C. Solomon's Greatest Contribution chs. 5-8

Solomon's outstanding contribution to the nation of Israel, I believe, was the provision he made for her spiritual strength. The writer of Kings gave this much emphasis in his book.

People generally regarded their king as the representative, son, and vice-regent of their chief god in the ancient Near East.⁶²This was really the true relation of Israel's king to Yahweh. People also viewed the temples of the gods as the palaces of those beings and regarded the magnificence of their houses as a reflection of their personal greatness. The temple represented the god.⁶³Therefore Solomon wanted to portray the greatness of Yahweh by building Him the most glorious temple in the ancient Near East. This would have enabled Israel to fulfill the purpose for which God had raised her up better, namely, to bring people to God (Exod. 19:6; cf. Isa. 42:6-7).

 1. Preparations for building ch. 5

 2. Temple construction ch. 6

After arrangements for building the temple were in order, construction began. This building took seven years to complete (v. 38).

 3. Solomon's palace 7:1-12

Solomon's palace complex took longer to build than the temple because it was much larger. The king evidently completed the temple and then began work on his palace (cf. 9:10). Solomon seems to have built several separate but interconnected buildings. A large common courtyard evidently surrounded the temple and the palace (v. 12). The geographical proximity of the temple and palace visualized the fact that the king was acting for God. We do not know exactly where Solomon placed the palace buildings in relation to each other or to the temple.⁷⁴In the ancient world people regarded a king's palace as some indication of his greatness as well as the greatness of his god.

"Palace and temple complexes are the most important visual symbols of royal power and indicate more precisely the location of the center within a stratified society."⁷⁵

"It [the temple] was not in the midst of the city, like most heathen temples of the time. Its isolation symbolized the uniqueness of the deity to whom it was dedicated."⁷⁶

Certainly Solomon's palace must have been extremely impressive.

"He did everything imaginable to show that, as Yahweh was a great God, he was a great king. What is displayed here is far more Solomon's riches and honor' than his wisdom.' His was undoubtedly the piety of worldly success."⁷⁷

"The Pillared Hall (called the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon) was used as an audience chamber or throne hall, and . . . was larger than the temple. It also served as a state treasury, displaying selected precious objects received as tribute (cf. 10:16-17)."⁷⁸

Ancient Near Easterners did not view a king's sovereignty as established until he had built a palace for himself.⁷⁹Solomon's palace, therefore, further enhanced his prestige. God blessed Solomon and Israel by allowing him to built it.

 4. The temple furnishings 7:13-51

The people also saw the glory of Yahweh reflected in the furnishings of the temple. These furnishings came from several sources but all contributed to the proper worship of Yahweh.

 5. The temple dedication ch. 8

This chapter climaxes the writer's emphasis on the greatness of Yahweh as Israel's God. It is the most detailed account of a dedication service in the Bible.⁸⁸It is also one of the most theologically significant texts in 1 and 2 Kings.⁸⁹