Preparations for Building the Temple(A)

[a]When Hiram(B) king of Tyre heard that Solomon had been anointed king to succeed his father David, he sent his envoys to Solomon, because he had always been on friendly terms with David. Solomon sent back this message to Hiram:

“You know that because of the wars(C) waged against my father David from all sides, he could not build(D) a temple for the Name of the Lord his God until the Lord put his enemies under his feet.(E) But now the Lord my God has given me rest(F) on every side, and there is no adversary(G) or disaster. I intend, therefore, to build a temple(H) for the Name of the Lord my God, as the Lord told my father David, when he said, ‘Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my Name.’(I)

“So give orders that cedars(J) of Lebanon be cut for me. My men will work with yours, and I will pay you for your men whatever wages you set. You know that we have no one so skilled in felling timber as the Sidonians.”

When Hiram heard Solomon’s message, he was greatly pleased and said, “Praise be to the Lord(K) today, for he has given David a wise son to rule over this great nation.”

So Hiram sent word to Solomon:

“I have received the message you sent me and will do all you want in providing the cedar and juniper logs. My men will haul them down from Lebanon to the Mediterranean Sea(L), and I will float them as rafts by sea to the place you specify. There I will separate them and you can take them away. And you are to grant my wish by providing food(M) for my royal household.”

10 In this way Hiram kept Solomon supplied with all the cedar and juniper logs he wanted,

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Notas al pie

  1. 1 Kings 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1-18 is numbered 5:15-32.

News of Solomon’s succession of David reached the ears of Hiram, king of Tyre. Because Hiram was a friend of David,[a] he sent a group of his servants to visit Solomon. Solomon gave a message to Hiram’s servants, which they took back to Hiram.

Solomon’s Message: You remember that David did not have the opportunity to construct a temple honoring the reputation of the Eternal his God, because of my father’s involvement in the warfare which plagued him until the Eternal suppressed all of his enemies under his feet. But the Eternal One my God now grants me rest everywhere. We are not plagued by enemies or troubles. Therefore, I am going to construct a temple for the name of the Eternal my God. It will be just as He told David, my father: “Your son, whom I will put upon your throne after you are gone, will construct a temple honoring Me.”[b] So tell your people to start cutting down Lebanon’s cedars for my project. My servants will work alongside your servants, and I will pay you whatever you ask for your servants’ work. It is no secret that the best timber cutters around are the Sidonians who are at your command.

When Hiram received this message from Solomon, he celebrated.

Hiram: Blessed is the Eternal today! Praise Him for giving David Solomon, the wise son who rules a great people!

(replying to Solomon) I have received your message, and I will do exactly as you have asked. We will start the timberwork with the cedars and cypress immediately. Those who serve me will transport them from Lebanon to the sea. I will make rafts out of the timber and float the logs to the place of your choosing. There I will have them break apart the rafts, and you can carry the logs to wherever it is that you want them. Then all I ask is that you feed my house and my servants.

10 Hiram sent all the cedar and cypress trees Solomon had requested.

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The Ark Brought to the Temple(A)

Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs(B) of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark(C) of the Lord’s covenant from Zion, the City of David.(D) All the Israelites came together to King Solomon at the time of the festival(E) in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month.(F)

When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests(G) took up the ark, and they brought up the ark of the Lord and the tent of meeting(H) and all the sacred furnishings in it. The priests and Levites(I) carried them up, and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing(J) so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted.

The priests then brought the ark of the Lord’s covenant(K) to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place,(L) and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim.(M) The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed(N) the ark and its carrying poles. These poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today.(O) There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets(P) that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.

10 When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud(Q) filled the temple of the Lord. 11 And the priests could not perform their service(R) because of the cloud, for the glory(S) of the Lord filled his temple.

12 Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud;(T) 13 I have indeed built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell(U) forever.”

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The construction of the temple is the most important accomplishment of Solomon’s reign. This building both establishes and symbolizes Israel’s connection to God. Once the covenant chest is placed there, it is literally the meeting point between them, and the sheer opulence of the temple reveals the priorities of the government. So much of Solomon’s wealth is put into this building instead of being used to build an empire, as his neighbors would do, because he trusts God with the fate of Israel. Nothing demonstrates that more clearly than the storage of the nation’s weapons in the temple. God is their guardian in every way.

To transport the Eternal’s covenant chest out of Zion, the city of David, Solomon assembled all the most important people of Israel before him in Jerusalem: the elders and all the heads of the Israelite tribes—the chiefs of the patriarchs’ families. Every man in Israel gathered with King Solomon at the great feast during the 7th month (which is called Ethanim), 11 months after the temple was finished. Israel’s elders all attended as well, and the priests transported the covenant chest. The Levites who were priests transported the chest of the Eternal One, the congregation tent, and all the sacred objects that were inside the tent.

King Solomon stood before the covenant chest with the entire community of Israel who had gathered with him, and they sacrificed countless and innumerable sheep and oxen.

The Levitical priests transported the Eternal’s covenant chest to its rightful place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, which was the most holy place within the temple. They set the covenant chest down beneath the wings of the guardian creatures. The creatures’ wings were spread above the chest, forming a sort of canopy over the chest and its carrying rods. The carrying rods were long enough that they poked through the curtains and could be seen from the sacred place in front of the inner sanctuary, but a person could not see them from outside. The carrying rods are still there today.

The only things inside the covenant chest were the two stone tablets Moses placed there in Horeb, where the Eternal One entered into a covenant with the Israelites after they had departed from Egypt.

10 When the priests departed from the most holy place, a cloud filled the Eternal’s temple. 11 The cloud was so powerful that the priests could not remain standing to serve. His glory filled the temple.

12 Solomon: The Eternal dwells in this thick cloud.
        He said so Himself.
13     Surely this means I have built a worthy dwelling place
        for Him forever.

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19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”(A)

20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body.(B)

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Jesus: 19 You want a sign? Here it is. Destroy this temple, and I will rebuild it in 3 days.

Jews: 20 Three days? This temple took more than 46 years to complete. You think You can replicate that feat in 3 days?

21 The true temple was His body.

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19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples(A) of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;(B)

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19 Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who comes from God and dwells inside of you? You do not own yourself.

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