The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Kings 7:1,
"It took Solomon thirteen years, however, to complete the construction of his palace."
I note it took Solomon seven years to build the temple and another thirteen to build his palace. We read in 1 Kings 9:10 that both buildings took twenty years to build. It appears to me that the twenty year construction period for both included Solomon finishing the temple before he started on his own palace.
This temple was destroyed about 586 BC if memory serves me correctly (which is not always the case), with a remnant from Judah being taken into captivity. following the seventy years of captivity the survivors were released to go back to Jerusalem and allowed to rebuild the temple.
We read something different about the returning Jews, however, regarding their rebuilding of the temple. After a good start on the foundation, they allowed the temple to project to sit idle for twenty years. We read the Lord's perspective on this in Haggai 1:4-11,
"Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house [the unfinished temple] remains a ruin? Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages,only to put them in a purse with holes in it.' This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,' says the Lord.'You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?' declares the Lord Almighty. 'Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.'"
"It took Solomon thirteen years, however, to complete the construction of his palace."
I note it took Solomon seven years to build the temple and another thirteen to build his palace. We read in 1 Kings 9:10 that both buildings took twenty years to build. It appears to me that the twenty year construction period for both included Solomon finishing the temple before he started on his own palace.
This temple was destroyed about 586 BC if memory serves me correctly (which is not always the case), with a remnant from Judah being taken into captivity. following the seventy years of captivity the survivors were released to go back to Jerusalem and allowed to rebuild the temple.
We read something different about the returning Jews, however, regarding their rebuilding of the temple. After a good start on the foundation, they allowed the temple to project to sit idle for twenty years. We read the Lord's perspective on this in Haggai 1:4-11,
"Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house [the unfinished temple] remains a ruin? Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages,only to put them in a purse with holes in it.' This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,' says the Lord.'You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?' declares the Lord Almighty. 'Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.'"
Solomon had his priorities right. Not so much the returnees from Babylon. They did get the second temple finished eventually, after the Lord sent them prophets to provide the people correction.
How about me? Am I busy "feathering my bed" while allowing the things of the Lord he wants me to do, left undone? I believe there is a message here.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
How about me? Am I busy "feathering my bed" while allowing the things of the Lord he wants me to do, left undone? I believe there is a message here.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
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