The Furnishing of the Temple

A. The house of God was to be “...exceeding magnifical...” (1CH 22:5), and Solomon made it so. 1. David didn’t build but made preparations for Solomon his son to build it. 2. Similarly, Christ the Son of David built what David had prepared in type: the gospel church including uncircumcised men of faith with a spiritual worship devoid of Levi. ACT 15:13-17. 3. The temple’s construction was according to God’s pattern as was the tabernacle. EXO 25:9, 40; NUM 8:4 c/w 1CH 28:11-12, 19. 4. The pattern was of heavenly things to be cleansed by Christ. HEB 8:1-5; 9:22-23.

B. Solomon's completion and furnishing of the temple is instructive. 2CH 5:1-14. 1. v. 1 treats of the bringing in of the gold, silver and treasure into the temple. a. The rest of the chapter treats of the arrival and induction of the ark of the LORD. b. There was no solemn ceremony associated with the bringing in of the stuff but there certainly was so when the ark was brought in. c. The glory of the LORD did not fill the temple when the stuff was brought in but only when the ark was installed. d. The temple was more blessed by the ark than by the gold. e. The gold didn't sanctify the temple; the temple sanctified the gold. MAT 23:17. f. Woe unto the church that defies these principles. REV 3:14-19. g. An account is given of Pope Innocent II showing Thomas Aquinas a large sum of money spread before him. He said, “You see, the Church is no longer in that age in which she said, 'Silver and gold have I none.'” Aquinas replied, “True...[but] neither can it any longer say to the lame, 'Rise up and walk.'” 2. The glory of the LORD did not fill the temple when they sacrificed animals (v. 6) but rather when they sang praises. v. 13. a. Praise pleases God more than sacrificed animals. PSA 69:30-31. b (HEB 13:15) By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. c. The calves of one's lips in pleading God's mercy (HOS 14:2) were better than the calves of one's stall buying God's mercy. LUK 18:13-14 c/w PSA 89:1; 1PE 1:18-19; HEB 4:16.

C. Solomon's temple was in every way dimensionally larger than the tabernacle which God instructed Moses to build. The structure was larger, the implements and vessels for its service were larger and more numerous, etc. 1. This was reasonable inasmuch as Israel was numerically much greater than they were in Moses' day and God showed His acceptance of the upgrades by His presence. 2. The ark of the covenant (the token of God's presence), though, was not upgraded in size. a. God is consistent. MAL 3:6; HEB 13:8. b. Remember that the ark was a type of Christ our propitiation/mercy seat in Whom are hid all treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ROM 3:25; COL 2:2-3. c. Christ’s work saved all and only all the Father gave Him to save: none shall be added nor lost. JOH 6:39; ROM 8:29-30. d. Christ's work is sufficient for all who come unto God by Him. HEB 7:25. e. Christ died once as a single, sufficient sacrifice for sin, never having to be re- offered in any manner whatsoever. HEB 7:27; 9:12, 24-28; 10:11-14; 1PE 3:18. f. Nothing can be added to His work of grace. HEB 1:3; EPH 2:8-10. g. Christ has capacity enough for all true seekers. MAT 11:28-30; REV 22:16-17. h. His church needs only His laws and ordinances. MAT 28:19-20; COL 2:19-23. i. His church will not be upgraded to a stone temple and animal sacrifices. EPH 3:21. j. May God help us to understand the full dimensions of Christ to understand and appreciate His work and to conform ourselves to Him. EPH 3:14-19; 4:13-16. k. Christ, like the ark of the covenant, is consistent in measure. A believer striving to attain to His model may be assured that the lines do not shift, the definitions do not change.

D. Contrast 2CH 5:14 w/ ACT 2:14.