Friday, June 27, 2014

Miscellaneous Utensils Used in Temple Worship (1 Kings 7:40-50)


12/27/2010 5:11:39 PM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  The miscellaneous utensils

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                Reference:  1Kings 7:40-50; 2Chron. 4:7-8, 11-22

 

            Message of the verses:  “40  Now Hiram made the basins and the shovels and the bowls. So Hiram finished doing all the work which he performed for King Solomon in the house of the LORD: 41  the two pillars and the two bowls of the capitals which were on the top of the two pillars, and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the top of the pillars; 42  and the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, two rows of pomegranates for each network to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were on the tops of the pillars; 43  and the ten stands with the ten basins on the stands; 44  and the one sea and the twelve oxen under the sea; 45  and the pails and the shovels and the bowls; even all these utensils which Hiram made for King Solomon in the house of the LORD were of polished bronze. 46  In the plain of the Jordan the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarethan. 47  Solomon left all the utensils unweighed, because they were too many; the weight of the bronze could not be ascertained.

   “ 48 ¶  Solomon made all the furniture which was in the house of the LORD: the golden altar and the golden table on which was the bread of the Presence; 49  and the lampstands, five on the right side and five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary, of pure gold; and the flowers and the lamps and the tongs, of gold; 50  and the cups and the snuffers and the bowls and the spoons and the firepans, of pure gold; and the hinges both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, that is, of the nave, of gold. 51  Thus all the work that King Solomon performed in the house of the LORD was finished. And Solomon brought in the things dedicated by his father David, the silver and the gold and the utensils, and he put them in the treasuries of the house of the LORD.”

            “7  Then he made the ten golden lampstands in the way prescribed for them and he set them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. 8  He also made ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. And he made one hundred golden bowls.

            “19  Solomon also made all the things that were in the house of God: even the golden altar, the tables with the bread of the Presence on them, 20  the lampstands with their lamps of pure gold, to burn in front of the inner sanctuary in the way prescribed.”

 

            There were a lot of little utensils needed to make the offerings and take care of all that is needed to make this run smoothly.  There were snuffers for the lamps, and bowels to take care of the blood for offerings, there were pots to boil the meat that was used for the peace offerings, and there were shovels to take care of the ashes and other items used.  The building was very expensive to make and to maintain but it was the place where the glory of the Lord was, making all of this worthwhile. 

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  As I was looking at the commentary from Dr. Wiersbe on this the thought came to me that even though all of these materials were somewhat insignificant to those who were not using them they were needed to perform the worship of the Lord.  It is the same with people in the body of Christ today, for there are many who are seemingly insignificant but have rolls that are in great need.  I think of my mother who has prayed many times for many people and sent cards to those who are in need and this makes me realize her usefulness in the body of Christ.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1.      Continue to realize that I am in a battle and in need of my spiritual armor.

2.      Realize that I do not have to do the “big” things in the body, but do the things that the Lord has gifted me to do.

12/27/2010 5:35:27 PM

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