Introduction

Six of the nine chapters which the chronicler in this book devotes to Solomon refer to the temple:
1. 2 Chronicles 2 is about the preparation for the building of the temple;
2. 2 Chronicles 3-4 describe the building of the temple;
3. 2 Chronicles 5-7 deal with the dedication of the temple.

The preparations for the temple building by Solomon are preceded by all the other extensive preparations his father David did. David made the design or plan for the entire complex and took care of staff and materials (1 Chronicles 28-29). Now it is Solomon’s turn. He must organize the work by assigning his task to each worker (2Chr 2:2; 17; 18).

Another aspect of the preparations is that the young king requires technical support from Huram, the king of Tyre. In this way Solomon assures himself of experienced supervisors, and in this way he also can make use of the cedars of the Lebanon (2Chr 2:3-10). For the help he calls in from Huram, a contract is drawn up (2Chr 2:11-16).

There are some remarkable similarities between the building of the tabernacle and that of the temple. These agreements contribute to the testimony of the inspiration of God’s Spirit by Whom the chronicler wrote.

1. Both Bezalel and Solomon have been specifically appointed by God for the building project of the tabernacle and the temple respectively (Exo 35:30; 1Chr 28:6).
2. Both Bezalel and Solomon are from the tribe Juda.
3. Both Bezalel and Solomon are endowed by God for the task for which he is chosen.
4. Both made the bronze altar for the LORD (2Chr 1:5; 2Chr 4:1).
5. Bezalel prepares the tools for the tabernacle and Solomon prepares the tools for the temple (Exo 35:30-35; 2Chr 4:19-22).
6. Both the tabernacle and the temple have a design that comes from God (Exo 25:9; 1Chr 28:11-13).
7. Both for the building of the tabernacle and for the building of the temple the people give voluntarily and generously (Exo 35:20-29; 1Chr 29:6-9).
8. When both buildings are finished, the glory of God fills the building (Exo 40:34-35; 2Chr 7:1-3).

The Decision of Solomon

For Solomon the importance of the LORD’s house is paramount (2Chr 2:1). It is for him first the house of the LORD, and then his own house. The two houses are symbolic for priestly service (the temple) and reign (palace). It is always good, especially when we are young, to give the things of the Lord first place. It is proof that we are aware that we are on earth for Him, to serve Him, and not for ourselves.

The tasks mentioned (2Chr 2:2) can be applied to our time. We see the “men to carry loads” as the teachers in the church. They teach persons, who are stones carved out of the rock by the evangelists, represented by “men to quarry [stone]”, about their place in the church, the house of God. Those who “supervise them” are the overseers, who lead the church. They ensure that everything is done in the right way. There must be good cooperation between these workers. It is not possible to work on your own (Eph 4:11-16).

The Request to Huram to Help

For the building of the temple Solomon appeals to foreigners and not to Israelites. Both prophetically and spiritually, this is not remarkable. Prophetically we see that later, in the realm of peace, strangers will also help to build the temple (Zec 6:15a; Isa 60:10a). Spiritually we see that the mystery of the church is found among the nations (Col 1:27). [Note: This is not the same as Ephesians 2. There the truth is unfolded that the believers from the Jews and the believers from the Gentiles are one. In Colossians 1, the Jews are not involved and only the peoples are involved.]

The new thing in the current dispensation, that is the time since the Pentecost of Acts 2, is that salvation is also for the nations. Paul offers a message to the Jews and also believers among the nations, that they belong to the church and that they are saints who understand the mystery of the church. This is, in picture, the way in which Solomon appeals to the people.

Solomon reminds Huram that he sent his father David cedars at the time to build a house for himself (1Chr 14:1). Because of his benevolence then, Solomon asks him to help him build God’s house now. Before he specifically asks Huram for help, he first talks about the impressiveness of the LORD’s house.

The first thing mentioned in connection with the temple is that it is a house that is dedicated to the LORD. The house belongs to Him alone and is only for Him. So too is the church, the house of God now, only of and for Him. The local church is not for people, believers or disbelievers, to entertain them.

That the house is dedicated to the LORD, and is there to sanctify Him, is manifested in what happens there. Solomon begins his list of activities in the house of the LORD with burning “fragrant incense before Him” (2Chr 2:4). He repeats that this is the great reason for the building of the house (2Chr 2:6). Fragrant incense represents the sweetness before God of prayer and worship (Psa 141:2; cf. Rev 5:8; Rev 8:3). The life of the Lord Jesus on earth was one and only prayer, He was “prayer” (Psa 109:4) and therefore fully a pleasant fragrance for God.

“The showbread continually” set out suggests that the whole people, seen in the twelve breads, are in God’s presence and constantly before His attention. The bread also represents the life of the Lord Jesus. God’s people have Him as their life. Only through Him His people are pleasing to God. There are also the “burnt offerings” which are offered at different times. In the burnt offerings we see the perfection of the work of the Lord Jesus in His complete surrender to God.

Solomon testifies to the greatness of God toward the heathen Huram (2Chr 2:5). The house bears the feature of Him Who dwells in it. The temple is the dwelling place of God and therefore it is a great and wonderful building (2Chr 2:5; 9). At the same time, he speaks about the fact that Huram should not think that the house can contain God (cf. Acts 17:24). Solomon asks himself out loud, who is able to do these things. Yet, despite this feeling of powerlessness and at the same time in this feeling of powerlessness, he is prepared to go to work. He knows that this is the task of the LORD and that He will give him what is needed to carry out this task.

Solomon asks for someone who can work with what his father David has prepared. There is no urge for Solomon to work with other materials than those provided by David (2Chr 2:7). The metals and colors speak of what is seen of Christ in His own. Gold represents glory, silver redemption, brass righteousness, iron strength, purple, crimson and violet royal dignity. This is the “material” with which the church is now built “into a dwelling of God in the Spirit” (Eph 2:22).

In the following verses we see an example of fellowship in the service (2Chr 2:8-9). The servants of Solomon work together with the servants of Huram. We see an example of this in the men who accompany Paul (Acts 20:4). The building of such a great work as the house of God requires cooperation between reliable and skilled workers. It is a house that is “great and wonderful”. It is about more than the formation of a local church. We must remember that the church includes all the children of God, “all the saints” (Eph 3:18), from the coming into being of the church on Pentecost until its rapture. We can contribute to its building, although it is taking shape locally.

In exchange for what Huram delivers, Solomon gives food (2Chr 2:10). This food comes from the land of God. It speaks for us of the blessings given to us in the heavenly places. Those who help to build, even if they come from the Gentiles, receive a wonderful supply of the heavenly land.

Wheat and barley (corn) and wine and oil are a summary of the blessing of the land (Deu 11:14; Deu 12:17; Deu 14:23).

Wheat” and “barley” both speak of the Lord Jesus Who became the life of every child of God. He is the bread that descended from heaven and gives life to the world (Jn 6:33). To participate in it one must believe that He is the grain of wheat that has fallen into the earth and died and therefore bears much fruit (Jn 12:24).
2. “Wine” speaks of the joy of fellowship with the Father and the Son (Jdg 9:13; 1Jn 1:3-4).
3. The “oil” is a picture of the Holy Spirit (1Jn 2:20; 27) through Whom we can enjoy all blessings.

Huram Promises to Help

Huram responds by letter. His answer is beautiful. He recognizes the love of the LORD for His people in His making Solomon king over His people. He also praises the LORD as the God of Israel and then as the Creator of heaven and earth. He seems to say that the LORD is in connection with the earth through Israel. That will in any case be the case in the realm of peace. Then Israel will be the means by which God has blessing for all the earth. This blessing will be given to Israel by the true Solomon, the wise Son of David, Who will then reign.

Huram’s letter is also a kind of ‘letter of commendation’ (cf. 2Cor 3:1; Acts 9:27). In the letter he testifies of the man he will send and the qualities he has (2Chr 2:13-14). We can learn from this the lesson that we can give a testimony of a good spiritual development we see in others, where and when it is necessary.

Besides being skilled in the work, Huram Abi is also creative “to execute any design which may be assigned to him”. However, he does not execute on his own initiative, he does not listen to his own ideas, but executes designs “which may be assigned to him”. We may be creative in building God’s house, but it must be done according to the guidelines that are given to us in God’s Word.

The qualities of the man who is sent by Huram show many similarities with the qualities of Bezalel, the maker of the tabernacle (Exo 31:3-5). These qualities are spiritually reflected in Paul’s service in the church in Colossae. His efforts are aimed at forming the believers in Colossae through teaching and warnings (Col 1:28). Just as Huram-abi cooperates with the skilled men of Huram and the skilled men of David (2Chr 2:14), Paul also cooperates with others (Col 4:7-13).

Huram is also mindful of the welfare of his workers (2Chr 2:15) and asks Solomon to send the promised food for them. By the power of this good food the work can be started.

The trees needed for building are transported in rafts across the sea to Joppa and from there to Jerusalem (2Chr 2:16). We can apply this as follows. All those who have just been converted, the babes in Christ, must be helped on their way to their right place in the sanctuary. This first happens by sea, a picture of the difficulties they have to go through (cf. 1Thes 3:3-4). Then they must be carried up to the sanctuary. This is done by ‘load bearers’, more mature believers who care for young converts. They tell them about the church and the place they have in it.

Solomon Distributes the Functions

These verses are a further explanation of what the chronicler has already noticed (2Chr 2:2). We read here that Solomon counts “all the aliens” in Israel for the work to be done. David has previously gathered foreigners to help with the building of the temple (1Chr 22:2). How many there are is not mentioned. Solomon counts a total number of “153,600”. From this he appoints three groups of workers: “70,000 of them to carry loads and 80,000 to quarry [stones] … and 3,600 supervisors”.

Those who quarry stones have to cut the stones “in the mountains”. These must have been large stones, according to investigations up to eight meters long. These stones must not only be cut out, but also made ready to fit, because they are simply placed on and next to each other during building.

Also the Lord Jesus counts His workers. He has His twelve servants whom He sends out (Lk 9:1). He then appoints another seventy whom He sends out (Lk 10:1). Just like the aliens whom Solomon puts to work, all the Lord’s workers today are “aliens” (1Pet 1:1; 1Pet 2:11; Heb 11:13) who perform a heavenly service in a foreign country. This service is performed by teachers (those who carry loads), evangelists (those who quarry [stones]) and shepherds or overseers or elders (supervisors). The last category, as in the days of Solomon, must help the people of God to serve Him in their daily lives.