Bible Stories for Adults

Solomon Builds the Temple

1 Kings 5-10

Next Week - The Divided Kingdom (1 Kings 11-12)
Bible Words to Remember:
I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people, in the courts of the house of the Lord - in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord. Psalm 116:18-19

Who was the first world leader to reach out in alliance to Solomon?
1 Kings 5:1 = Hiram, king of Tyre (on coast in Phoenicia)
In what way had Hiram been on friendly terms with David?
2 Samuel 5:11 = First to reach out to David, Sent labor & materials to build palace
How did Solomon respond to Hiram's gesture of goodwill?
1 Kings 5:2-5 = Proposed trade agreement to get materials to build temple

Had David really been prevented from building a temple for God?
2 Samuel 7:1-5 = Yes, God told David (thru Nathan) that he wasn't the one
What did God say must happen first?
2 Samuel 7:10-11a = God would grant peace to Israelites & allow them to settle down
Did this happen under Solomon's reign?
1 Kings 4:20, 25 = All happy & safe under his own vine & fig tree (chicken in every pot)

How did God turn his rejection of David's desire to build a temple into a blessing?
2 Samuel 7:11b-16 = His son would build a temple, David's throne would last forever
Who was God speaking about besides Solomon?
Hebrews 1:4-5 (Matthew 3:7) = Jesus - Verses are Messianic prophesy

Was David able to contribute at all towards God's temple?
1 Chronicles 28:11-12 = He developed the plans as inspired by the Holy Spirit
Did David do anything for the temple other than document God's designs?
1 Chronicles 22:5, 14-16 = Extensive preparations - gold, iron, logs, jewels, skilled labor

How long had the Israelites worshipped God in a tent?
1 Kings 6:1 = 480 years (12 tribes x 40 yrs/generation)
How large did Solomon make the temple? = Write on board (cubit = 11/2 ft)
1 Kings 6:2 = 90'L x 30'W x 45'H - Tabernacle was 45'L x 15'W x 15'H (Exodus 26)
How elaborate was the temple? = Only priests could enter Holy Place & see the beauty
1 Kings 6:7, 18, 21-22 = Carefully dressed stone, inside gold overlaid cedar panels

What types of furnishings did Solomon provide for the temple? = make list on board
1 Kings 7:41-45, 48-50 = Very elaborate in crafted bronze & gold
What did Solomon do after the temple was completed? = 22K cows, 120K sheep/goats
1 Kings 8:1, 62-63, 65b = Put ark in MHP, sacrificed, dedicated temple, 2 wk festival
What did God do after the temple was completed?
1 Kings 8:10-11; 9:3 = Put His presence and Name there
1 Kings 9:4-7 = Made a covenant and promise with Solomon

Who made it possible for everyone to enter the Holy Place and Most Holy Place?
Hebrews 9:6-8, 11-12, 26b = Jesus was the great high priest
When did this happen?
Matthew 27:50-51 = The curtain separating the Most Holy Place tore when Jesus died
Why don't we offer sacrifices on the altar any more?
Hebrews 10:11-14 = Because Christ was the great sacrifice that took all sins

The Sea held 11,500 gallons of water for the priests to wash before entering the Holy Place.
What does the Christian Church have that is similar to the Sea?
Acts 22:16 = The baptismal font to wash your sins away
What other washing and cleansing is supplied through the church?
Ephesians 5:25-17 = Cleansing through the word

Golden lampstands gave light to the temple. What light do the candles in our church signify?
John 8:12 = Jesus, the light of the world
What parallel do we have for the bread of God's Presence placed on the table every Sabbath?
1 Corinthians 10:16 = The body of Christ we eat when we share the Lord's Supper
The ark in the Most Holy Place held the Ten Commandments. Were these abolished by Jesus?
Matthew 5:17-18 = No, He did not come to abolish them but to fulfill them

What happened to the temple and its furnishings nearly 400 years later?
2 Kings 24:13; 25:9, 13-14 = Valuables taken to Babylon in exile, rest burned down
What effect did this have on the Jews?
Lamentations 2:7, 10-11 = They were devastated, couldn't believe God let this happen
How did Jesus further raise the anger of Jews after clearing the temple marketplace?
John 2:18-22 (Mark 14:58) = Said the temple would be destroyed, then raised in 3 days

How important was the temple to the Jews?
John 4:20 = It was THE place to worship God
What lesson did Jesus have regarding the importance of worshipping in the temple?
John 4:21-24 = Temple not important, but to worship the Father in spirit and truth

How long did it take Solomon to build the temple?
1 Kings 6:37-38 = 7 years - Write on board
How long did it take Solomon to build his palace?
1 Kings 7:1 = 13 years - Compare on board

How large was the palace and what was it called? = 4 rows of cedar pillars looked like forest
1 Kings 7:2 = 150'L x 75'W x 45'H - Palace of the Forest of Lebanon
How elaborate were the palace furnishings?
1 Kings 10:16-17 = Hung 200 large & 300 small gold shields on walls

How extensive was Solomon's kingdom? = Tiphsah was city on Euphrates River
1 Kings 4:21, 24 = From Tiphsah to Egypt paid tribute to Solomon all his life
Was this peace a result of Solomon keeping a low profile?
1 Kings 4:34 = No, the whole world heard of Solomon's wisdom
How far did word of Solomon's wisdom spread?
1 Kings 10:1 = Queen of Sheba heard (Sheba at southern tip of Arabia, 1200 mi. away)

Was Solomon able to answer the queen's hard questions?
1 Kings 10:3, 6-7 = He proved to be wiser than she expected
How did Solomon's wisdom & fame help his call of Blessed to be a Blessing?
1 Kings 10:8-9, 23-24 = Made others happy; Brought praise to God from other nations

What gifts did the Queen of Sheba give to Solomon?
1 Kings 10:10 = 4.5 tons of gold, jewels & more spices than ever imported
Did anyone else give gifts to Solomon?
1 Kings 10:25 = Received many visitors to hear his wisdom, each brought a gift

What was Solomon's annual gold income (besides import taxes & tributes)?
1 Kings 10:14-15 = 25 tons
How extravagant did things become for Solomon?
1 Kings 10:21, 27 = Goblets & household articles were gold, silver was commonplace
How much of a trader and merchant was Solomon?
1 Kings 9:26-28 = Fleet of ships on Red Sea sailed to Ophir (southern end of Red Sea)
1 Kings 10:22 = Fleet of ships in Mediterranean Sea sailed to Tarshish (Spain)
1 Kings 10:28-29 = Land-based trade in Asia, Egypt & Arabia

How many chariots and horses did Solomon get from Egypt?
1 Kings 10:26 = 1400 chariots, 12K horses
Besides the trade deficit, what was wrong with this Egyptian horse trading?
Deuteronomy 17:16 = God forbade the king to stockpile horses or get them from Egypt
What provisions did Solomon's government require on a daily basis?
1 Kings 4:22-23 = 560 bushels flour & meal, 30 cattle, 100 sheep & goats, others
How were these extensive provisions supplied?
1 Kings 4:27-28 = Each district was taxed (1 month per year), also supplied horse feed

Where did Solomon get the laborers he needed for his building projects?
1 Kings 9:20-21 = Turned all non-Jews into slaves
How many laborers did Solomon enlist?
1 Kings 5:13-18 = 30K woodcutters, 70K carriers, 80K stonecutters, 3300 foremen
Where did Solomon get the foremen and his soldiers?
1 Kings 9:22-23 = Drafted Israelites (forced labor)
Although they were drafted, why was it important that they were not called slaves?
Leviticus 25:42 = Forbidden to make an Israelite a slave
How did the Israelites feel about the heavy taxation and governmental burdens?
1 Kings 12:4 = Asked Solomon's son (Rehoboam) for relief

What command had God given Israel that Solomon completely ignored?
1 Kings 11:1-2 = Don't intermarry because they will lead you astray
Was Solomon led astray by his wives as God had said? = 700 foreign wives , 300 concubines
1 Kings 11:3-8 = He built high places for his wives' gods & followed Ashtoreth & Molech
How did God decide to punish Solomon for this evil?
1 Kings 11:9-13 = He would tear away all Israel but one tribe from his descendants