1 Kings 5–7
1 Kings 5-7: Solomon built the temple in 7 years, his palace in 13. Misplaced priorities?
Let’s talk about it.
Key Topics & Theological Discussions
• Why Solomon says the temple is for the name of the Lord rather than for the Lord Himself, and how that guards against idolatry and pantheism alike
• Solomon outsourcing labor and materials to Hiram of Tyre and the Sidonians, compared with the Spirit-empowered craftsmen of the tabernacle
• 1 Kings 6:7 and the significance of no hammer, ax, or iron tool being heard on the site
• God's conditional reaffirmation of the covenant in 6:11-13, and Israel's temptation to treat the temple as a good luck charm
• Whether the carved cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers echo the Garden of Eden
• The danger of assigning divine intent to design details Scripture never attributes to God
• Seven years for the temple versus thirteen for the palace: rebuke, or exactly backward from how we assume?
• Solomon's daily provision in 1 Kings 4:22, royal extravagance, and the modern reader's own excess
• Solomon's marriage to Pharaoh's daughter and the warnings of Deuteronomy 17:16
• The two-Hiram question: is the king of Tyre the same man as the bronze craftsman from Naphtali?
• Jachin and Boaz: "He will establish" and "in Him is strength," and why non-structural pillars still preach
• The apologetic value of cubits, measurements, and mundane historical detail
A visual representation of the important, and often confusing, time-period of the kings of Israel and Judah.
This period of time stretches from the construction of the Temple to its destruction. Also included are the approximate ministry spans of the writing prophets.
Follow the line of the kings and prophets in the divided kingdom with this easy to read chart. Great to hang in an office or place for reference. Or, use it a quick reference while studying. Printed on thick, durable, matte paper.
• Paper thickness: 10.3 mil
• Paper weight: 5.57 oz/y² (189 g/m²)
• Giclée printing quality
• Opacity: 94%
• ISO brightness: 104%