Study Desk

God said to Solomon, "You have not asked for riches, much money, or honor, or the life of those who hate you. And you have not asked for a long life for yourself. But you have asked for wisdom and much understanding, that you may rule My people over whom I have made you king. Because this was in your heart,

See, I am about to build a house for the name of the Lord my God. I will set it apart for Him. There special perfume will be burned before Him. The holy bread will be there all the time. Burnt gifts will be given morning and evening, on Days of Rest, on new moons, and during the special suppers of the Lord our God. This is to be done forever in Israel.

The house I am about to build will be great. For our God is greater than all the gods.

Then Huram said, "Honor and thanks be to the Lord, the God of Israel. He has made heaven and earth. And He has given King David a wise son. Wisdom and understanding have been given to David's son who will build a house for the Lord and a king's house for himself.

He laid the base for building the house of God. It was thirty long steps, using the old way to find the length. And it was ten long steps wide.

He put up the pillars in front of the house of God. One was on the right and the other was on the left. He named the one on the right Jachin, and the one on the left Boaz.

Then he made ten gold lamp-stands, as was shown in the plan. He put them in the house of God, five on the right side and five on the left.

He made ten tables and put them in the house of God. Five were on the right side and five on the left. And he made 100 deep dishes out of gold.

Solomon made all the things that were in the house of God. He made the gold altar, and the tables for the holy bread.

So all the work that Solomon did for the Lord's house was finished. He brought in the things that his father David had set apart, the silver and the gold and all the objects. He put them in the store-rooms of the house of God.

All the leaders of Israel came, and the Levites took up the special box of God.

They brought up the special box of God, the meeting tent, and all the holy objects that were in the tent. The religious leaders and the Levites brought them up.

Then King Solomon and all the people of Israel who were with him were in front of the special box of God. There they gave on the altar in worship so many sheep and oxen that they could not be numbered.

The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the special box of God. They made a covering over the special box and its long pieces of wood used for carrying.

The pieces of wood for the special box of God were so long that their ends could be seen in front of the holy place. But they could not be seen outside. They are there to this day.

There was nothing in the special box of God except the two stone writings which Moses put there at Horeb. It was there that the Lord made an agreement with the people of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

The religious leaders could not stand to do their work because of the cloud. For the shining-greatness of the Lord filled the house of God.

Solomon said, "Honor and thanks be to the Lord, the God of Israel. He spoke with His mouth to my father David. And He has kept His promises with His hands, saying,

Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

Now the Lord has kept His promise which He made. For I have taken the place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised. And I have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.