Days 137-11

IX - The Reign of Solomon - 985-945 B.C. ~ cont.

B. Solomon builds (20 years) ~ cont.

2. Building of the Temple ~ cont.

m. Completion of the Temple building - 1 Kings 6:14; Psalm 127:1-5; 128:1-6; 1 Kings 6:38

3. Building of the Royal Palace (13 years) - 1 Kings 7:1

a. House of the forest of Lebanon - 1 Kings 7:2-5

b. Porches - 1 Kings 7:6-7

c. House for the king and his wife - 1 Kings 7:8

d. Materials of the buildings - 1 Kings 7:9-11

e. The great court - 1 Kings 7:12

4. Making of the furnishings for the Temple (3 years)

a. Two pillars - 1 Kings 7:15-22; 2 Chronicles 3:15-17

b. Altar of Brass - 2 Chronicles 4:1

c. Molten Sea - 1 Kings 7:23-26; 2 Chronicles 4:2-5, 10

d. Ten bases - 1 Kings 7:27-37

e. Ten lavers - 1 Kings 7:38-39; 2 Chronicles 4:6

f. Courts - 1 Kings 6:36; 2 Chronicles 4:9

g. Hiram's brass work - 1 Kings 7:40-47; 2 Chronicles 4:11-18

h. Golden vessels - 1 Kings 7:48-50; 1 Chronicles 4:7-22

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. (Psalm 127:3)

Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.  (Psalm 127:5)

Why do they speak with the enemies in the gate? Sharing Gill:

but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate: where courts of judicature were kept; and so the Targum, 

"in the gate of the house of judgment.'' 

The sense is, that their children should stand and plead the cause of their parents against their adversaries in courts of judicature; or publicly before the eyes of all, as Aben Ezra: and spiritually may design such of Christ's seed who are set for the defence of the Gospel, are valiant for the truth on earth, and earnestly contend for it; meet the enemy in the gate, publicly oppose him, and behave themselves like men, and are strong.

And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz.  (1 Kings 7:21)

Jachin - H3199 - From H3559; he (or it) will establish; Jakin, the name of three Israelites and of a temple pillar.

• H3559 - A primitive root; properly to be erect (that is, stand perpendicular);. hence (causatively) to set up, in a great variety of applications, whether literal (establish, fix, prepare, apply), or figurative (appoint, render sure, proper or prosperous).

Boaz - H1162 - From an unused root of uncertain meaning; Boaz, the ancestor of David; also the name of a pillar in front of the temple.

Sharing Henry:

1. Two brazen pillars, which were set up in the porch of the temple (1Ki_7:21), whether under the cover of the porch or in the open air is not certain; it was between the temple and the court of the priests. These pillars were neither to hang gates upon nor to rest any building upon, but purely for ornament and significancy. (1.) What an ornament they were we may gather from the account here given of the curious work that was about them, chequer-work, chain-work, net-work, lily-work, and pomegranates in rows, and all of bright brass, and framed no doubt according to the best rules of proportion, to please the eye. (2.) Their significancy is intimated in the names given them (1Ki_7:21): Jachin - he will establish; and Boaz - in him is strength. Some think they were intended for memorials of the pillar of cloud and fire which led Israel through the wilderness: I rather think them designed for memorandums to the priests and others that came to worship at God's door, [1.] To depend upon God only, and not upon any sufficiency of their own, for strength and establishment in all their religious exercises. When we come to wait upon God, and find our hearts wandering and unfixed, then by faith let us fetch in help from heaven: Jachin - God will fix this roving mind. It is a good thing that the heart be established with grace. We find ourselves weak and unable for holy duties, but this is our encouragement: Boaz - in him is our strength, who works in us both to will and to do. I will go in the strength of the Lord God. Spiritual strength and stability are to be had at the door of God's temple, where we must wait for the gifts of grace in the use of the means of grace. [2.] It was a memorandum to them of the strength and establishment of the temple of God among them. Let them keep close to God and duty, and they should never lose their dignities and privileges, but the grant should be confirmed and perpetuated to them. The gospel church is what God will establish, what he will strengthen, and what the gates of hell can never prevail against. But, with respect to this temple, when it was destroyed particular notice was taken of the destroying of these pillars (2Ki_25:13, 2Ki_25:17), which had been the tokens of its establishment, and would have been so if they had not forsaken God.

Amen...God there are times in all of our lives when we just do not comprehend and/or understand where You are taking us.  Let me remember to keep my mind stayed upon thee and that You are my strength.


Isa 26:3  Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. 

2Co 12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

He is my all in all.

And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel: their axletrees, and their naves, and their felloes, and their spokes, were all molten.  (1 Kings 7:33)

naves - H1354 - From an unused root meaning to hollow or curve; the back (as rounded (compare H1460 and H1479); by analogy the top or rim, a boss, a vault, arch of eye, bulwarks, etc. ~ Used 13 times in 11 verses.  Translated as eyebrows, bodies, back, rings, eminent or higher place.

felloes - H2839 - From H2836; conjoined, that is, a wheel spoke or rod connecting the hub with the rim.

• H2386 - A primitive root; to cling, that is, join (figuratively) to love, delight in; elliptically (or by interchange for H2820) to deliver.

Interesting, H2839 is used only 1x in Scripture. Intriguing.