Why the detail about the construction of the Temple? These are not details that teach us about worship like the details about the Tabernacle do, so why would they be preserved for us to review not once, but twice? They certainly reveal the splendor of the place. The craftsmanship also reveals that Israel was no longer a nation of squatters living in homes they had taken over from previous inhabitants, but a distinct people who had developed an impressive culture of their own. That actually is an important detail about the fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham and Jacob, that He would build their descendants into a great nation. Their greatness wasn’t just evidenced in their numbers and victories in battle, but also in the culture they developed. Considering that Israel ceased to be a nation until relatively recently, that realization would have been an important reminder to readers through the centuries of the faithfulness of God to His promises – not only His promises for good, but His promises for bad as well.
Read Through the Bible in a Year
Leadership, encouragement and insight to support your reading through the Bible in a year.