2 Chronicles 3-5: Building the Temple

Thoughts

Chronicles 3

Solomon begins building the house of the Lord on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem.

• This was the location where the Lord appeared to David, and the site David had prepared (the threshing floor of Ornan/ Araunah the Jebusite).
• Construction begins in the second month of the fourth year of Solomon’s reign.

Dimensions

• Length: 60 cubits (about 90 feet).
• Width: 20 cubits (about 30 feet).
• The portico (entrance hall): 20 cubits wide, 120 cubits high.

The main hall (Holy Place) is overlaid with pure gold.

The Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies)

• The Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies) is also overlaid with gold, decorated with fine ornaments and precious stones.
• A perfect cube: 20 cubits long, wide, and high — all overlaid with gold.
• The weight of the gold: 600 talents (tons of gold!).
• Two massive cherubim made of olive wood, overlaid with gold, each 10 cubits tall with wings outstretched across the room.
• The veil of the temple is made of blue, purple, crimson yarn, and fine linen, decorated with cherubim.

The Pillars

• Two bronze pillars are at the front of the temple.
• Each is 18 cubits high, topped with capitals 5 cubits high, adorned with pomegranates and chains.
• The right pillar is named Jakin (“He establishes”).
• The left pillar is named Boaz (“In Him is strength”).

Chronicles 4

The bronze altar: A large square altar, 20 cubits long and wide (about 30 ft x 30 ft) and 10 cubits high (about 15 ft).

The Molten Sea: A massive circular basin of cast metal

• Diameter: 10 cubits (15 ft); height: 5 cubits (7.5 ft); circumference: 30 cubits (45 ft).
• It rested on 12 bronze oxen: 3 facing north, south, east, and west.
• Held 3,000 baths of water (~18,000 gallons).
• Used by the priests for ceremonial washing.

Ten smaller basins, five on the right and five on the left.

• Used for washing the burnt offerings.
• The large “Sea” was reserved for priestly washing.

Ten golden lampstands placed inside the temple, five on the south and five on the north.

Ten tables for the Bread of the Presence.

100 golden bowls for offerings.

The court of the priests and the great courtyard are built.

• Doors overlaid with bronze.

Huram (Hiram of Tyre’s craftsman) made:

• Pots, shovels, bowls, and utensils of polished bronze.
• Two pillars, the Sea with twelve oxen, basins, and other items.
• All cast in clay molds in the Jordan Valley region between Succoth and Zarethan.

Solomon made the gold furnishings:

• The altar of incense.
• The tables for the Bread of the Presence.
• Lampstands with their lamps, flowers, and tongs of pure gold.
• Basins, wick trimmers, bowls, dishes, censers.
• The doors of the temple overlaid with gold.

Chronicles 5

The temple is finished. Solomon brings in the things his father David had dedicated: silver, gold, and furnishings, and places them in the temple treasuries.

They bring the Ark of the Covenant from Zion (the City of David) to the temple.

All the men of Israel gather for the festival (7th month).

The Levites carry the ark, the tent of meeting, and the sacred furnishings.

King Solomon and all Israel sacrifice so many sheep and cattle they could not be counted.

The priests bring the ark into the inner sanctuary in the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim.

• Inside the ark are only the two tablets of stone given to Moses at Sinai.

All the priests consecrate themselves. The Levite singers (Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons) stand on the east side with cymbals, harps, and lyres, joined by 120 priests blowing trumpets.

• In unison, the trumpeters and singers raise praise: “He is good; his love endures forever.”
• Then the house of the Lord is filled with a cloud. The glory of the Lord fills the temple so strongly that the priests cannot continue ministering.

From https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/2-chronicles-5/

Questions

What did the glory of the Lord look like?

How did they deal with all the dead animals that were so vast they could not be counted?

Application

Chapters 3-5 have a nice arc to how we can approach living for God. Chapter 3 looks at building the construction of the Temple and carefully following God’s instructions. Just as Solomon built the Temple with intention, so are we to build up our lives according to God. Chapter 4 looks at the detailed preparation of filling the Temple with furnishings. Each item had a role in worship. Chapter 5 leads to the glory of the  Lord filling the Temple so strongly that the priests cannot continue their work. When God’s people come together, His presence shows up in powerful ways.