Solomon’s hands were filled with sacrifices for the Lord; his ears were open to the word of the Lord; his heart was devoted to the service of the Lord. His great desire was to be capable of serving his people with wisdom, and God granted that desire. Have you asked God for wisdom (James 1:5)?
The plans for both the temple and the tabernacle were given by God; in both projects, the people were permitted to share their gifts. There was one difference: God’s Spirit equipped two Jewish men to make the tabernacle and its furnishings (Exodus 31), but an artisan from outside Israel supervised the construction of the temple. Had God’s Spirit failed to equip anybody for the task? Or was that another one of Solomon’s ways to build strong bonds with his neighbors?
At least his motives were pure: he built the house “for the name of the LORD ” (2 Chronicles 2:1 ). He used the best materials (“pure gold,” “fine gold”), and he laid a good foundation (2 Chronicles 3:3). The apostle Paul surely had Solomon’s temple in mind when he wrote 1 Corinthians 3:10–17.
