Pastor Matt Pierson
1 & 2 Kings: The King of Redemption History
1 Kings 7
- Solomon builds his palace (v. 1-12)
- Hiram crafts the furnishings of the temple (v. 13-47)
- Hiram the craftsman (v. 13-14)
- The two pillars (v. 15-22)
- The sea (v. 23-26)
- The 10 stands and basins (v. 27-39)
- The smaller bronze pieces (v. 40-47)
- Solomon crafts the golden vessels in the house of the Lord (v. 48-51)
Solomon’s Temple
Lost Wax Process
What’s He Building?
- God is building His Kingdom now.
- What foundation is your life resting on?
- Jesus is in the restoration business, not the demolition business.
“The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
– Luke 17:20-21
“While it looks like things are out of control, behind the scenes there is a God who has not surrendered authority.”
– A.W. Tozer
“He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.”
– Isaiah 33:6
Matthew 7:24-27
Discussion Questions
- The level of detail of Solomon’s Temple in this chapter is profound. How are today’s houses of worship similar? How are they different? Why?
- Luke 17:21 says, “…behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” What does this mean? How is God building his kingdom through you?
- “We cannot be our own foundation…” Have you ever tried to be your own foundation? When have you been thankful to have God as your foundation?
- See CS Lewis quote: Name a time in your life when you thought, “what on earth is He up to?” How is the palace God is building different from the cottage you imagined?
“The foundation of our love for the Lord lies in the recognition of His holiness, our sinfulness and His grace… those who are forgiven much, love much.”
– Sinclair Ferguson
“God didn’t make junk, and He doesn’t junk what He made.”
– Al Wolters, Creation Regained
“I am not my own and now my heart is free
– Skye Peterson, “I Am Not My Own”
O Maker come and make what You will of me
There is nothing broken that You cannot repair
So Lord, I leave my life in Your loving care”
“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of… you thought you were being made into a decent little cottage, but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.”
– C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity