“Shlomo made all the objects that were inside the house of Adonai: the gold altar; the table of gold on which the showbread was displayed; the menorahs — five on the right and five on the left in front of the sanctuary — of pure gold; the flowers, lamps and tongs of gold.” – 1 Kings 7:48-49
Verse 48 kicks things off by letting us know that Solomon “made all the objects inside the house of Adonai.”
Some clarification is needed here.
Solomon didn’t get down on his knees with a bunch of tools and utensils and actually craft the items himself.
This just means he personally supervised the project.
The Biblical narrator wanted to make sure Solomon got credit for these items.
He didn’t want other kings later claiming they were the homies who furnished the house of God.
Unlike the items Hiram constructed, verse 48 tells us that gold instead of bronze was used.
The Altar and the table upon which the shewbread was placed were all made out of pure gold.
On top of that, there were tongs, plates, bowls, and pitchers.
Even the Menorah was made of gold.
Interestingly, we’re told Solomon made 10 menorahs.
The term is MENOROT.
So it’s plural in Hebrew.
The takeaway I’m getting from all of this is that here we have another sobering reminder of the dividing line between man and God.
The principle of separation is being fleshed out right before our eyes.
The closer we get to the things of God, the more valuable the materials used are.
Hiram built items with bronze.
However, when it came to the items inside the house…
Gold was used.
And the project was supervised by the king himself.
So how should we apply this principle to our lives?
By distinguishing between the common and the holy.
We distinguish by…
Eating food according to Scriptural commands.
Having sex according to Scripture’s commands.
Conducting business according to Scripture’s commands.
And so on.
I think you get the idea.
We surrender every aspect of our lives over to the will of our Creator.
He is holy.
So we are called to live likewise.
Ya feel me?
Done.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“In a large house
there are dishes and pots
not only of gold and silver,
but also of wood and clay.
That is, some are meant for honorable
use and some for dishonorable.
If a person keeps himself free
of defilement by the latter,
he will be a vessel set aside
for honorable use by the master
of the house and ready for
every kind of good work.”
– 2 Timothy 2:20-21
“Some will use gold, silver, or precious stones
in building on this foundation;
while others will use wood, grass or straw.
But each one’s work will be shown for what it is;
the Day will disclose it,
because it will be revealed by fire
— the fire will test the quality of each one’s work.”
-1 Corinthians 3:12-13
“Well, whatever you do, whether
it’s eating or drinking or anything else,
do it all so as to bring glory to God.”
-1 Corinthians 10:31
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