November 26, 2024 1 Kings 6:1-13

November 26, 2024 1 Kings 6:1-13

6 In the four hundred and eightieth year after the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the house of the Lord. ² The house that King Solomon built for the Lord was sixty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high. ³ The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits long, equal to the width of the house, and ten cubits deep in front of the house. ⁴ And he made for the house windows with recessed frames. ⁵ He also built a structure against the wall of the house, running around the walls of the house, both the nave and the inner sanctuary. And he made side chambers all around. ⁶ The lowest story was five cubits broad, the middle one was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad. For around the outside of the house he made offsets on the wall in order that the supporting beams should not be inserted into the walls of the house.

⁷ When the house was built, it was with stone prepared at the quarry, so that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was being built.

⁸ The entrance for the lowest story was on the south side of the house, and one went up by stairs to the middle story, and from the middle story to the third. ⁹ So he built the house and finished it, and he made the ceiling of the house of beams and planks of cedar. ¹⁰ He built the structure against the whole house, five cubits high, and it was joined to the house with timbers of cedar.

¹¹ Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon, ¹² “Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. ¹³ And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel.”

The place where the temple was being constructed was treated with reverence.  I know growing up we treated the sanctuary of the church in a very reverent way.  We spoke in whispers, we didn’t rough house, we even stood when the scriptures were read aloud.  Things have certainly changed.  Many churches now need to use the same space for worship service, fellowship hall, and sometimes Bible Study classes. 

Not that it was wrong to be reverent in God’s house, but what truly deserves our reverence?

How can we show reverence to God no matter where we are?

We should always be sure we include praise to our Father when we pray.

What are your favorite ways to praise God in prayer?