Compare the temple's construction in 2 Chronicles 4:18 with Exodus 31:1-11. Setting the Scene • 2 Chronicles 4 records Solomon completing the permanent temple in Jerusalem • Exodus 31 describes God empowering Bezalel and Oholiab to fashion the portable tabernacle centuries earlier • Both passages showcase God directing, gifting, and providing for His dwelling place among His people The Two Key Texts “Solomon made all these articles in such great abundance that the weight of the bronze could not be determined.” Exodus 31:1-11 (selected) “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘See, I have called by name Bezalel… and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of craftsmanship… to design artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze… They are to make them according to all that I have commanded you.’” Shared Threads Between the Temple and Tabernacle • Divine Initiative – God, not man, originates both building projects (1 Chron 28:12; Exodus 25:9) • Spirit-Empowered Craftsmanship – Bezalel “filled…with the Spirit of God” (Exodus 31:3) – Hiram of Tyre and Solomon’s workers granted “wisdom and understanding” (1 Kings 7:13-14) • Abundant Bronze Work – Tabernacle: bronze altar, basin, pegs (Exodus 27:1-19) – Temple: “weight of the bronze could not be determined” (2 Chron 4:18) • Obedience to Divine Pattern – Tabernacle constructed “exactly as the LORD commanded” (Exodus 40:16) – Solomon built “according to the plans given…by the Spirit” (1 Chron 28:11-13) Distinctive Features Tabernacle (Exodus 31) • Portable—designed for a pilgrimage people • Craftsmen named: Bezalel (Judah) and Oholiab (Dan) unite north and south tribes • Materials donated by recently freed slaves (Exodus 25:2-7) • Scale modest; items countable and transportable Temple (2 Chron 4) • Permanent—established in the promised land’s capital • Workforce international: Israelites plus Gentile craftsmen (2 Chron 2:13-14) • Materials drawn from royal wealth and vast trade (1 Kings 10:14-23) • Scale massive—bronze so plentiful the weight defied calculation Theological Insights • God Dwells with His People in Every Season – Wilderness wanderings: a movable sanctuary – Kingdom stability: a majestic stone temple – New-covenant reality: believers themselves (1 Corinthians 3:16) • Skill Is a Spiritual Gift – Artistic ability ranks alongside prophecy or teaching (Exodus 31:3; Romans 12:6-8) – Craft and creativity serve worship, not self-promotion (Colossians 3:23-24) • Abundance Reflects God’s Glory – Bronze beyond weighing signals His limitless majesty (Psalm 50:10-12) – Lavish provision echoes the heavenly pattern (Revelation 21:18-21) Living It Out • Celebrate God’s varied gifts—engineers, designers, tradespeople—all vital to the church’s mission • Offer resources generously; Solomon’s bronze began as David’s dedicated spoils (1 Chron 26:26-28) • Remember permanence rests ultimately in Christ: “something greater than the temple is here” (Matthew 12:6) |
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