Solomon's Temple With Its Pillars and AltarBible World
7:221 Kings 7:22
And upon the top of the pillars was lily work: so was the work of the pillars finished.
The verse belongs to 1 Kings 1 to 11, the history of the undivided kingdom under Solomon. In chronological order it stands parallel to 2 Chronicles 1 to 9. It is part of the building and furniture of the temple to be especially noted together with the dedication prayer and sacrifices and the divine answer to Solomon's prayer. It stands in the wholly historical account of 1 Kings 3 to 21, a sad record full of important lessons. It belongs to the time after David when the general moral tendency in Judah and Israel was downward with times of reviving.
It belongs to the full account of the sanctuary's construction in the building of Solomon's temple. That temple was a magnificent, permanent enlargement of the tabernacle. It was built with two holy places and sacred vessels like those of the tabernacle, and served the same ministry. Its sanctuary vessels were increased in size and number. The temple's plan made it a pattern of the heavenly temple. The verse is one of the details in the latter part of 1 Kings 7 concerning the furnishings and vessels of the temple. That chapter describes Solomon's own house as built after he had finished the house of Jehovah, putting God's house before self instead of making self first.
Upon the top of the pillars was lily work, by which the work of the pillars was finished. It adorned them even in places few people could see. This finishing was the result of special wisdom God gave to the builders of the temple. The power of invention and skill for such construction is God-given. It is granted for the benefit of the masses and for the furtherance of His cause.
The hidden ornament teaches that God's house must be perfect because God sees what is secret. It shows that whenever the people sought God, God wrought for them and through them abundantly. Great responsibility rests on leaders, since faithful kings and priests and other leaders who are strong for God mold the people immensely, while leaders who fail to lead in right ways cause the people to fail with them. Applied to believers as temples of the Holy Spirit, the lily work represents the inward character that must be formed through repentance and conversion. That inward work is done by keeping Christ as the pattern and submitting all actions to God's approval.
The verse belongs to 1 Kings 1 to 11, the history of the undivided kingdom under Solomon. In chronological order it stands parallel to 2 Chronicles 1 to 9. It is part of the building and furniture of the temple to be especially noted together with the dedication prayer and sacrifices and the divine answer to Solomon's prayer. It stands in the wholly historical account of 1 Kings 3 to 21, a sad record full of important lessons. It belongs to the time after David when the general moral tendency in Judah and Israel was downward with times of reviving.
It belongs to the full account of the sanctuary's construction in the building of Solomon's temple. That temple was a magnificent, permanent enlargement of the tabernacle. It was built with two holy places and sacred vessels like those of the tabernacle, and served the same ministry. Its sanctuary vessels were increased in size and number. The temple's plan made it a pattern of the heavenly temple. The verse is one of the details in the latter part of 1 Kings 7 concerning the furnishings and vessels of the temple. That chapter describes Solomon's own house as built after he had finished the house of Jehovah, putting God's house before self instead of making self first.
Upon the top of the pillars was lily work, by which the work of the pillars was finished. It adorned them even in places few people could see. This finishing was the result of special wisdom God gave to the builders of the temple. The power of invention and skill for such construction is God-given. It is granted for the benefit of the masses and for the furtherance of His cause.
The hidden ornament teaches that God's house must be perfect because God sees what is secret. It shows that whenever the people sought God, God wrought for them and through them abundantly. Great responsibility rests on leaders, since faithful kings and priests and other leaders who are strong for God mold the people immensely, while leaders who fail to lead in right ways cause the people to fail with them. Applied to believers as temples of the Holy Spirit, the lily work represents the inward character that must be formed through repentance and conversion. That inward work is done by keeping Christ as the pattern and submitting all actions to God's approval.