Day 135: The Temple is built

The centre piece of Solomon’s capital city is to be a new place of worship. Solomon’s idea is to build something that will take people’s breath away when they see it - a stone representation of the greatness of God. 

Shimei’s execution
1 Kings 2:39-46
A mother’s advice
Proverbs 31:1-9
God’s ideal woman
Proverbs 31:10-31
The construction of the Temple
1 Kings 6:1-10, 14-37, 2 Chronicles 3:1-14

I accidentally read about Shimei a couple of days ago - so see my comments on him back on Day 133. While David wrote psalms, Solomon wrote proverbs, so we turn to his wisdom to see what insights we can get into his character. Interesting that we start with women.
First comes some motherly advice, that conceivably had its origin with Bathsheba. It’s certainly interesting to read it in that light. Because David fell for her, all sorts of anguish and disarray came upon his household. And yet Solomon was born. So something of great value came out of it too.
The picture of the noble wife is a picture of an upper class woman of distinction - the highest that perhaps a woman could aspire to in that culture: to control her household and propel her husband to a place of honour.
Chronicles is keen to emphasise that the Temple is being built in accordance with God’s express command. Unlike the tabernacle, where its details are recorded first as instructions from God, to be carried out to the letter, the description of the Temple gives us the details all right, but not up front. Chronicles seeks to reassure us that God had given the instructions, Kings doesn’t bother, so I wonder how much of it was Solomon’s invention. I don’t see anything wrong in that  - God had given Solomon the wisdom, why shouldn’t he employ it to make something fit for worship?
But there’s always been a residual fear in the Israelites - if they don’t get things to do with God scrupulously correct, then they’ll suffer for it.
So the Tabernacle on steroids takes shape, and at last there is a centrepiece of worship in the heart of the kingdom of Israel.