So now it’s time to build the temple. David couldn’t do it because he was a man of war, even though God gave him the plans…the specifics on how it should be built. God told David that his son would be the one to build it, and now this promise is set to be fulfilled.

King Hiram of Tyre was not a Jew, but it does appear as if he had become a believer in the one true God. It’s very likely that this was a result of his long friendship with David. Solomon contracted with King Hiram to be the supplier of lumber and some of the labor for the temple.

It’s interesting to note that the Tabernacle, or temporary dwelling place of God, had been built only by Jewish hands. But the Temple was to be built by Jewish *and* Gentile hands, which is appropriate because the Temple really is a type, or example of the church, which is made up not of buildings but of individual believers of every ethnic and national background. In addition to that, every believer is the temple of God, as the Holy Spirit dwells in each one of us.

As you might expect, there are many features of this temple that is to be built by Solomon that are symbolic. Just a couple of examples are 1) The walls are lined with cedar wood, which has a rich and beautiful aroma. Heaven itself is rich with the wonderful presence of God. 2) The interior of the Temple was overlaid with gold, the most valuable and beautiful material there was at the time of the construction of the temple. Even the floor was gold. According to Scripture, the streets of Heaven are paved with gold.

Everything about the temple was to be made according to very specific instructions. Size, material, shape, color…no detail was left to chance. This is a reflection on God, the ultimate Creator. When He created the universe, there was a plan for everything, and nothing was made by chance.

We will hear much more about the building of the temple in the coming chapters.