1 Kings 7:29
And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubims: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work. And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubims: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work.
1 Kings 7:29 belongs to the history of the undivided kingdom under Solomon's reign, as part of the account of the building, furniture, and dedication of the house of God. It corresponds to the account in 2 Chronicles 1 to 9, standing in chronological order with the dedication prayer, the sacrifices, and God's answer to Solomon's prayer. The verse describes the ornamentation of the bases of the temple, with lions, oxen, and cherubim set on the borders between the ledges and thin-work additions beneath the lions and oxen, showing a carefully designed sacred structure with decorated panels. Solomon's temple was a magnificent permanent sanctuary that followed and enlarged the plan of the tabernacle and, like it, had two holy places. Its construction and sacred vessels serve as a pattern for the heavenly temple, which has two holy places and the same kind of sacred vessels as the tabernacle.
The lions and oxen or cattle were made as decoration for God's house and not as objects of worship. Making images of created things for useful purposes or for adornment is not forbidden, while making them in order to worship them is forbidden.
The detailed craftsmanship of lions, oxen, and cherubim shows that the power of invention and the special wisdom given to the temple builders came from God. God already knew the principle of every invention and gave such wisdom for the benefit of the masses and the furtherance of His cause, especially for finishing the gospel work. He could have revealed modern inventive principles thousands of years earlier had it been within His purpose, but much inventive skill was withheld until the last days for that short finishing work.