1 Kings 5–7

Solomon Builds a Temple

Because he was a man of war, David was not permitted by the Lord to build a temple. The Lord promised David, however, that his son would reign in peace and build a temple (see 1 Chronicles 22:8–10). Chapters 5–7 of 1 Kings tell about the building of that temple, which has come to be known as Solomon’s temple.

In 1 Kings 5 we are told about an agreement made between Solomon and Hiram, king of Tyre. Solomon got cedar wood from Lebanon (part of the land Hiram ruled) in exchange for wheat and oil from Israel. In addition, we read that Solomon put in effect a “labor tax” that required men in Israel to spend a certain amount of time in Lebanon preparing the cedar wood to be taken to Jerusalem for the temple.

In 1 Kings 6 is a description of some of the furnishings of the temple and the materials they were made of. The chapter also records the Lord’s promise to Solomon that if the people would live the laws associated with the temple, the Lord would dwell among them in His house.

Chapter 7 in 1 Kings mentions that Solomon also built a house for himself that took thirteen years to complete, while the temple only took seven. Chapter 7 also reemphasizes the idea that the very finest workmanship was put into the temple. The same is true today. The way we build a house of God is a reflection of how we worship the Lord.