Study Desk

During his life he spoke three thousand wise sayings and also wrote one thousand five songs.

Hiram, the king of Tyre, had always been David's friend. When Hiram heard that Solomon had been made king in David's place, he sent his messengers to Solomon.

"You remember my father David had to fight many wars with the countries around him, so he was never able to build a temple for worshiping the Lord his God. David was waiting until the Lord allowed him to defeat all his enemies.

The palace where Solomon lived was built like the Hall of Justice, and it was behind this hall. Solomon also built the same kind of palace for his wife, who was the daughter of the king of Egypt.

Huram's mother was a widow from the tribe of Naphtali. His father was from Tyre and had been skilled in making things from bronze. Huram was also very skilled and experienced in bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and did all the bronze work.

Huram also made bowls, shovels, and small bowls. So Huram finished all his work for King Solomon on the Temple of the Lord :

Solomon also made all the items for the Temple of the Lord : the golden altar; the golden table which held the bread that shows God's people are in his presence;

Finally the work King Solomon did for the Temple of the Lord was finished. Solomon brought in everything his father David had set apart for the Temple—silver, gold, and other articles. He put everything in the treasuries of the Temple of the Lord .

The only things inside the Ark were two stone tablets that Moses had put in the Ark at Mount Sinai. That was where the Lord made his agreement with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.

"Now the Lord has kept his promise. I am the king now in place of David my father. Now I rule Israel as the Lord promised, and I have built the Temple for the Lord , the God of Israel.

Then Solomon stood facing the Lord 's altar, and all the Israelites were standing behind him. He spread out his hands toward the sky

Solomon prayed this prayer to the Lord , kneeling in front of the altar with his arms raised toward heaven. When he finished praying, he got up.

"Praise the Lord ! He promised he would give rest to his people Israel, and he has given us rest. The Lord has kept all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses.

May the Lord our God remember this prayer day and night and do what is right for his servant and his people Israel day by day.

You must fully obey the Lord our God and follow all his laws and commands. Continue to obey in the future as you do now."

On the following day Solomon sent the people home. They blessed the king as they went, happy because of all the good things the Lord had done for his servant David and his people Israel.

Solomon finished building the Temple of the Lord and his royal palace and everything he wanted to build.

If you do, I will make your kingdom strong. This is the promise I made to your father David—that someone from his family would always rule Israel.

(In the past the king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. After burning it, he killed the Canaanites who lived there. Then he gave it as a wedding present to his daughter, who married Solomon.

King Solomon also built cities for storing grain and supplies and cities for his chariots and horses. He built whatever he wanted in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and everywhere he ruled.