1 Kings 6

I particularly want to look at v. 7:

And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.

There are many points to examine concerning the The Building of the House of the Lord by Solomon. But I will only give 7.

1 Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:9-11 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11 ¶ For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ., compare us the redeemed with the building of a house. As we are saved, we are as stones added to this house. As we reach others for Christ, we are helping the master builder add stones to the house. V. 16, Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Ephesians 2:22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

There is a good comparison between Solomon's temple in 1 Kings 6, and the house being built by the Lord Jesus Christ.

I.
V. 7, Solomon's temple was built in silence.
Christ's house is being built in silence .

It will be built by hard work, prayer and the moving of the Spirit of God, as we labour together with God.

Christian character is being built in ourselves, our children, and those for whom we are responsible. These things will not be accomplished with tools of iron, but with the tool of the Spirit of God and His Word.

II.
The builders of Solomon's house worked quietly and in secret.
The builders of Christ's house work quietly and in secret.

A. We know few of Solomon's leaders, but of the tens of thousands of chapter 5, we no nothing, other than they worked hard.

B. Those who reaped the benefit of worship in the temple and admired its beauty would not recognize those whose labor made it all possible.

C. The church today is advanced by tens of thousands who labour behind the scenes, unknown except to their immediate leaders and close friends. They are the ones who reach their friends, family, co-workers. They are the ones who spend the many hours trying to carve something useful out of the unsaved hearts of stone.

D. The ministries of love and concern, the influence of right and good in their circle of influence, we know nothing at all about.

E. We have no idea of the influence we are having on those aroudn us, good or bad.

When we changed churches from MD to LA, and from LA to Indiana, we received very unexpected, nice letters from those who had been watching us while we were there.

III.
The builders of Solomon's temple did sundry (varied, different) work, each different from another, each with different responsibilities and accountabilities. One was not to look at another and wish he were different.
The builders of Christ's temple do sundry work, each different from another, each with different responsibilities and accountabilities. One must not to look at the other and wish he were different.

A. Romans 12:4-6, &c., we have been given areas of responsibility according as it pleases Him.

B. One is not more important than the other.

1. If the hewers of stone and wood of 5:17, 18, did not do their job right, then there would have been problems when the pieces were put together. (We cannot imagine the skill needed to do all the fitting of site, so that no sound was needed to assemble the building.)

2. The men who drew the lines for cutting the wood or stone was just as important as the ones of 5:15, 16, who told the laborers where to place the stones and wood in the house.

3. There had to be leaders (elders) to direct the workers, laborers even to labor sweeping away the stone chips or to pick up the scrap wood, but all working had a common goal to build the house, and all worked for the same man, Solomon.

All could not be leaders, nor stone masons, nor carpenters, nor hewer of timber, 5:6, because all did not have those gifts. But all had a place to work, and it was assigned according to each man's gifts and abilities, and the desires of those over them.

Without the men picking up the scraps, the stone squarers or the hewers of the wood would not have been able to do their jobs. If these skilled men could not do their jobs, then the builders would not have been able to fit the stones nor the wood into their proper places.

Notice again, 6:7. This all had to be done perfect before it could be used, and sad to say, much of the building today for the King of kings is very haphazard. It is only as workers have the inclination or desire to work, it seems.

D. For the house to be properly fit together (Ephesians 2:21, 4:16), every worker must be faithful in his part of the job.

Notice the only reason (John 9:4) we are here on this earth and have been given 168 hours a week is to do God's work, to be involved in His building, working together with God. (1 Corinthians 3:9.)

We are not here to make a living, raise a family, get an education, serve the sports god.

We are here to do the work of the father, while it is day, because the night comment when no man can work. We will stand one day before the King of kings and answer for how we did His work, not how hard we worked at the various things of this life. (1 Corinthians 10:31.)

E. The laborers who sweeps the stone chips will answer to the Greater than Solomon. The same as the wise master builder required Paul to answer to Himself. (1 Corinthians 3:10.)

Our jobs are different one from another, but the accountability before the Owner of the temple will be the same. What did we do with the 168 hours a week He gave us to do His work?

The church today has lost its power because the labors in it have become more concerned over their own welfare, well-being, than over the building of th house of the Lord. This MTV generation is going to hell while the laborers for the Lord are home serving the god of sports.

Even though our jobs are different, and maybe our part seems useless, behind the sciens where we think no one is looking, our jobs are equally important. As the observer saw the gold covered walls and floors, they would not even consider the man who cleaned up the mess, though cleaning up the mess was just as important as those who placed the gold.

Man makes distinctions, while the Lord gives the talents as pleases Him.

IV.
The builders of Solomon's temple did their work with careful scrutiny–they watched closely that they did their assigned tasks right.
The builders of Christ's temple must do their work with careful scrutiny, watching that we do our assigned tasks right.

A. Can you imagine all of the cutting and shaping that had to be done off-site for everything to fit properly on-site?

How exacting the measurements, perfect the finished work, presice the plans that were required.

I cannot make two pieces of wood fit though sawing them next to each other.

B. Probably no workman knew the whole design, but if he yielded the least of his responsibility, it would not fit in the total plan.

God is concerned about the little things. It is the little foxes that spoil the vines. It is the little, umimportant things that are yielded day by day that prevent our lives from fitting properly according to the Master's plan.

It is the little things we overlook that lead to the rejection of the finnished product in our lives by others.

(It is beyond me how people will try to convince others of the importance of going to church when they cannot be faithful themselves.)

Carelessness cannot be tolerated.
Negligence is sin. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?
Care is required in doing the Lord's work. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereon. (1 Corinthians 3:10-15.)

The workman hewing the timbers grows careless and negligent. "It won't really matter. It will be covered with gold anyway." but the piece will not fit, and has to be discarded into the fire.

It is the little things that destroy our testimony.
It is the little yieldings that prevent God from working through us.
It is the little neglect that brings about the consequence of stubbornness and rebellion.

We would never deny Christ if someone pointed a gun at us, yet when the choice is between TV and the Lord, the TV is chosen.

V.
The builders of Solomon's temple were more interested in completeness, thoroughness, and results, as well as noise.
The workers on Christ's temple must be interested in completeness, thoroughness, and results, as well as noise. The most effective work for Christ is quiet work.

The most effective work for Christ is quiet work.

A. I have seen those who work very noisily, and they make you wonder why they are working. They insist upon public recognition before they will work.

B. The people could watch the construction, but could not hear it. They could see the growth, but there was no noise to draw their attention to the work.

C. God's people grow in the quite hours.
Moses grew in Midian.
Elijah grew in Horeb.
David grew while watching the sheep.
Paul grew in Araba.

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.

D. Probably the greatest work for Christ is done in the quiet, behind the scenes where no attention is drawn toward the person. It is done in prayer, in Scripture, in counsel.

VI.
The builders of Solomon's temple saw their labors result in the completion of the David's pre-established plan.
The builders of Christ's church will see their labors result in the completion of the Son of David's Divine Plan.

It may have seemed like mass confusion during the building process, but God's pre-established plan is being accomplished.

A. Solomon's work was wildly dispersed, from Tyre, to Lebenon, to Jerusalem, it was quietly done. It had tems of thousands of men involved with each having his own job that he was responsible for. It was accomplished over a period of many years. But this all combined together to completed the Diving Purpose, the Temple. Order was brought out of seemingly chaos.

B. The finished temple existed in the mind of the Master builder before the workers were chosen and the work started.

God's Divine Purpose existed in His mind before the first star was ever formed.

C. The workers who were faithful even cleaning up found that their labour was not in vain in the Lord.

The widow's mite is not forgotten by Him.
Mary's ointment is not forgotten by Him.

VII.

The builders of Solomon's temple found their reward in the glory of the finished project. 8:11.

The builders of Christ's church will find their reward when the finished, completed project is presented to the Father. (1 Corinthians 15:24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.)

A. Solomon's completed temple was overwhelmed with the sound of praise.
Christ receives the songs of praise in the Revelation.

Solomon's temple was crowded with worsipers.
An innumerable multitude of worshipers will bow before Christ in the Revelation.

Solomon's temple was filled with the Divine Presence.
The temple of the Lord is also filled with the Divine Presence in the Revalation.

B. The temple made without hands in the heavens will be far and away above whatever Solomon's might have been.

6:7, one last thing here.

The silent working of God is to build His temple in the hearts of His people. The workings of the Holy Spirit in the heart of man is to conform us to His image.