The Architect and the Builder of the House of God

By Dan & Brenda Cathcart

The video version of this teaching is available at: https://youtu.be/SbqP6nAW7Fs

The scripture reading is 1^st Kings 7:40-8:21

We have spent the last few weeks studying various aspects of the House of God or the Temple. We looked at King David who had a vision and desire to build a house for God.  We looked at Solomon, David’s son and heir to the throne of a unified Israel, who was the actual builder of the House of God.

This week’s Haftarah is, in a non-leap year, part of a double portion called Vayak’hel/Pekudei.  The two words mean assembled and accounts. Although this Haftarah officially begins with 1 Kings 7:40, the story of the House of God really begins with chapter six and continues through chapter eight.

1 Kings 6:1 NKJV 1 And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.

But why spend so much time, three full chapters of 1^st Kings on the building of the Temple?  What is the significance of the Temple to us as believers in Messiah Yeshua?

In reality, the building of the House of God didn’t begin with David’s vision or with Solomon’s breaking of ground on the site.  It began with the creation story. It is not about a grand building or a tabernacle in the wilderness, but it is about the place where God dwells with man. In the Genesis account God is present with Adam and Eve in the garden.

Genesis 3:8 NKJV 8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

The implication in this verse is that God being present in the Garden with Adam and Eve may have been a common, every day occurrence. The garden of Eden was, in essence, the original Temple, the place where God dwelt and was present with man! God’s creation was for the purpose of fellowship with Adam, Eve and all their descendants. God had made a covenant with Adam in the garden. It was a universal covenant where God established His relationship with all of mankind.

Genesis 1:27-28 NKJV 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Adam and his progeny were given everything that God created. But Adam broke the covenant through his disobedience and was subsequently exiled from the garden and from the presence of God.

If we have learned anything from our studies of the Torah and the Prophets over the last several months and years, it is that God never breaks His covenants with man, and always makes a way to return man to a state of close fellowship with Him. But just as the covenant with Adam was universal and applied to Adam and all his progeny, so too does the curse on Adam for breaking that covenant apply to all of mankind. God, as the party who always keeps the covenants which He makes, provides the way for redemption.

Going forward, God made a covenant with Noah and protected him and his family from the judgment God was about to unleash on the world.

Genesis 6:13-14 NKJV 13 And God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 "Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.

This ark that God instructed Noah to build was a sanctuary for Noah, his family and selected animals, protecting them from the judgment by the flood. The Hebrew word translated as pitch is “Kopher”, number 3724 from a root word meaning to cover or atonement. The ark was a type of temple providing atonement for mankind.

Later, again to provide a way of atonement, God makes a covenant with Abraham to bring forth a nation of priests from Abraham’s seed.

Genesis 12:1-4 NKJV 1 Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." 4 So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

As we fast forward to the time of our Haftarah reading for this week, we see a fulfillment of God’s previous covenants and promises.  The nation consisting of the lineage of Adam and the progeny of Abraham is now firmly established in the very land which was promised to him by God.

The nation of Israel was to be a witness to the world of the wisdom and greatness of God.

Deuteronomy 4:6-8 NKJV 6 "Therefore be careful to observe them (ie: the statutes, judgements and commandments); for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' 7 "For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the LORD our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him? 8 "And what great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgments as are in all this law which I set before you this day?

They were also to be a kingdom of priests to the Gentile nations.

Exodus 19:5-6 NKJV 5 'Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 'And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel."

Solomon’s father David had the vision to build a house for God.  Now that the promised kingdom was firmly established in the land, no longer would God reside in a tent but would now be provided a magnificent palace in which to live, suitable for the King of the Universe!

In building the House of God, we have three principal characters, all of whom are kings.  The first one mentioned is King Hiram of Tyre in what is today, Lebanon. King Hiram had a close relationship with Solomon’s father David. Solomon made a covenant with Hiram.

1 Kings 5:12 NKJV 12 So the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as He had promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty together.

The opening verses of our Haftarah describe the role which king Hiram had in constructing the Temple.

1 Kings 7:40 NKJV 40 Hiram made the lavers and the shovels and the bowls. So Hiram finished doing all the work that he was to do for King Solomon for the house of the LORD:

The involvement of King Hiram illustrates that the House of God was a house for all peoples. Not just for the Israelite.  King Hiram was a Gentile, a Canaanite. But according to a passage in 2^nd Chronicles, he was probably a believer in the God of Israel.

2 Chronicles 2:11-12 NKJV 11 Then Hiram king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon: Because the LORD loves His people, He has made you king over them. 12 Hiram also said: Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, for He has given King David a wise son, endowed with prudence and understanding, who will build a temple for the LORD and a royal house for himself!

The prophet Isaiah speaks of Gentiles who join themselves to the LORD.

Isaiah 56:6-8 NKJV 6 "Also the sons of the foreigner Who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him, And to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants-Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, And holds fast My covenant- 7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations." 8 The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, "Yet I will gather to him Others besides those who are gathered to him."

The next principal character is Solomon. He is the son who carried out his father’s vision and built the House of God according to the plans his father had prepared. We have already discussed the actual building of the physical Temple in previous teachings, so we won’t go into those details here. In building the House of God Solomon didn’t settle for second best. He chose the best of materials and the best craftsman and laborers.

Once the House of God was complete, it was time for the dedication.  The first step was to bring together the elders, most likely referring to the seventy elders, the Sanhedrin, and twelve leaders of the tribes of Israel, and bring up the Ark of the Covenant from the City of David.

1 Kings 8:1 NKJV 1 Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the City of David, which is Zion.

The act of bringing up the Ark would have necessarily involved the Levites, since it was their duty to care for the Ark and other articles of the Temple. Next, the time for the dedication was chosen.

1 Kings 8:2-4 NKJV 2 Therefore all the men of Israel assembled with King Solomon at the feast in the month of Ethanim, which is the seventh month. 3 So all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. 4 Then they brought up the ark of the LORD, the tabernacle of meeting, and all the holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle. The priests and the Levites brought them up.

The month of Ethanim is also known as the month of Tishri, the name it has been known by since the time of the Babylonian exile. The festival of the seventh month referred to is the Feast of Sukkot or Tabernacles, the main celebration in the seventh month. It must have been an incredible sight with the uncountable multitude of people and the sacrifices taking place.

1 Kings 8:5 NKJV 5 Also King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered for multitude.

At the height of this celebration, the priests brought the Ark into the Temple.

1 Kings 8:6-9 NKJV 6 Then the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim. 7 For the cherubim spread their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles. 8 The poles extended so that the ends of the poles could be seen from the holy place, in front of the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside. And they are there to this day. 9 Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

I can imagine the multitude of the people, in the courtyard outside the Temple, waiting in quiet anticipation for the priests to come back out and announce the completion of their task. But before they can speak, the LORD, the third King and principal character in this Haftarah, has other plans!

1 Kings 8:10-11 NKJV 10 And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, 11 so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.

King Solomon then makes a declaration.

1 Kings 8:12-13 NKJV 12 Then Solomon spoke: "The LORD said He would dwell in the dark cloud. 13 I have surely built You an exalted house, And a place for You to dwell in forever."

The remaining verses of our Haftarah reading contain the words of Solomon’s blessing of the people and his speech announcing the completion of the work. Solomon’s words were stirring and emotional. Here was the fulfilment of David’s dream of building a House for God. Here was the entire nation gathered to witness the coming of the presence of the LORD into their midst. A scene much the same as that witnessed by the Children of Israel in the wilderness at the completion of the original Tabernacle. Solomon turns to address the crowd.

1 Kings 8:14-17 NKJV 14 Then the king turned around and blessed the whole assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. 15 And he said: "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David, and with His hand has fulfilled it, saying, 16 'Since the day that I brought My people Israel out of Egypt, I have chosen no city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house, that My name might be there; but I chose David to be over My people Israel.' 17 "Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel.

This was a momentous achievement!  The nation of Israel was at its pinnacle, unified under one king and the LORD now on His throne in His House! Solomon goes on to remind the people of their heritage and their destiny.

1 Kings 8:20-21 NKJV 20 "So the LORD has fulfilled His word which He spoke; and I have filled the position of my father David, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised; and I have built a temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel. 21 "And there I have made a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD which He made with our fathers, when He brought them out of the land of Egypt."

But what does this all mean for us today?  This temple was later destroyed, another built in its place and it too was destroyed, never to be rebuilt again to this day. Israel is once again a nation after nearly two thousand years of exile, but there is yet no Temple for the God of Israel in the land. And there is no spiritual unity among the people.

This Haftarah largely involves two human kings: one a Jew and the other a Gentile.  They chose to work together to build the House of God. Only after their work was complete did the King of the Universe enter His new House! The parallels between the Mishkan in the wilderness at the time of Moses and the dedication of this Temple in Jerusalem are striking and are worth exploring further.  But before we close out this teaching, I want to talk about another parallel involving another Son fulfilling the dreams and vision of His father.  That Son is Yeshua the Messiah.

The apostle Paul tell us that Yeshua also came to build a Temple of a different sort. Not one of timber and stone, but one of flesh!

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NKJV 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

God’s constant desire is to dwell with man.  That is the very purpose of His creation.  God sent Yeshua to gather the people and build a spiritual House for Himself.  When Yeshua set out to fulfill His Father’s desires following His baptism, which was a type of commissioning or dedication, Yeshua began to gather together disciples and others willing to follow Him, both Jew and Gentile. These followers were the building materials for his Temple and kingdom. The prophet Ezekiel spoke of the building of this spiritual Temple.

Ezekiel 36:25-27 NKJV 25 "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

When Yeshua reached the end of His ministry, His last spoken words before His death were “It is Finished.” He had gathered the multitudes and built this new Temple of God.  He gave His people hearts of flesh.  After His resurrection and just ten days after His ascension, the Holy Spirit of God did indeed enter into His new Temple.  A Temple promised from creation by the Father, built by the Son, Messiah Yeshua, and finally completed when the Spirit of God once again took His rightful place, on the throne dwelling in the hearts of man.

Study Questions:

1. Discuss the connection of this teaching to the Torah Portion Pekudei, Exodus 38:21-40:38.

2. What are some of the parallels between the dedication of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness and the dedication of this Temple in Jerusalem?

3. If the Glory of God resided in the Tabernacle/Mishkan and His Glory came again to the Temple, where was the Glory of God in the time in between?

4. What are some of the specific things Yeshua did and said during His ministry that demonstrate He was building a house for God?

5. A list of specific items for the Temple are given in 1 Kings 7:45. What do you think is the significance of these items being made by the Gentile king Hiram and how does this relate to their use in Temple worship?

6. What new insight did you gain from this blog? How do you respond to this new insight? How will you realign your life based on this new understanding?

Extra Credit:  As with the Tabernacle in the wilderness and this Temple constructed by Solomon, why do you think it is that the priests could not continue in their duties to minister in the Tabernacle/Temple when the Glory of God first entered the House of God?

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