2 Chronicles 2:1 - Meaning and Application

Solomon’s wisdom was given to him not just for thinking or for pleasant talk, but for action. So he puts it to work at once. He decides, first of all, to build a house for the name of the Lord. It is right that the one who is first should be served first, so the temple comes before his palace. He is not building mainly for his own comfort or size, but for the honor of God’s kingdom and for the good of his people. The wisest people are those who spend themselves most for God’s honor and for the welfare of their communities. We are not made for ourselves, but for God and for our country.

Solomon then sends a message to Huram, king of Tyre, to ask for help in carrying out his plans. His message is much the same as in 1 Kings 5:2 and following, but here it is explained more fully. He begins by reminding Huram of the friendship he had shown David, Solomon’s father. As you treated David well, so treat me, Solomon says. We should show kindness to our parents’ friends, and we may rightly expect kindness from them as well.

Solomon also explains the purpose of the temple. It is to be a place for worship, where all the offerings God had appointed for his name would be brought. The house was to be built for God and used in his service. That should be our aim in all our work, that all we have and do may bring glory to God. He names the different services that would be carried out there to instruct Huram. The truths of the true religion were not kept hidden, unlike the secret rites of pagan false worship.

He also tries to give Huram a high view of the God of Israel. Great is our God above all gods, above all idols, above all princes. Idols are nothing, princes are small, and both are under the rule of the God of Israel. Because of that, the house must be great, not because it can match God’s greatness, for no building can do that, but because it should show the greatness of the honor we give him. Yet even if the temple is very large, it still cannot contain the great God. Huram should not think that the God of Israel lives in a temple made by human hands (Acts 17:24). The heavens cannot hold him. The temple is only for the use of priests and worshipers, so they will have a proper place to burn sacrifices before him.

Solomon is also humble about himself. Though he is a powerful king, he says, Who am I that I should build him a house? That is the right spirit for every work done for God. We should begin with a deep sense of our own weakness and our inability to do anything equal to God’s greatness. Wisdom also means speaking carefully to those outside the faith, so that nothing we say or do gives them a wrong idea about God. Solomon does that here in his dealings with Huram.

Then Solomon makes his requests more clearly. He asks Huram to send him a skilled man to direct the work. Solomon already has skilled men in Jerusalem and Judah, men David had provided (1 Chronicles 22:15). So this does not mean the Jews lacked craftsmen. But Solomon wants someone able to oversee the work, and Tyre had men especially skilled in engraving and fine work. Since temple work should be the best of its kind, he asks for the best workers available.

He also asks for good materials, especially cedar and other timber in large amounts. The house must be wonderfully great, that is, impressive and magnificent, so no expense or care should be spared. Finally, Solomon promises to support the workers well. He will give them wheat, barley, wine, and oil in good amounts. He does not want them fed poorly, but provided for generously and with the best food. Those who hire laborers should make sure they are not only paid fairly, but also given what is wholesome and enough for them. Rich employers should treat poor workers as they would want to be treated if their places were changed.