Daily Devotional • August 29
A Reading from 1 Kings 5:1-6:7
1 Now King Hiram of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram had always been a friend to David. 2 Solomon sent word to Hiram, saying, 3 “You know that my father David could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until he put them under the soles of his feet. 4 But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor misfortune. 5 So I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord said to my father David, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, shall build the house for my name.’ 6 Therefore command that cedars from the Lebanon be cut for me. My servants will join your servants, and I will give you whatever wages you set for your servants, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”
Meditation
The worshipful company of lectionary makers skipped chapter 4. We can see why—my wife quipped that 1 Kings 4 is “all about Solomon’s H.R. decisions”—but we must note well that, as he appoints his counsellors and right-hand personnel, Solomon always seeks God’s will and wisdom, that the king might choose well for the sake of the nation.
Solomon’s wisdom and effective rule lead to peace and prosperity. Once the king has secured the borders and brought harmony to the kingdom, he begins the work on his father David’s dream: “to build a house for the name of the Lord my God” (5.5). What is meant here by the word ‘name’? It is used in the same way in several places in chapters five, six, seven, and eight. In the context, the word does not denote God’s authority (as in the sentence, “I commend you in the name of the Lord”); neither is ‘name’ synonymous with family or nation (as in “the name of Jacob Israel will be God’s own people for ever”). In 1 Kings, “the name of the Lord” means or points to (a) the means by which God will communicate with his people and reveal something of his deeper identity, or (b) the situation in which God will do this communing, communicating, and self-disclosure or revelation, or (c) the place where such an experience will occur. I have overlooked this particular use of the word ‘name’ my entire life. We understand what ‘name’ denotes or connotes in most parts of the Bible, but in this temple-making context ‘name’ means something unique. In other words, God has allowed King Solomon to build a locus or an opportunity where the mortal and the immortal might—might possibly—share an experience. God allows Solomon to build a holy space wherein the possibility of meeting God in some manner or other can happen, if God wills it. This will be a place where heaven and earth can come together. What is suggested is that God will give Israel a “high place” for worship, sacrifice, and enlightenment.
Hence, the construction of the temple is a most carefully planned and painstakingly exact project. Since it is a house for the name of the Lord, only the very finest materials can be used. Solomon makes a deal with his ally King Hiram of Tyre to fell giant cedar and cypress trees, make the logs into rafts, and transport the timber southward from Lebanon. The cedar and cypress wood will provide paneling attached to the blocks of stone on the inside of the temple. The stone was cut into large blocks, carved and decorated in the quarry, and moved to the temple mount for the installation of the foundation, floor, and walls. Solomon and Hiram organized a 30,000-person work force of Sidonians, Israelites, and enslaved labor from all over the region. The temple was finished in seven years. Cedar and cypress last longer than most other woods. To this day, they are symbolic of everlasting life.
The Rev. W.L. (Chip) Prehn, PhD, is president of The Living Church Foundation and is a principal of Dudley & Prehn Educational Consultants. He was a parish priest for 12 years before turning to school administration and consulting. Prehn writes poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and history.
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Daily Devotional Cycle of Prayer
Today we pray for:
The Diocese of Ohio – The Episcopal Church
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church Kerrville, Texas
The Rev. W.L. (Chip) Prehn, PhD, is president of The Living Church Foundation and is a principal of Dudley & Prehn Educational Consultants. He was a parish priest for 12 years before turning to school administration and consulting. Prehn writes poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and history.
