Solomon’s Splendor Part 3, The House Of God
1 Kings 6
INTRODUCTION
- Read 1 Kings 6:1-14
- People’s reaction - WOW!
- Our Reaction???
2 Chronicles 7:1-3
When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. The priests could not enter the temple of the LORD because the glory of the LORD filled it. When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the LORD above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, “He is good; his love endures forever.”
(TS) If I could take you there I would - But I can’t! The temple no longer exists
So why talk about it? Is there any significance?
- It was at the temple Mary & Joseph found Jesus when he was a young boy listening to the teachers
- It was at the temple where Jesus did much of His teaching
- It was at the temple Jesus announced the 7 woes upon the Pharisees
- It was at the temple where Jesus drove out the buyers and the sellers
Jesus had a passion for this place - But, it was NOT the Temple Solomon built (although impressive, it was cheap replica built by King Herod)
SOLOMON’S TEMPLE
If we could see the original temple... What would it look like? Would it overwhelm us?
1 Kings 6 tells us...
- walls of cedar (stones were dressed at quarry, no stone was seen) …verse 15
- floor was pine … verse 15
- inner sanctuary, perfect square, lined with cedar …verse 16
- Details of carvings (Cherubim, gourds, flowers, palm trees) …verse 18
- EVERYTHING WAS OVERLAID WITH GOLD (1 Kings 6:19-35)
Walls… floor… cherubim… doors…
* It is estimated that the gold alone used in Solomon’s Temple (at $260 an ounce) would be worth $31 billion
Is it any wonder people would walk by and say,
“WOW, What A Mighty God We Serve!!!”
ANCIENT CATHEDRALS
I lived in Wales for 2 years… I worshipped in the living room of the preacher’s house (nothing impressive). But just down the road was St David’s Cathedral. It was very impressive!
I traveled to Ireland and saw St Patrick’s Cathedral
I traveled to London to see St Paul’s Cathedral
St Paul’s Cathedral in London (where Prince Charles & Princess Dianne were married)
Originally built in 604, but destroyed by Vikings in 675. Today’s Structure took 34 years to build (1675-1709) and they are spending 10 million pounds this year (2001) to clean the interior walls!!!
Worms Cathedral, Worms, Germany (Martin Luther nailed his theses to the doors)
Built: 1170 - 1224
Cost: $50 million in today’s currency
Still Stands today! as a testimony to the people of that time who gave their all to God
Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France
Built: began 1163, finished in 1345
Cost: $100 million, took 200 years to build,
1/4 of all citizens in Paris were involved in its construction
Still Stands today! as a testimony to the people of that time who gave their all to God
(TS) When you look at these buildings - you can’t help but think that God was the most important thing in these peoples lives. THESE PEOPLE WERE DEVOTED TO GOD
The Cathedrals would dwarf everything else in town. It was the first thing you would see as you entered a new village (Today, the first thing you see is McDonald’s!)
These cathedrals are all across the world... How were they financed? God’s people willingly gave. They loved God and they wanted to demonstrate it by building a building worthy to be called the HOUSE OF GOD
These Cathedrals were built a 1000 years ago - but the same love and devotion exists today...
MODERN CHURCHES
WILLOW CREEK, ILLINOIS
14,000 people
Building cost - $12.3 million
1st BAPTIST, FLORIDA
Cost $47 million
2nd BAPTIST, HOUSTON, TEXAS
Cost $90 million
SOUTHEAST, LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY
Began in 1965 with a hand full of people
In 1985 - 1700 members - spent $10 million relocating to Hikes Lane
In 1993 - 7500 members - started talking about relocating again!
Purchased 100 acres - $3 million
Spent $53 million relocating (AND THESE PEOPLE ARE EXCITED!!!)
TODAY (2001) - They average in attendance each week 15,000
(TS) Some people would criticize these churches for spending that kind of money - “That’s Bad Stewardship”
But I see ...
1. people who are devoted to God
2. people who are Concerned about winning the lost to Christ
3. people who are leaving their mark as a testimony of their faith for future generations who will pass by their buildings
These people know that God is using them in mighty ways, and they are generously giving to the cause
DEVOTION
This is how it was in 970 B.C....
DAVID wasn’t allowed to build Temple. But he still gave (1 Chronicles 29:1-3)
Then King David said to the whole assembly: “My son Solomon, the one whom God has chosen, is young and inexperienced. The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the LORD God. With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God—gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble—all of these in large quantities.
Why did he give so much? The answer is in verse 3
Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple
How much did David give? 110 TONS of GOLD… 260 TONS of SILVER
Then he turned to the leaders and asked, “Now, who is willing to consecrate himself today to the LORD?”
1 Chronicles 29:6 says, “Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly. They gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze and a hundred thousand talents of iron. Any who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the LORD in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite. The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD.”
The leaders gave willingly… wholeheartedly… WHY? Because what they were building wasn’t just any building... IT WAS THE TEMPLE OF GOD!!! And these people were DEVOTED TO GOD with all their hearts... all their minds.... and all their CASH!
DESTRUCTION
I mentioned earlier that the temple Jesus worshipped in was not the same temple as the one Solomon built. 5 years after Solomon died, the temple was plundered for all its gold.
The gold plated walls, the gold plated floors and ceilings, the gold decor that filled the temple, the 3,780 TONS of Gold that is estimated to be worth $31 billion... It was all gone by the time Jesus got there. As a matter of fact, the whole building was gone. It was destroyed in 586 BC when the Babylonians invaded Israel
ZERUBBABEL’S TEMPLE Zerubbabel built a temple once the Israelites returned from captivity. But it didn’t compare with the temple Solomon built. (Ezra 3:12 - the older generation wept because it didn’t compare with the original) It stood for 500 years until it was destroyed
HEROD’S TEMPLE - The Temple that Jesus worshipped in was actually the third temple dedicated to God. It was pretty impressive - but nothing in comparison to the original temple. It was destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans to build the Coliseums
(TS) So where’s the temple of God today???
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 says, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
2 Corinthians 6:16 says, “What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.’”
Ephesians 2:21-22 says, “In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Do you get it? YOU ARE THE TEMPLE OF GOD!!!
And let me ask you, What kind of shape is your temple in? (Not talking about your love handles)
Are you giving to God ALL that is within you to build the kind of temple which will cause people to stop and realize what a mighty God we serve - Or are you in the process of being plundered and destroyed?
FOUNDATION Are you building on a strong foundation? Have you made Jesus Christ your cornerstone - Or just another stone? Are you building on a lesser rock? Are you building on worldly wisdom and worldly philosophies? Are you building on sinking sand?
STONE WALLS 1 Kings 6:18 says that the stone walls were covered with cedar. No stone was to be seen. Let me ask you - Does your stony heart pop up now and then?
INNER SANCTUARY Verse 19 says that the inner Sanctuary was prepared to house the ark. The ark is where they kept the two stone tablets which the ten commandments were written on. This was God’s Holy Word. This was God’s Law. Have you prepared a place in your inner sanctuary to keep God’s Law. Psalm 119:11 says, “Your word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
ALTER Verse 20 says he overlaid the inside with pure gold and he also overlaid the alter of cedar with gold. FIRST - their was an alter - which means sacrifices were made. ARE YOU sacrificing anything for God?
SECOND, the inside was overlaid with gold. (Peter told the beggar in Acts 3:6 , “Silver and gold I do not have. But what I have I give you.” Do You know what Peter gave the beggar? He gave him Jesus Christ. Do you know what is worth more than silver and gold? Jesus Christ. Solomon covered everything in gold. We need to cover everything with Jesus Christ!
Solomon’s Temple was gold plated. We need to be Jesus plated. Solomon’s Temple was plundered for it’s gold. People were greedy and envious. They wanted what was inside that temple.
Wouldn’t it be great if people wanted what was inside of us! Wouldn’t it be great if they saw us so full of Jesus that it caused them to say, “I WANT THAT!”
I would challenge you to saturate yourself with Jesus. Romans 13:14 says, “Cloth yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ
DETAILS Verse 29, “On the walls all around the temple, in both the inner and outer rooms, he carved cheribim, palm trees, and open flowers”
Details! There was work and effort involved in this structure. Are you putting forth the same amount of work and effort in your spiritual pilgrimage? Or are you just white washing the walls?
CONCLUSION
I spent a lot of time talking about Solomon’s Temple - But it really doesn’t matter. That temple is gone... destroyed... And I’m not interested in building a new one
Today’s churches… Great endeavors.... They serve a purpose... But I’m pretty tired of building programs
You - What condition is your temple in? What kind of dedication and devotion are you putting forth to the God that has redeemed you?
Too often we offer invitations and people come forward and are baptized. And they think that’s all there is to being a Christian. The truth is - all you have done at that point is lay the foundation. It’s A GOOD FOUNDATION. It’s a good start! But there is so much more. Upon this foundation we must continue building!
Go back to verse 6... There was a first floor, a second floor, and a third floor
Once you’ve accepted Christ as your Lord, you’ve only got the foundation poured. This is a foundation of FAITH.
2 Peter 1:5... For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
It tells us that we need to add goodness to this foundation. And on top of goodness we are going to add knowledge. And to knowledge we are will add self-control. And to self-control, perseverance... then godliness... then kindness... then love. There is so much to do. And in the end, people will walk by and say, “Wow, what a mighty God you serve!”
Be holy, just as the Lord your God is holy. (1 Peter 1:16)
You’ve got to be... because He’s living inside of you. And if He’s not, He wants to be.
Pete Baumgartle,
First Capital Christian Church,
Corydon, Indiana
heypastorpete@hotmail.com
