In the beginning of 1 Kings, it is evident that Solomon’s purpose is going to be different than his father’s. King David was a man that had great success, but was involved in much war. The protagonist has a specific plan for Solomon early on. This plan, at first, is for Solomon to build a “House of the Lord,” or a “Temple.” As the text proceeds to tell how this wise king builds the temple, it is amazing to see the amount of detail the writer of 1 Kings puts into describing it. The question that came to mind is, why did the writer of 1 Kings include such a detailed explanation of the temple as it was being built? This passage can be viewed from a historical, symbolical, and practical viewpoint.
Primarily, it is important to realize who wrote the book in order to understand why this detailed description was included. In ancient Christian and Jewish tradition, it is said that the prophet Jeremiah wrote the book of 1 Kings. However, many modern day biblical scholars reject this idea. They believe that it was written by different people and passed down orally. If this is the case, wouldn’t it be difficult to recount these extremely specific details? I believe this alludes to express how important the construction of the temple was. From this point of view, one could say the people passed these details down to show further generations the importance of the first temple. Providing details that take up two lengthy chapters in the book sounds a little over-the-top, but I believe that is part of the point.
Furthermore, we must look at the actual details to try to understand the reasoning and importance of this depiction of the temple. The narrator begins by explaining the measurements of the temple to show how it was laid out. After the measurements and the explanation of the different rooms, the engravings on the walls and doors are explained. Chapter 6 verse 29 says, “Around all the walls of the house he carved engraved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, in the inner and outer rooms.” Symbolism can be seen here dating back to the Garden of Eden. The Garden was a place where the protagonist dwelt. The temple was now a place where believers could come to be closer with the protagonist. These engravings of trees and flowers, similar to what was seen in the Garden, are used as symbols to link the two places. The protagonist meant to be with his people in the temple just as he was with Adam and Eve at the beginning of time.
From a practical standpoint, these details about the temple could have been included to help later generations rebuild it, or build more. These details include cubit measurements and the internal layout of the temple to make sure any future buildings followed these same guidelines. It was the protagonist’s plan to have an established building for his people to meet with him and offer sacrifice. As his people would not necessarily stay in one place forever, it was important to include these details so that they could build other temples in the future.
Through King Solomon, the protagonist was able to build a temple for his people and for their descendants. Initially, it seemed kind of pointless for the narrator to include all of the details about the layout and construction of the temple. After looking at these three perspectives, it is clear why these details are in 1 Kings and why it is important for the Kingdom of Israel.
Brantley's Blog 