How does the temple's foundation year connect to God's covenant with David? Setting the Scene—1 Kings 6:37 “In the fourth year the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid, in the month of Ziv.” From Promise to Groundbreaking—Tracing the Timeline • God’s covenant with David: 2 Samuel 7:12-13—“I will raise up your descendant after you… and he will build a house for My Name.” • David reigned 40 years (1 Kings 2:11). • Solomon began to reign the same year David died (1 Kings 2:12). • Year 4 of Solomon = about Year 44 after the covenant promise. • 1 Kings 6:1 ties the moment to the larger redemptive clock—“In the four hundred eightieth year after the Israelites came out of Egypt.” ➔ The foundation’s date nails down God’s fidelity both to the Exodus promise and to David’s family line. Seeing the Covenant Unfold—Key Scriptures • 1 Kings 5:5—Solomon acknowledges, “The LORD… said to my father David, ‘Your son… will build the house for My Name.’” • 1 Kings 8:15-20—At the temple dedication Solomon testifies, “The LORD has fulfilled what He promised… I have built the house for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel.” • Psalm 132:11-13—“The LORD has sworn to David… ‘I will set one of your descendants on your throne… For the LORD has chosen Zion.’” Why the Fourth Year Matters • Public marker of covenant fulfillment: anyone in Israel could count four years into Solomon’s reign and see God’s word to David materialize in stone. • Assurance of dynastic stability: if the temple began on schedule, the promised throne would stand on schedule too (2 Samuel 7:16). • Demonstration of divinely ordered peace: David’s wars are over; Solomon’s early peaceful years let construction start without hindrance, exactly as 1 Chronicles 22:9 predicted. Theological Threads—Messiah and Eternal Kingship • The literal laying of the foundation anticipates the greater Son of David who will build an everlasting house (Hebrews 3:6). • Acts 13:22-23 links David’s covenant line to Jesus; the trustworthiness God showed in 1 Kings 6:37 guarantees the trustworthiness of the gospel promise. Takeaway Truths—What We Can Rest On Today • God dates His faithfulness; He invites us to look at the calendar and remember. • Every stone set in Solomon’s fourth year prefigures the Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). • Because the Lord kept His word to David down to the very year, we can bank on every remaining promise He has made. |
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