Today’s passage: 1 Kings 5:1-18
Helpful thoughts:
- Tyre was the capitol of Phoenicia and prominent in trade in the sea. Israel, due to their strategic location, ruled trade by land. Their partnership was very advantageous to both and they had a common enemy, the Philistines.
- Hyram even built David’s house (2 Samuel 5:11).
- It was quite popular in this region of the world during this period of time to build temples for nation’s gods. There will always be counterfeits to the true God.
- Solomon’s motive to build the house was not just a “Thank you” to God for all his prosperity. Solomon saw it as an act of obedience and the fulfilment of God’s promise to David. He was doing this because it was the right thing to do.
Questions to consider:
- What changes were made to the agreement as the negotiations continue through the chapter? In what ways was wisdom displayed?
- How did Solomon find his workers for this massive job? Did they turn in resumes and interview or something else…? What had Samuel warned the nation about concerning kings and their labor (1 Samuel 8:10-18)? Why is it important to remember that these accounts of what took place in Israel are descriptive and not prescriptive?
- Even with all these people working together to make this happen, who ultimately was allowing it to move forward? If this Temple was going to be built, who had to approve of the project and allow it to go forward? Who is still sovereign over the world today?