Context No. 3771 of 4322 · 1 Kings
Context · Reflection
1 Kings 7:1-12: in context
1Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house. 2For he built the House of the Forest of Lebanon. Its length was one hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits, on four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams on the pillars. 3It was covered with cedar above over the forty-five beams that were on the pillars, fifteen in a row. 4There were beams in three rows, and window was facing window in three ranks. 5All the doors and posts were made square with beams; and window was facing window in three ranks. 6He made the hall of pillars. Its length was fifty cubits and its width thirty cubits, with a porch before them, and pillars and a threshold before them. 7He made the porch of the throne where he was to judge, even the porch of judgment; and it was covered with cedar from floor to floor. 8His house where he was to dwell, the other court within the porch, was of the same construction. He made also a house for Pharaoh’s daughter (whom Solomon had taken as wife), like this porch. 9All these were of costly stones, even of stone cut according to measure, sawed with saws, inside and outside, even from the foundation to the coping, and so on the outside to the great court. 10The foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits and stones of eight cubits. 11Above were costly stones, even cut stone, according to measure, and cedar wood. 12The great court around had three courses of cut stone with a course of cedar beams, like the inner court of the LORD’s house and the porch of the house.
After the account of Solomon building the temple in seven years, we read that Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, nearly twice as long. The text simply reports it, but the numbers speak. The house of God took seven years; the house of the king took thirteen.
Both were built with costly stones and cedar, both were splendid, but the king gave nearly twice as long, and it seems no less care, to his own dwelling as to God's. It would be unfair to read too much into construction times alone. Yet knowing how Solomon's story ends, with his heart drawn away by all his wealth and grandeur, we notice the quiet imbalance here, more time and thought for his own comfort and glory than for the house of the LORD. There is a gentle question in it for us. When we weigh the time, care, and resources we pour into our own comfort against what we give to God, how does the balance fall? It is easy to build our own house grander than the place we keep for God.
When I weigh the time, care, and resources I give to my own comfort against what I give to God, how does the balance fall, and is my own house quietly becoming grander than the place I keep for him?
Sources
- 1 Kings 7:1: "Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house."
- 1 Kings 6:38: "In the eleventh year... the house was finished... So he was seven years in building it."
- Matthew 6:33: "Seek first God's Kingdom and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well."