Day 303 – Beauty and Value

1 Kings 7:1 Solomon took thirteen years to build his house; so, he finished his house. 2 He also built the House of the Forest of Lebanon; its length was one hundred cubits (150 ft.), its width fifty cubits (75 ft.), and its height thirty cubits (45 ft.), with four rows of cedar pillars, and cedar beams on the pillars. 3 He paneled it with cedar above the beams on forty-five pillars, fifteen to a row. 4 There were windows with beveled frames in three rows, and window was opposite window in three tiers. 5 The doorways and doorposts had rectangular frames; and window was opposite window in three tiers.

 6 He also made the Hall of Pillars: its length was fifty cubits (75 ft.), and its width thirty cubits (45 ft.); and in front of them was a portico with pillars, with a canopy in front of them.

 7 Then he made a hall for the throne, the Hall of Judgment, where he might judge; and paneled it with cedar from floor to ceiling.

 8 The house where he dwelt had another court inside the hall, of like workmanship. Solomon also made a house like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had taken as wife. 9 These were of costly stones cut to size, trimmed with saws, inside and out, from the foundation to the eaves, and on the outside to the great court. 10 The foundation was of costly stones, large stones, some ten cubits (15 ft.) and some eight (12 ft.) cubits. 11 Above were costly stones, hewn to size, and cedar wood. 12 He enclosed the great court with three rows of hewn stones and a row of cedar beams. Thus, were the inner court of the house of JEHOVAH and the vestibule of the temple.

 13 King Solomon sent and brought Huram from Tyre. 14 He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a bronze worker; filled with wisdom and understanding and skill in working with many kinds of bronze work. Thus, he came to King Solomon and did his work.

 15 He cast two pillars of bronze, each one eighteen cubits (27 ft.) high, and a line of twelve cubits (18 ft.) measured the circumference of each. 16 Then he made two capitals of cast bronze, to set on the tops of the pillars. The height of one capital was five cubits (7.5 ft.), and the height of the other capital was five cubits (7.5 ft.). 17 He made a lattice network, with wreaths of chainwork, for the capitals which were on top of the pillars: seven chains for one capital and seven for the other capital.

 18 Then he made the pillars, and two rows of pomegranates above the network around to cover the capitals on top; and thus, he did for the other capital. 19 The capitals on top of the pillars in the hall were in the shape of lilies, four cubits (6 ft.). 20 The capitals on the two pillars also had pomegranates above, by the convex surface next to the network; and two hundred such pomegranates in rows on each of the capitals encircled them. 21 Then he set up the pillars by the vestibule of the temple; he set up the pillar on the right and called its name Jachin, and he set up the pillar on the left and called its name Boaz. 22 The tops of the pillars were in the shape of lilies. Thus, he finished the work of the pillars.

 23 He made the Sea of cast bronze, ten cubits (15 ft.) around from one brim to the other. Its height was five cubits (7.5 ft.), and a line of thirty cubits (45 ft.) measured its circumference. 24 Below its brim were ornamental buds encircling it, ten to a cubit (half yard), around the Sea. The ornamental buds were cast in two rows when it was cast. 25 It stood on twelve oxen: three looking toward the north, three looking toward the west, three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; the Sea was set upon them, and their back parts pointed inward. 26 It was a handbreadth thick (3 inches); with its brim shaped like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It contained two thousand baths (11,000 gallons).

 27 He also made ten carts of bronze; four cubits (6 ft.) was the length of each cart, four cubits (6 ft.) its width, and three cubits (4.5 ft.) its height. 28 This was the design of the carts: They had panels, and the panels were between frames; 29 on the panels between the frames were lions, oxen, and cherubim. On the frames was a pedestal on top. Below the lions and oxen were wreaths of plaited work. 30 Every cart had four bronze wheels and axles of bronze, and its four feet had supports. Under the laver were supports of cast bronze beside each wreath. 31 Its opening inside the crown at the top was one cubit (18 inches) in diameter; and the opening was round, shaped like a pedestal, one and a half cubits (27 inches) in outside diameter; and on the opening were engravings, but the panels were square, not round. 32 Under the panels were the four wheels, and the axles of the wheels were joined to the cart. The height of the wheel was one and a half cubits (27 inches). 33 The workmanship of the wheels was like the workmanship of a chariot wheel; their axle pins, their rims, their spokes, and their hubs were of cast bronze. 34 There were four supports at the four corners of each cart; its supports were part of the cart itself. 35 On the top of the cart, at the height of half a cubit (9 inches), perfectly round. On the top of the cart, its flanges and its panels were of the same casting. 36 On the plates of its flanges and on its panels, he engraved cherubim, lions, and palm trees, wherever there was a clear space on each, with wreaths encircling them. 37 Thus he made the ten carts of the same mold, one measure, and one shape.

 38 Then he made ten lavers of bronze; each laver contained forty baths (220 gallons), and each laver was four cubits (6 ft.). Each of the ten carts had a laver. 39 He put five carts on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house. He set the Sea on the right side of the house, toward the southeast.

 40 Huram made the lavers and the shovels and the bowls. Then Huram finished the for King Solomon for the house of JEHOVAH: 41 the two pillars, the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the two pillars; the two networks covering the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars; 42 four hundred pomegranates for the two networks (two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars); 43 the ten carts, and ten lavers on the carts; 44 one Sea, and twelve oxen under the Sea; 45 the pots, the shovels, and the bowls. These articles Huram made for King Solomon for the house of JEHOVAH were of burnished bronze. 46 In the plain of Jordan the king had them cast in clay molds, between Succoth and Zaretan. 47 Solomon did not weigh the articles, because there were so many; the weight of the bronze was not determined.

 48 Thus Solomon had the furnishings made for the house of JEHOVAH: the altar of gold, and the table of gold on which was the showbread; 49 the lampstands of pure gold, five on the right side and five on the left in front of the inner sanctuary, with the flowers and the lamps and the wick-trimmers of gold; 50 the basins, the trimmers, the bowls, the ladles, and the censers of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner room (the Most Holy Place) and for the doors of the main hall of the temple.

 51 Thus, King Solomon finished the work for the house of JEHOVAH; and Solomon brought in the things his father David had dedicated: silver and the gold and the furnishings. He put them in the treasures of the house of JEHOVAH.

God’s names:

JEHOVAH – Self-existent, Eternal

Yeshuwa – Jesus

God’s character:

Holy

When you build anything, you need blueprints so you can get the measurements correct in every detail.

Before he died, David drew up the plans for the house of JEHOVAH and provided the materials for the building. Solomon hired Huram to build the house of JEHOVAH according to the plans in exact detail.

When you accepted Yeshuwa as Savior and Lord, you became His temple. He created you exactly as He planned. You are a man or woman of beauty and value beyond measure.

Many Christians don’t see the beauty or value of their lives. They see flaws and ugliness marring their lives. When Yeshuwa looks at you, He doesn’t see your flaws or the ugliness you see in the mirror. He sees you the way He created you, a vessel of beauty ready to do His work.

When Solomon built the temple of JEHOVAH, the world marveled at its beauty. No other temple could compare to Solomon’s Temple. You are the same. No one can compare you to another person. Yeshuwa made you unique in every detail for His work.

When you look at yourself in the mirror, try to look past what you see and see yourself as Yeshuwa sees you, a person of beauty with a value beyond measure. When you do, it will be easy to do the work He gave you to do, and you will find joy in the work.

Let’s pray: Father, forgive me for seeing me with flaws instead of the beauty You see in me. Let me see me as You see me as a vessel of beauty and value beyond measure. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Copyright © 17 November 2024 by Valerie Routhieaux