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1 Kings 6 Devotional

The Word Amid the Work

“And I will dwell among the Israelites and will not abandon My people Israel.””1 Kings 6:13 (BSB)

Most of this chapter is measurements: cubits of length and height, cedar paneling, olive-wood cherubim, and gold laid over every surface (6:2-35). The stones are finished at the quarry, so no hammer or iron tool is heard at the building site (6:7). Seven years of work go into it (6:38).

Right in the middle of the description, though, the LORD speaks to Solomon (6:11-13). He does not praise the cedar or the gold. He speaks about walking in his statutes, about his promise to David, and about his purpose: to live among his people and not abandon them. The building matters because of the One who means to dwell there. Without him it would be only an expensive house. John says that in Jesus the eternal Word took on flesh and came to live among us, and people saw his glory (John 1:14). God's desire has always been to be with his people. Whatever you build or tend today, his presence is the treasure, not the setting around it.

To think about: What would change in how you spend this day if you treated God's presence, not your plans, as the real treasure?

About 1 Kings 6: Solomon Builds the Temple

Solomon begins building the LORD’s temple in Jerusalem, counting the years from Israel’s exodus from Egypt. While the work goes on, God promises to live among His people if Solomon obeys Him, and the innermost room with its gold-covered cherubim is prepared for the ark during seven years of work.

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