source of encouragement to Isra’el?

REFLECT: Why does the writer seem to delight in the details of the Temple? What was their symbolic meaning for Solomon and their spiritual connection to Yeshua and our life of faith? What names in your life conjure up thoughts and feelings of faith, hope, and love?

Our pillar is Yeshua Messiah.

Hiram made the two bronze pillars, each one was approximately twenty-seven feet tall, eighteen feet around, and several inches thick (to see a video of Solomon’s Temple in 3D click here). Together they stood on each side of the entrance to the Temple. Each pillar was topped with an ornate cap eight-and-three-quarters feet high made of melted bronze. He also made checker-work nets and chained wreaths, seven for the top of each capital (First Kings 7:15-17). We delight in the beautiful artistry of these caps, for although it does not give enough detail to produce an exact replica, the Bible does show how intricate they were. They were decorated with rows of fruit and chains of flowers – more echoes from the garden of Eden to remind us that the Temple was the gateway to Paradise.

When he made the pillars, he made two rows of pomegranates to put at the top of each pillar around the netting covering its cap. The pomegranates identified the pillars with the priests who served inside the Temple, for their garments were fringed with pomegranates (Exodus 28:31-34). Those fruits were symbols of the Promised Land (Num 13:23; Deut 8:8). The caps on the pillars in the hall had shapes like lilies and were seven feet high. The lilies were symbols of life, and also of love, for in the Song of Songs, that flower is closely associated with youthful romance (Song of Songs 2:1-2 and 6:2-3). As for the caps on the two pillars, there were 200 pomegranates in rows around each capital near the molding by the netting (1 Kgs 7:18-20). 

What about the pillars themselves? He erected the freestanding pillars in the porch of the Temple. But what was their symbolic meaning for Solomon and their spiritual connection to Yeshua Messiah and the life of a faithful believer? I’m glad you asked. The meaning of the pillars can be explained by their unusual names. On erecting the south pillar, he gave it the name “Jachin,” and on erecting the north pillar he named it “Bo‘az” (First Kings 7:21).¹³⁷

The name Jachin means it is firm, or he establishes. The same verb is used in the history of Isra’el to describe the promise of ADONAI made to King David and then later fulfilled for his son Solomon – the promise to establish his throne (Second Samuel 7:12-13; First Kings 2:12 and 24). Thus, Jachin is closely associated with God firmly establishing David’s throne. To call a pillar by this name is to encapsulate YHVH’s promise that David’s dynasty would be the vehicle through which God would bring His Kingdom on earth.¹³⁸ To say Jachin, is really another way of saying: Your Kingdom come (Matthew 6:10). It means He will establish His Kingdom on the earth through the royal family of David.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise Your Almighty power! Praise that You are our mighty pillar of strength and power. Your kingdom will come! The world is full of wars, fighting, famines and power struggles, yet Your coming as the Supreme Ruler of the world is not a maybe, not even a probably or a I hope so. Your Coming Rule of the entire world is a sure thing, an absolute positive future event, a one-hundred percent certainty!

When life gets hard, money is tight, work is heavy, relationships are not going well, I know that I can lift my eyes to focus on my loving and All-powerful Daddy! I can trust and rest in the fact that You are in total control of the world, even when it looks otherwise. In the world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world (John 16:33c)! At the end of the seven year Tribulation, when the Beast and the False Prophet will gather all the armies of the earth and demonic spirits to come and fight against You at Armageddon (Revelation 16:16), You will take out all who fight against You by the sword of Your mouth! There will be no battle, just a slaughter by Your sword! From His mouth comes a sharp sword- so that with it He may strike down the nations- and He shall rule them with an iron rod, and He treads the winepress of the furious wrath of Elohei-Tzva’ot (Revelation 19:15).

You are not anxious by any amount of opposition against You. No ruler can out-plan You, nor surprise You. You cannot be deceived. You not only have a sure plan of victory, You have even planned for the cleanup of Your enemy after You kill them with the sword of your mouth. Then the beast was captured, and along with him the false prophet . . . These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the One riding on the horse. And all the birds gorged themselves with their flesh (Revelation 19:20-21). Your Kingdom will come and we bow in love and in worship of You! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

We can take this idea one step further by comparing First Kings 7 with one of the royal psalms of David. Psalm 21 begins and ends with bo’az, meaning in His strength. The key word in both the first and last verse of the psalm is the same word used for strength that Solomon used to name his pillar. So it is at least possible – maybe even probable – that Bo’az was intended to remind the Israelites of this psalm. Therefore, if we want to understand the full meaning of the pillar Bo’az, we need to sing David’s psalm, “ADONAI, the king finds joy in Your strength . . . Arise, ADONAI, in Your strength (Psalm 21:1 and 13)!

What is the pillar of your life? The pillars of Solomon’s Temple were Jachin and Bo’az – the strength of YHVH Himself, and the stability of the king who sat on his throne. Our pillar is (or ought to be) Yeshua Messiah, the greater Solomon and the royal Son of David who now rules as the King of God’s Kingdom. By faith in Messiah, the believer’s life has become the Temple of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, the dwelling place of the living God (First Corinthians 6:18-20). The pillar of that inner temple is Yeshua Messiah. He is our pillar when everything else in life seems to give way. He is our pillar of strength when we feel weak, the pillar of mercy when we need forgiveness, the pillar of comfort when we suffer loss and grief, and the pillar of hope when we feel as though we have missed our chance in life and do not have much of a future.

When Yeshua Messiah is the pillar of our souls, then whatever trouble may come, we are able to say: My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever (Psalm 73:26). By the strength of ADONAI we will persevere through all the troubles of this life until the day when Yeshua fulfills this promise for us in glory: The one who overcomes I will make a pillar in the Temple of My God (see the commentary on Revelation Be – The Church at Philadelphia).¹³⁹

Hiram, a Master Craftsman
First Kings 7:13-14 and Second Chronicles 4:11

Hiram, a master craftsman DIG: Who was Hiram? Why was he an ideal worker for this project? Who else does he sound like in the Bible? What does that say about the Ruach Ha’Kodesh?

REFLECT: What is your spiritual gift? How are you currently using it? How do you feel when exercising your gift? Has God given you any “heavenly assignments lately? Are you willing?

Solomon sent for Hiram and brought him from Tyre.

The people of Tyre were famous for their skill in working with metal. The most famous of them all was Hiram – not the king, but a different man of the same name. Strangely enough, although Hiram was from Tyre, his mother was Jewish. He was the son of a widow who was of the daughters of Dan (Second Chronicles 2:13), but her deceased first husband was from the tribe of Naftali, but he had remarried and his father-in-law was from Tyre. This detail may have been provided to reassure us that Hiram was not simply a Gentile with no Israelite roots. The fact that his mother was a widow, indeed, leaves open the possibility that he was a child of her first marriage, and therefore completely Jewish. But the most important thing to know about him is not his ethnic background, or his family connection to the people of God, but his gift as a master craftsman who designed the furniture in Solomon’s Temple. Solomon sent for Hiram and brought him from Tyre.¹³³

He was a bronze-worker filled with wisdom, understanding and skill for all kinds of bronze craftsmanship. Second Chronicles 2:14 adds that he was likewise skilled in working with gold, silver, iron, wood and various dyes of fine linen. He came to King Solomon and did all his bronze work (First Kings 7:13-14). Notice that Solomon not only utilized the finest materials, but he also spared no expense in hiring the finest workmen, and Hiram’s craftsmanship was a God-given talent.¹³⁴

The language that First Kings uses to describe his artistic gift is virtually identical to the language Exodus uses to describe two other famous artisans: Bezalel and Oholiab, who were the leading architects and interior designers for the Tabernacle that Moses built in the wilderness. Bezalel and Oholiab were filled with the Spirit of God, with the ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft (Exodus 31:3-5). The author wanted his readers to know that a man of similar skill was now on the job.

Hiram made a bronze altar thirty feet square and fifteen feet high (Second Chronicles 4:11). As you approached the Temple from the east, you came to the entrance to the courtyard of the priests. It was to this entrance, at the Nicanor Gate, that the people brought their sacrifices and offerings to be presented to the LORD. On the right, toward the north, stood the bronze altar, where the fire was kept burning and the priests offered the sacrifices (First Kings 8:64 and 9:25; Exodus 27:1-8).¹³⁵ As the population of the nation grew, so did the size of the bronze altar. In the Tabernacle, the bronze altar was only seven-and-a-half feet square and four-and-a-half-feet high (Exodus 27:1). But the time Herod’s Temple was built the bronze altar had grown to an incredible fifty-two-and-a-half feet square and sixteen-and-a-half feet high. This was necessary because of the sheer volume of sacrifices and offerings being made daily by the whole nation.

Dear Heavenly Father, Wow! The bronze altar of sacrifice was thirty feet square – the size of some homes! When planning the layout of a building – if something is important – it is given much space. You guided Solomon in the Temple design. You placed much emphasis on being clean from sins by making the altar so huge. People could smell the burning of the sacrificial animals in the Temple Court. It would have left a big impression on the mind as to how awful sin is and that only thru the shedding of blood could it be forgiven. It clearly showed that no one may approach a holy God without their sins covered by a sacrifice. He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, so that it will be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf (Leviticus 1:4).

Too often today, people do not respect Your Holiness and Almighty power. They think they can talk to You as if You are just one of us. They forget how powerful You are and that You are King of Kings (Revelation 19:16). Your ways are so far above our thoughts and understandings (Isaiah 55:9). You are perfectly Holy, All-knowing, All-Wise and an All-Caring God! I bow in wonder and in awe of You!

How grateful we are that You choose to make Yourself the lamb of sacrifice to take the punishment for our sins. The next day, John sees Yeshua coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29)! What great love You have to give me Yeshua’s righteousness so that I could come to live with You in Your holy home in heaven! He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (Second Corinthians 5:21). I love You and delight to follow and obey You. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen 

Whenever it was time to build a house for God, be it the Tabernacle or the Temple, ADONAI gave certain people the gift and calling to do the job. Today, the Ruach Ha’Kodesh gives each believer at least one spiritual gift when we are saved. Usually it ends up being one strong gift and a lesser secondary gift (see the commentary on First Corinthians, to see link click Ci – The Source and Purpose of Spiritual Gifts). You know you are operating within the giftedness of the Spirit by the joy it brings you and the fruit it produces.

Hiram fulfilled his God-given calling as an artist by making beautiful furniture for Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem. We do not know enough about him to be certain whether he had saving faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But what we do know is that everything Hiram made testified to the goodness of ADONAI and can help us understand how the Spirit of God wants to furnish our souls with His grace.¹³⁶

The Furniture in God’s House
First Kings 7:13-51 and Second Chronicles 4:1 to 5:1

The writer takes the opportunity to underline the connection between the Tabernacle and the Temple. Since Solomon’s Temple is larger and more lavishly equipped than the Tabernacle, it was clearly not a mere imitation in a more permanent form. However, separate basic information is given on Hiram (to see link click Bd – Hiram, a Master Craftsman), the Bronze Pillars (see Be – Two Bronze Pillars), the Bronze Sea (see Bf – The Bronze Sea), ten Bronze Mobile Stands (see Bg – Ten Bronze Mobile Stands), as well as items not described elsewhere (see Bh – The Summary of Hiram’s Work), and lists given from different sources of the gold-work (see Bi – The Gold Furniture in the Temple).

There are also three principles emphasized in this section. First, the Temple’s structure and furniture signify the various ways that it means to be in the presence of YHVH. The need to be washed, the symbolism of the lampstands and the bread, the doors of the Most Holy Place, and even things like sprinkling bowls and censers, speak of God’s grace drawing near to us as well as His glorious holiness.

Second, the emphasis on the Temple furniture, as well as the association between the Tabernacle and the Temple, underlines the continuity represented by the Temple itself. The return of the Temple furniture to the Second Temple was one of the chief signs that post-exilic Isra’el remained a worshiping community of covenant people (see the commentary on Ezra-Nehemiah Bm – Ezra Reads the Scroll of Deuteronomy). The ongoing significance of the furniture is underlined by the reference of various kings restoring and repairing it for use in worship (Second Chronicles 13:11. 23:18-19, 29:18-19, and 33:1-16).

Third, the detail shows that Solomon was careful to follow the written instructions of ADONAI, with almost every item listed in First Chronicles 28:11-29 repeated here (see a video of Solomon’s Temple click here). The pattern of Moshe’s obedience in constructing the Tabernacle (Exodus Chapters 25-31 and 35-40) is therefore continued, in both cases culminating in God’s house being filled with His Sh’khinah glory (First Kings 8:11; Second Chronicles 5:13-14; Exodus 40:34-38).

The Temple’s interior also helps us understand what it means to worship ADONAI in His heavenly Sanctuary. Although the way was not fully revealed during the Dispensation of Torah (see the commentary on Exodus Da – The Dispensation of the Torah), as a result of Yeshua’s death, the way to heaven is now available to Gentiles as well as Jews. Its earthy point of entry is the cross outside the camp (Hebrews 13:11-14). There, Messiah died for sins once and for all (John 19:30), rendering any further earthly Temple and bronze altar moot (Hebrews 8:13). This Most Holy Place in heaven is to be a place of continuing worship as well as completed atonement. Here every believer may enter as a priest (First Peter 2:5-9), confident of never being turned away from the presence of Yeshua, the Bread of Life (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Fr – Jesus the Bread of Life) and the Light of the World (see The Life of Christ Gr – I Am the Light of the World). Believers are therefore encouraged to draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith (Heb 10:22).¹³²

Inside Solomon’s Temple
First Kings 6:15-38 and Second Chronicles 3:8-14

Inside Solomon’s Temple DIG: In what ways does Solomon demonstrate the importance he attaches to the Temple? Why is so much value given to this building? What art adorns the Temple (1 Kings 6:23-29)? What are cherubim (Gen 3:24)? Why does Jewish art avoid any human depictions (Deut 5:8)? Does the Temple say anything about the character of God?

REFLECT: What kind of “temple” is God building (Ephesians 2:19-22)? How is the progress in the corner of the project assigned to you? To your place of worship? Is the project “noise-free” or “full of static?” Explain. How will the laborers be supported? What sacrifices will be needed? When you enter the presence of God do you have a sense of awe? Why? Why not?

Seeing the cherubim would impress anyone of the holiness of ADONAI.

The fire that devastated England’s Windsor Castle in 1992 was a costly disaster. To help pay for the repairs, which cost millions of pounds, Queen Elizabeth II opened her home to visitors. For the first time in history, common tourists could pay a small fee for the unprecedented privilege of walking through Buckingham Palace. The opening of the palace offered a rare glimpse of the queen’s royal splendor. To know what people are like, it helps to see where they live, and for the queen of England, home is where the majesty is. People who were fortunate enough to visit Buckingham Palace saw the queen’s royal apartments, with their gilded ornaments and famous masterpieces. They walked through her stately private gardens. They encountered her receiving room to gaze upon her golden throne. To see the royal palace was to experience the glory of Queen Elizabeth’s kingdom.

The Bible gives us a similar experience by taking us on a guided tour of Solomon’s Temple, the house of God. Sometimes people wonder what YHVH is really like. Since we have never seen Him face-to-face, it can be hard to get a clear impression of his true and awesome glory. Visiting the house that Solomon built can help us to know God better, for when we look at the building carefully, seeing the plan for its structure and the details of its design, we learn the character of ADONAI who made His home there.¹²³

Natural beauty: The first thing we notice inside Solomon’s Temple is its natural beauty. The insides of the walls of the house he built with boards of cedar: from the floor of the house to the joists of the ceiling he covered them on the inside with wood, and he covered the floor of the house with boards of cypress. The thirty-five-foot back portion of the house he built with boards of cedar from the floor to the joists and reserved this part of the house to be a sanctuary, the Most Holy Place; while the rest of the house, that is, the Temple in front, was seventy feet long. The cedar covering the house was carved with gourds and open flowers; all was cedar; no stone was visible (First Kings 6:15-18). 

Solid gold: In the inner part of the house he set up the Sanctuary, so that the ark for the covenant of ADONAI (see the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Fr – The Ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy Place: Christ at the Throne of Grace), containing the Ten Commandments, could be placed there (First Kings 6:19). On top of the ark was the mercy seat (see Exodus Fs – The Mercy Seat in the Most Holy Place: Christ at the Throne of Grace). It was there that the high priest sprinkled the blood on the Day of Atonement (see the commentary on Leviticus Ef – Yom Kippur). Thus, the ark in the Most Holy Place was the focal point of the Temple and its ritual, not as an object of worship itself, or superstitious awe, but as the place where His Sh’khinah glory, the very presence of God, dwelt among His people.¹²⁴

Dear Heavenly Father, How spectacular and beautiful the Most Holy Place, all covered in gold! Yet even more awesome is that Your very presence, Your Sh’khinah glory that resided in the Most Holy Place above the ark. Your presence is even more spectacular than gold! What a privilege it is that You dwell in my heart: Yeshua answered and said to him: If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him (John 14:23) – now that sin has been paid for by Yeshua, the Lamb of God (John 1:29). How important it is to always keep any place of worship clean. In the same way, it is so important to keep my heart/life clean because You live inside me. Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own (First Corinthians 6:19)? It is a joy and delight to please You! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Holy, Holy, Holy: The Temple was the guardian of, and witness to, the Torah. In common with ancient Near Eastern principles of religious architecture, the holiest place was to be a perfect cube which symbolized the perfection of its design as well as its purpose.¹²⁵ Then he made the Most Holy Place thirty-five feet long, wide and high; and it was overlaid with twenty tons of pure gold. In front of it, Solomon set an altar, which he covered with cedar. He overlaid the interior of the house with pure gold and had chains of gold hung across the doors that led to the Most Holy Place, which itself he overlaid with gold. The entire house he overlaid with gold until it was completely covered with it. He also overlaid with gold the entire altar that belonged to the Sanctuary. All around the walls of the house, both inside the sanctuary and outside it, he carved figures of cherub, palm trees and open flowers. He overlaid the floor of the house with gold, both inside the Sanctuary and outside it (First Kings 6:20-22 and 29-30; Second Chronicles 3:8-9). 

Inside the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim of olive-wood, then cast metal, overlaid with gold. These two magnificent statutes dominated the Most Holy Place. The wings of the cherubim were thirty-five feet long, completely spanning the inner Sanctuary — the wings of both cherubs was eight-and-three-quarters feet long and touched the wall of either side of the house and met in the middle of the room. Each cherub was seventeen-and-a-half feet tall and stood on their feet facing the door (First Kings 6:23-30; Second Chronicles 3:10-13). These two figures (Ezeki’el 1:4-14) represented the cherubim associated with the throne and government of YHVH (Ezeki’el 1:22-28). They also served as the guardians of the way to God (Genesis 3:24). The impact on the beholder of these representations of the cherubim would be to impress on that person the awesomeness of ADONAI’s holiness. Approaching the LORD is not a light or frivolous matter and must be undertaken in the exact way He has prescribed – through the blood of the sacrifice.¹²⁶

Just before the two cherubim, and hiding them and the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place, was a richly embroidered veil made of blue, purple and crimson material and of fine linen, with a design of cherubim worked into it (Second Chronicles 3:14). Only here in the TaNaKh is this mentioned. Of course, the Tabernacle had an inner veil (see Exodus Fq – The Inner Veil of the Sanctuary: That is Christ, His Body). Herod’s Temple also had this veil (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Lw – The Accompanying Signs of Jesus’ Death). The Chronicler was interested in the veil because its continuity with the Tabernacle, but for believers, the tearing of the veil when Yeshua died (Matthew 27:51) supersedes all other associations (to see a video of Solomon’s Temple in 3D click here).¹²⁷

Leaving the Most Holy Place, we can see that the doors were made of olive-wood, set within a five-sided door-frame. On the two olive-wood doors he carved figures of cherubim, palm trees and open flowers. He overlaid the doors with gold, forcing the gold into the shapes of the cherubim and palm trees as well. For the entrance to the Temple, he also made doorposts of olive-wood, set within a rectangular door-frame, and two doors of cypress-wood; the two leaves of the one door were folding, as were the two leaves of the other. On them he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers, overlaying them with gold fitted to the carved work (First Kings 6:31-35). From this and the following verses in this chapter, and in Chapter 7, it is quite evident that Solomon spared no expense in building the Temple; he used the finest and costliest materials available. His prayer in Chapter 8 makes it clear that in doing so, Solomon was giving expression to his sincere love for, and devotion to, ADONAI. Though God could not be enriched, Solomon was demonstrating in a practical way that nothing but the best is owed to the LORD. This is an enduring principle for believers in every age and ought to find expression in every area of our lives.¹²⁸

Having quickly toured the interior of the Temple and passed through the two doors of cypress-wood that stand at its entrance, we find ourselves once more in the inner courtyard, passing between two free-standing pillars Jachin and Boaz (see Be – Two Bronze Pillars). He built the inner courtyard with three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams (First Kings 6:36). It was an open plaza surrounding the Temple. This inner courtyard, also called the courtyard of the priests (Second Chronicles 4:9), was separated from the great outer court by the wall described here. The size of the inner courtyard is not given, but if the dimensions of the Temple are proportionate to those of the Tabernacle courtyard, as the dimensions of the Sanctuaries of the Temple and Tabernacle are, the inner courtyard was about one-hundred-and-fifty feet wide and four-hundred feet long.¹²⁹

The foundation of the house of ADONAI was laid in the fourth year, in the month of Ziv. In the eleventh year, in the month of Bul (the eighth month), which is the eighth month, all parts of the house were completed exactly as designed. Thus, he spent seven years building it (First Kings 6:37-38). About seven years and six months were needed to complete the Temple. An enormous amount of labor and funds were involved. All the plans of David were carried out. It must have been a moment of great satisfaction to Solomon to see the desires of his father’s heart come true; and when ADONAI acknowledged the Temple by filling it with His Sh’khinah glory, Solomon’s joy, I am sure, knew no bounds.¹³⁰ The Temple stood for nearly four centuries and was the only structure that was rebuilt after the exile in Babylon. As time passed, the nation learned to look at the Temple as a sign of their relationship with YHVH. For the time being, however, the people needed to make the transition from a more basic Tabernacle to the new, ornately decorated Temple.¹³¹

This New House
First Kings 6:1-14 and Second Chronicles 3:1-7 and 15-17

This new house DIG: Why was the building of the Temple dated in reference to Exodus? How was the Temple different from any other building in the world? Why was the Sanctuary smaller than most of the congregations of God today? Why such a large portico? Such small windows? Why side rooms? Why is no iron tool heard at the construction site? Regarding the promise in verse 12, how is this promise fulfilled?

REFLECT: Are the buildings that believers meet in today as important as the Temple was in Solomon’s time? Why? Why not? How do you balance the money going to the building where you worship and the ministry of your congregation? Is one more important than the other? If so, which one and why? Since Isra’el is a very secular society today, has God abandoned His people (see the commentary on Romans, to see link click Cy – The Jealousy of the Gentile Believers)?

Yeshua is the Promise Keeper.

True spiritual vitality depends on the living and working presence of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh. With the Spirit, the congregations’ ministry of word and deed have the power to bring people to faith in Messiah, and help them grow in grace. Without the Ruach, however, nothing that is done in ministry will make any lasting difference for the kingdom of ADONAI. It all depends on having the Spirit of Messiah in the life of the congregations of God. Unless the LORD is in the house, the Church will fail.

Breaking ground: We see the vital importance of the Spirit’s presence in the story of Solomon’s Temple. As construction begins, the Bible gives precise details about the new house that Solomon built for God. But the Bible also makes it clear that the living presence of God is infinitely more important than any building that is raised in His Name. First Kings 5 told how the king wisely arranged for all the materials and labor he needed to build his Temple (to see link click Az – Materials and Labor for the Temple). Then in Chapter 6 Solomon broke ground. It was in the 480^th year after the people of Isra’el had left the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Isra’el, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of ADONAI (First Kings 6:1). This verse, with its careful identification of time and place, uses the kind of formal language that people use when something important is happening. And the Temple was important. This was a new era for the people of God. Solomon was constructing sacred architecture – a new house for the living God.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for Your indwelling presence in those who love You (John 14:23)! How great that You are eternal, and never get old. What a comfort it is that the One who lives within us is always Holy, All-powerful and All-wise! I can always call to You for advice and help and You are right there within me! Friends are often busy or far away, but because You live within me, we are never alone. For God Himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you” Hebrews (13:5c).

We do not ever have to fear the dark for You see right thru it. If I say: “Surely darkness covers me, night keeps light at a distance from me,” even darkness is not dark for You, and night is as bright as day – darkness and light are alike (Psalms 139:11-12). If I get on a plane and fly across the ocean, even there You are with me. If I take the wings of the dawn and settle on the other side of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me (Psalms 139:9-10). What a wonderful privilege to have you always with me to help and guide me.

It is a joy and a delight to love and to follow You, our Awesome Savior. Your word says: Delight yourself in ADONAI, and He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalms 37:4). Thank You that as I delight in You, my heart will desire things that delight You – making a bonus of delight for both You and for me. It is such a joy to meditate on You! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

From a historical standpoint, the information in this verse is useful for determining when these events took place. That year would be around 967 to 966 BC. The chronology of this verse also provides a crucial piece of evidence for establishing the date of Isra’el’s exodus from Egypt in 1447 or 1446 BC. Taking this as a literal 480 years strengthens the case for an early, fifteenth-century date for the Exodus.

But as important as this verse is for biblical chronology, it is even more important for biblical theology. What Solomon did in building a house for God is directly connected to what God did in bringing His people out of Egypt. First Kings is part of the ongoing history of the one true people of God. As he tells the story of Solomon’s Temple, the biblical writer looks back to the historic day when His people were released from their bondage by His grace. It was a direct fulfillment of the promises of YHVH.

Going back to the days of Abraham, God had promised that He would give His people a land to call their own (see the commentary on Genesis Eg – I am the LORD, Who Brought You Out of Ur of the Chaldeans to Give You This Land). During their long bondage in Egypt, the people of God often wondered when that promise would ever come true. But eventually ADONAI brought His people out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. He led them safely through the wilderness, until finally He brought them into the Promised Land.

When Solomon began building a house for ADONAI, it was clear that God had fulfilled His long-standing promise of Land for His people. Now they were not just saved from Egypt, but also settled in Isra’el. In the wilderness when they were still wandering, Ha’Shem made His residence in the Tabernacle – a portable structure suitable for that stage of Isra’el’s pilgrimage. But now it was time to settle down. Isra’el had established a permanent place of residence, and therefore YHVH would no longer dwell in a tent, but in a Temple.

This Temple was part of God’s promise (see the commentary on the Life of David Ct – The LORD’s Covenant with David). But the promise of God’s dwelling went all the way back to the days of Moshe. When Moses sang his victory song on the shores of the Sea of Reeds, celebrating God’s triumph over the horses and riders of Egypt, he prophesied that YHVH would dwell with His people: You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain which is Your heritage, the place, ADONAI, that you made your abode, the Sanctuary, ADONAI, which Your hands established (Exodus 15:17). The promise of Moses was fulfilled on the mountain of Zion, where Solomon built a Sanctuary for the worship of God.

Moshe often referred to this promise in the book of Deuteronomy. There he prophesied a time of rest for God’s people, at a place where God’s name would dwell and His people would bring their sacrifices (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Ct – The Place to Worship ADONAI). From time to time, as Moses gave instructions for Isra’el’s worship, he would mention the place where ADONAI will choose to make His name dwell there (Deuteronomy 14:23, 16:2, 6 and 11, 26:2). He was referring to Jerusalem, but more specifically, to the place of worship that God would establish there. These promises were a long time in coming, but they began to see their fulfillment in the second month of Solomon’s fourth year.

God makes a similar promise to us today. The most basic promise of His everlasting covenant is that He would come to us and be our God. When ADONAI comes to dwell with us – when He comes into our lives by the powerful presence of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh – then we have the best of all blessings, which is God Himself living within us. Yeshua said: If someone loves Me, they will keep My word; and My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home in them (John 14:23).

This is the promise of Yeshua Messiah for anyone who loves Him and believes the word of the Good News: the Father, the Son, and the Spirit of God will come and make their home in your body (First Corinthians 6:15) and in your life. They will come with forgiveness for all your sins, help for all your troubles, and comfort in all your sorrows. They will come with strength and grace for every important thing you are called to do in life. They will come to guarantee everlasting joy in the kingdom of God.¹¹⁸

The house that Solomon built: Solomon’s Temple was to serve as a dwelling place for God, which is why it is repeatedly called a house (First Kings 6:1). A house is a place where someone lives, so this new house was the dwelling place of God. It was the one place on the earth that YHVH chose to receive the worship of His people and make His presence known.

One sign of the Temple’s importance was the sheer number of details the Bible gives about its construction. The Bible doesn’t provide all the details needed for an exact reconstruction. At most there is enough information for an architectural rendering, we don’t have a full set of blueprints. The Ruach Ha’Kodesh is obviously not interested in the Temple from an archeological standpoint, but from a theological standpoint. However, from what the Bible says, we can easily imagine the simple beauty and stately grandeur of Solomon’s Temple (to see a video of Solomon’s Temple click here).¹¹⁹

Then Solomon began to build the house of ADONAI in Yerushalayim on Mount Moriah, where ADONAI had appeared to David, his father. Provision had been made for this at the place David had chosen, the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite. He began building in the fourth year of his reign, on the second day of the second month. These are the foundations Solomon laid for building the house of God: the length in old-standard cubits was 105 feet long, thirty-five feet wide and fifty-two-and-a-half feet high, about double the dimensions of the Tabernacle. Then the Spirit of God provides a simple tour of the building, beginning with the porch. The length of the porch in front of the house was the same as the house’s width, thirty-five feet and 210 feet high so that its seventeen-and-a-half width extended frontward from the house. And he overlaid it with pure gold (First Kings 6:2-3; Second Chronicles 3:1-4).

After giving the Temple’s dimensions, the Bible proceeds to describe its structure. The windows he made for the house were wide on the inside and narrow on the outside. Against the wall of the house, he built an annex all the way around; it went all the way around the walls of the house, including both the Temple and the Sanctuary. Here is how the Bible describes this three-tiered structure. The lowest floor of the annex was eight-and-three-quarters feet wide, the middle floor ten-and-a-half feet wide and the third floor twelve-and-a-quarter feet wide; for he had made the outer part of the wall of the house step-shaped, so that the beams of the annex would not have to be attached to the house walls. For the house, when under construction, was built of stone prepared at the quarry; so that no hammer, chisel or iron tool of any kind was heard in the house while it was being built. The entrance to the lowest floor was on the south side of the house; a spiral staircase went up to the middle floor and on to the third (First Kings 6:4-8).

So, he built the house, and after finishing it, he put its roof on – cedar planks over beams, which he overlaid with fine gold and embossed with palm trees and chains. Each floor of the annex surrounding the house was eight-and-three-quarters feet high and was attached to the house with beams of cedar. He also decorated the building with precious stones and gold from Parvaim, overlaying the house and its beams, thresholds, walls and doors with gold and carving cherubim on the walls (First Kings 6:9-10; Second Chronicles 3:5-7).

The preparation of those stones may also remind us of the work that ADONAI is doing in our spiritual lives. The Bible says that when we come to faith in Messiah, we are like living stones that God is building into a spiritual house (First Peter 2:5). The LORD is not finished with us yet. All through our lives the Ruach Ha’Kodesh is shaping us in the quarry of sanctification, using suffering and temptation to chip away everything that is still unholy. He uses our quiet times of prayer, with the reading and meditation of Scripture, to construct our character. As we confess our sins and grow in godliness, Ha’Shem is getting us ready to be a perfect fit for our eternal home.¹²⁰

As we turn and make our way out of the Sanctuary, we pass between the two free-standing pillars. In Second Chronicles 3:15-17 we learn that in front of the house, he made two pillars sixty-one-and-a-quarter feet high, with a capital of eight-and-three-quarters feet on top of each. He made chains in the sanctuary and added them to the tops of the columns, and he made a hundred pomegranates and attached them to the chains. He erected the columns in front of the temple, one on the right and the other on the left; the one on the right he called Jachin, and the one on the left he called Bo‘az (see Be – Two Bronze Pillars). So Solomon finished building the house (Second Chronicles 3:15-17; First Kings 6:14)

Since the Bible goes on to devote more space to the opening ceremonies (see Bk – Solomon’s Prayer) than to the building of the Temple, it is clear that the author’s real concern was with the Temple’s meaning rather than its architectural details. In other words, the Temple would be complete, not when the last stone was set in place, but when ADONAI took up residence.¹²¹ The Temple was for His glory, not for the pride of the people who built it.

If/then: Suddenly, ADONAI interrupted Solomon’s building project to make an important announcement: Concerning this house which you are building: if you (Solomon) will live according to My regulations, follow my rulings and observe all my mitzvot and live by them, then I will establish with you My promise that I made to David your father. If Solomon were obedient, then the Messiah would come from his line. But since he was disobedient (see Bx – Solomon’s Wives), the Messiah would come through the line of Nathan instead (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ai – The Genealogies of Joseph and Mary).

Then, the next verse concerned Isra’el: if you (Solomon) will live according to My regulations, follow my rulings and observe all my mitzvot and live by them, then I will live in it among the people of Isra’el, and I will not abandon my people Isra’el.” So Solomon finished building the house (First Kings 6:11-13). God was concerned with Solomon’s heart. He didn’t tell Solomon to stop what he was doing. Nor did He disapprove of Solomon’s Temple. But God wanted to make sure that as the king undertook his worthy project, that he didn’t lose sight of what should have been his top priority . . . to do everything in obedience to His will. This is an important reality check for all of us, not just King Solomon. We are often tempted to think that what really matters is what we do. Of course, what we do does matter. But what matters most is who we are – the obedience of a heart that is surrendered to God. What matters at work is not just getting the job done, but doing it with a sincere desire to honor our Savior.

If Solomon was faithful to obey, then ADONAI would be faithful to bless. God promised three particular blessings, which are some of the greatest blessings that He ever has promised to His people. The first promise was an everlasting dynasty for Solomon on the throne of his father David. If you will live according to my regulations, follow my rulings and observe all my mitzvot and live by them, then I will establish with you My promise that I made to David your father (see the commentary on the Life of David Ct – The LORD’s Covenant with David). If Solomon was obedient, then his kingdom would never fail.

The second promise guaranteed God’s presence: I will live in it among the people of Isra’el. This was the very reason Solomon was building the Temple: so that ADONAI would dwell with His people. The best gift that God can offer is the gift of himself, in all His love and grace. He made that promise to His people in the time of Moses (Leviticus 26:11-12). Now Ha’Shem was repeating His covenant promise to Solomon. The LORD’s presence with His people depended on the faithfulness of their king. If Solomon obeyed, then the whole nation would enjoy the blessed dwelling of their God among them.

The third promise was God’s perseverance. Having told Solomon what He would do, Ha’Shem also told him what He would not do. . . I will not abandon My people Isra’el. This verse cannot be avoided by those who believe in Replacement Theology (see the commentary on Acts Ag – Replacement Theology and Acts). This promise went well beyond the second promise and made it more secure. It is one thing to go and live with people; but it is quite another to live with them forever and never leave. This is something that YHVH had promised His people before (Psalm 94:1-23), and now He was promising the same thing again. As long as Solomon obeyed His statutes and ordinances (see Deuteronomy Bb – Hear and Obey), ADONAI would dwell with His people in the Temple.

The Promise Keeper: The obvious question to ask about these promises is whether Solomon kept God’s conditions or not. For as the king went, so went the country. This is why knowing the grammar of First Kings 6:12 is so crucial to understanding this whole passage. The commands in that verse are all given in the second-person singular, speaking specifically to Solomon. So how did Solomon do? Tragically, the king failed to keep God’s statutes and ordinances. We have already seen some early warning signs that Solomon’s heart was not fully devoted to the LORD. Later, we will see that for all His wisdom, his reign did not end nearly as well as it began (see By – The Fall of the House of David). He did not walk in the mitzvot that forbade the king to marry many foreign wives, to trust in horses and chariots for his national security, or to acquire excess gold and silver for his personal use (Deuteronomy 17:16-17). Nor did he obey God’s commandments about worshiping foreign idols.

As a result of Solomon’s unfaithfulness, the people of Isra’el didn’t receive the full blessing that would have been theirs if the king had kept God’s covenant with Moses (Exodus 19:3-25), which is a conditional divine pledge to be Isra’el’s God, protector, the advocate and sustainer of her blessing and destiny. Solomon’s throne did not last forever, and when he died, Isra’el became a divided kingdom (see Cz – The Divided Kingdom: The Rise of Idolatry). Although ADONAI lived with His people for a time, eventually His Sh’khinah glory departed from the Temple (Ezeki’el 8-10). Near the end of Kings we hear Him say: I will reject this City, which I chose, Jerusalem, and the house concerning which I said, “My name will be there” (Second Kings 23:27). So the Temple was destroyed (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gb – The Destruction of Solomon’s Temple on Tisha B’Av in 586 BC) and God exiled His people from Jerusalem all the way to Babylon (see Jeremiah Gu – Seventy Years of Imperial Babylonian Rule). It was all because of the failure of their king. First Kings 6:11-13 explains most of Isra’el’s subsequent history.

As we study the TaNaKh we look in vain for a faithful king who keeps God’s covenant with Moses (Exodus 19:3-25). David and Solomon were two of Isra’el’s best kings, but both had fatal flaws. David was a murderer and an adulterer; Solomon married many foreign wives and worshiped many idols. Most of the other kings were even worse. They didn’t walk in God’s statutes, obey God’s ordinances, or keep God’s commands. The kings of Isra’el didn’t secure an everlasting dynasty for David or enjoy the permanent living presence of God in their midst.

Yet all these promises did come true, and ADONAI is with His people today, by the power and presence of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh. The promises came true in Yeshua Messiah, the descendent of David and the greater Solomon of the kingdom of God. He kept all of the commandments of YHVH (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Dg – The Completion of the Torah). So, Solomon’s failure points us to the faithfulness of Yeshua Messiah.

Now we have God’s promise that Yeshua will sit on David’s throne forever, ruling heaven and earth for His Father’s glory (see the commentary on Isaiah Db – The Nine Missing Articles in the Messiah’s Coming Temple). We have God’s promise that He will live with us and be our God, that Messiah will live in our hearts through faith (Ephesians 3:17). We also have His promise that He will never leave us or abandon us (Hebrews 13:5). Yeshua said: I will be with you always, yes, even until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). Then He sent the Ruach Ha’Kodesh to be His guiding and comforting presence in our lives. Yeshua is able to make all these promises because He has met all the conditions for our salvation. The Torah has been completed, the debt has been paid: He is the Promise Keeper. Now God is with us forever.¹²²

Historical Details Related to
First Kings 3:1 to 4:34

This section is lengthy and describes the first years of Solomon’s rule and the fame he gained during that time. Foreign and domestic political situations are mentioned as are religious, literary and commercial issues. Since First Kings Chapters 1-2 establishes Solomon as the successor of David, then First Kings Chapters 3-4 indicates how Solomon began to fill the rather large void left by his father.

Most of the events of Chapters 3-4 occur during the first three years of Solomon’s rule (970-966 BC). At least they are told before construction on the Temple began in the fourth year of Solomon’s rule (First Kings 6:1). Three historical details deserve mention: Solomon’s relationship to Egypt, Solomon’s organization of Isra’el into twelve districts, and the extent of the cost of Solomon’s kingdom. These details are interspersed between the chapters’ most important ideas, which are the origin, emergence, and fruit of Solomon’s wisdom.

As has been stated, David left a significant kingdom to his son. He had built a nation largely through conquest. Philistia, Mo’ab, Ammon, Edom, and Syrian had all fallen to his armies. Those nations continued to be under Isra’el’s authority during the first decades of Solomon’s rule, which presented the new king with an administrative problem, not a military one. Since he controlled virtually all the land between Egypt and the Hittite kingdom, Solomon was a major player in international affairs.

Egypt’s pharaoh, most probably Siamun (978-959 BC),⁷¹ recognized Solomon’s significance and made an alliance with him by marrying one of his daughters to Isra’el’s king (First Kings 3:1). Perhaps Egypt was weak and needed Solomon’s support at that time, or maybe Egypt thought it would be easier to gain access to Isra’el’s trade routes through negotiation rather than through war. But whatever the reasons, peaceful relations existed with Egypt and Isra’el for some twenty years – until the twenty-first dynasty was superseded by Shishak in 945 BC.⁷² Having Egypt as an ally enhanced Solomon’s status even more. When this alliance ceased, however, Egypt actually helped support Jeroboam who eventually split Isra’el into two rival nations (to see link click Dc – A House Divided).

Before Solomon, Isra’el’s government was fairly informal. Sha’ul and David’s kingdoms were not disorganized, but they were forced to focus on waging war rather than managing a peaceful empire. Solomon, on the other hand, was determined to accomplish normal peacetime goals, such as trading and building. Therefore, he divided Isra’el into twelve districts, each of which was ruled by a governor, who was in charge of providing food and supplies for the king and his household; each one was in charge of provisions for one month out of the year (First Kings 4:7). In other words, the governors collected the taxes in their districts that went to support the central government. These districts roughly corresponded with the old tribal areas, but tribal boundaries were often disregarded. Resentment over this redistricting undoubtedly arose, then grew as certain districts struggled to pay their portion.

In any event this was a radical and decisive step, because it imposed upon the people an unprecedented burden. It meant that the fading old tribal system was virtually abolished as far as its political functioning was concerned. In place of the twelve tribes caring in turn for the Temple and the priesthood, there were twelve districts taxed for the support of Solomon’s court.⁷³

Without question, Solomon’s court needed vast sums of money to support its many interests. Besides the king, his harem, and his officials, there were chariot horses and regular army horses to feed (First Kings 4:26). In addition, the nation’s population grew (First Kings 4:20), which required further administrative costs. Since funds could not be gained through warfare, taxes and trade had to provide all the government’s income. Only an extremely wise king would fund all those various interests. But even that type of ruler could not do so for an indefinite period of time.⁷⁴