(REFLECTIONS ON 1 Kings 7:1-51)

In 1 Kings 6:38, we read that Solomon was seven years in building the temple of the Lord. As we transition over to 1 Kings 7:1, we suddenly read about Solomon building his own house taking thirteen years to finish his entire house.

1 Kings 7 then continues describing the building of Solomon’s palace and then returning to talk about the furnishing of the temple. Interestingly, we read that Solomon worked on his own house six years longer than it took to complete the temple.

We also read in the details of his own palace that Solomon also made a house for Pharaoh’s daughter whom he had taken in marriage. What can we learn from this brief pause in the middle of discussing the temple?

Solomon builds the temple first, but the shift in talking about Solomon’s own palace and royal house, including a project for Pharaoh’s daughter, reminds us that Solomon’s kingdom was filled with political alliances that we will see later contribute to Solomon’s spiritual compromise.

As the kingdom of Israel grows, not only do we see God working and being glorified, but we also see a growing kingdom, expanding influence, and increasing investment in what belongs to Solomon.

As Scripture moves back to the temple, we read about pillars that were set up at the entrance of the temple. On the south was a pillar named Jachin and on the north a pillar named Boaz. Jachin means “He will establish,” and Boaz means “In Him is strength.”

Every person who entered the temple would pass between them, being reminded that the temple, the nation of Israel, and all that they now had was not done by human effort, wisdom, or power, but by the Lord alone.

It is God that is the One who establishes, and He is the One in whom strength is found. Surrounding this powerful declaration is a subtle tension between what Solomon is building for himself, and what God is building for His Kingdom.

The pillars stand as a testimony not only to those who enter, but perhaps even to Solomon himself. Will the kingdom truly be established by God? Will strength truly be found in Him? As we continue to read in 1 Kings 11, we see that Solomon’s heart is eventually led astray from what God has built. The one who built pillars declaring dependence on God slowly begins to rely on other things, on alliances, relationships, and worldly power.

The question for us is if it is possible to proclaim truth, to build places of worship, to even lead others toward God, and yet, over time, begin to rely on something else to sustain us. Jachin and Boaz still stand today as a call to examine our own hearts.

What is establishing our lives right now? Where are we finding our strength? And is this something that will continue to be our focus and our testimony, or will we get lost in ourselves along the way and forget what brought us to where we are in the first place?

Let us be steadfast, meaning that our faith is a journey of endurance, firmly planted in Jachin and Boaz, “He will establish,” and “In Him is strength,” and let us pray that we will not compromise our faith, but continue to trust in our Lord and Savior more and more each passing day.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: 1 Kings 7