1 Kings 6:38 …[Solomon] had spent seven years building [the temple of the LORD].
At the end of chapter 6, seven years building the temple of the Lord sounds pretty impressive. But the first verse of chapter 7 puts that time in its proper perspective. Solomon spent seven years building God’s house but thirteen years building him own. That seems a bit problematic. Shouldn’t the greater time have been spent building God’s house?
1 Kings 7:1 It took Solomon thirteen years, however, to complete the construction of his palace.
There has been enough mention of Solomon’s reign to know that he does not have the same heart for God that his father did. And the expense and time put into his palace certainly seems to indicate that he values his house over God’s. This seems to be a slippery slope away from God he is embarking on. I wonder if he saw the danger.
1 Kings 7:9 All these structures, from outside to the great courtyard and from foundation to waves, were made of blocks of high-grade stone cut to size and smoothed on their inner and outer faces.
Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the ability to understand what Solomon’s actions say about his priorities. Help me to have the same clarity when it comes to my own actions and priorities. Draw me closer. Help me to keep my eyes and heart focused on You. Amen.
1 Kings 7:10 The foundations were laid with large stones of good quality….
Have a blessed day.
My faith, my life, my teaching–it's all a work in progress.