Thursday, 2nd September 2021
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Solomon started building the Temple of God four years after he became the king. The first four years he married the daughter of Pharaoh and built up relationship with Egypt. But it was not from the teaching of Moses to marry someone out of the Israel. Then he used 7 years to build the Temple of God and 13 years to build his own palace. From this, the truth about Solomon’s life was revealed.
Section One V1-12 Solomon Built his own House
Solomon built God’s Temple, then he built his own palace, also with cedar and costly stones. From previous chapters we learnt that the cedar was from the king of Tyre, who had a good relationship with David. In I Kings 5:5, Solomon said to king of Tyre, “And behold, I propose to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spoke to my father David.” Also in I Kings 5:15 it says, “Solomon had seventy thousand who carried burdens, and eighty thousand who quarried stone in the mountains, besides three thousand three hundred from the chiefs of Solomon’s deputies, who supervised the people who labored in the work.” Solomon used the materials instructed by God to build his own palace.
God has given us abilities, talents, resources and materials to do His Work, but do we also used these gifts for our own benefits? When we use God’s gifts for us for our own benefit, not only God knows, people can also see. What is our intention? Do we really offer all we have for God only? Somehow Solomon used what he gathered to build his own palace after he built the Temple of God.
Section Two V13-47 Everything Huram Built for Solomon
Huram was a foreigner, his father was a man of Tyre. In fact a lot of the people Solomon used to built the Temple of God were people outside Israel. Huram came to do everything Solomon asked him to do, he was capable and talented. But was he the right person according to God’s standards? The Temple of God is a place God dwells, just like the Tabernacle. God wants us to live under the Tree of Life, to humble, to obey, to deny ourselves and benefit others.
In Exodus 31:1-6, God chose his own people, who were filled by the Holy Spirit and capable to build the Tabernacle of God. But in I Kings 7, Solomon used a foreigner to build the Temple of God. In Exodus 25:9, God says ‘According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.’ God wants us to humble ourselves, and carry out our work according to His instructions, not our own desires. Solomon built the Temple of God, but he used his own appointed people instead of those called by God.
In V21, Huram 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. These names revealed the strength and power of Solomon, and attracted many people to come and view the Temple of God, but was this what God wanted Solomon to do? In Exodus 30:17-21, it talks about every item in the Tabernacle has its meanings. But what Huram built for Solomon were only displays for others to see how great Solomon was to build such the glorious Temple.
Section Three V48-51 Solomon Built the House of God
At the end of the chapter, Solomon built the inner room, the Most Holy Place, for the Temple of God. This was a place only the High Priests could enter, even Solomon could not enter it. But there is no names recorded here on who build this section of the Temple. Nobody could enter this place and nobody’s name was mentioned about building the inner room. Do we lead a double standard life? In our outward appearance we might see very capable and dedicated to God, but in the places people cannot see, do we also live the same Holy life? Is everything we do according to the standards and instructions of God and of our authority?
Worship: 一顆謙卑的心 A Humble Heart https://youtu.be/qGOe6ssGKeQ
Prayer & Pursuit
Let us come with a thankful heart, be bold and come to God, ask Him to help us to get rid of everything that doesn’t belong to Him. Let us live a true life for God.
Lord, we thank You, through this process of building Your Temple, You revealed to us our lives. We want people to see how capable we are, we long for the applauses and recognition of others, but there are so much dishonesty in our lives. Help us to learn true humility, so our lives can completely surrender to You. Let us follow Your instructions completely. Amen.
2021年9月2日 星期四
潘锡安牧师
所罗门王登基4年后才造圣殿，在这之前他做了一些不合神心意的事情，包括娶法老的女儿来稳定自己的国位。列王纪上6:38讲到所罗门王用7年时间建耶和华的圣殿，第7章的一开始则说他为自己建王宫花了13年。当我们把学到的东西在生命中实践出来的时候，就好像所罗门王在建殿，这个过程中我们内在的生命很容易显露出来，所以建殿的过程也是在帮助我们看到自己的真实的生命。
一、所罗门为自己建造宫室 7：1-12
这里特别为所罗门记载他为自己建造的宫室，“都照耶和华殿的内院和殿廊的样式”（V12），里面所用的材料是“香柏木”和“宝贵的大石头”。“香柏木”是从推罗王那里运来的，是当初所罗门王跟推罗王希兰说“我定意要为耶和华我神的名建殿，是照耶和华应许我父亲大卫的话……”（王上5:5）才拿到的。他曾经很谦卑用父亲的名义要来建圣殿的木材，但现在也用这香柏木来建造自己的王宫。而王上5:15-16也记载了所罗门王使用工人去凿出“又大又宝贵的石头”来做圣殿的根基，他却又将这些石头建在自己的王宫里。当我们努力为神摆上的时候，神给我们很多祝福，包括智慧、聪明、能力，我们是否将这些恩赐单单用在神的国度里，还是顺便用在我们自己的身上？我们不要将神所给我们的一切权能用在自己身上满足私欲。所罗门花了几乎两倍于建圣殿的时间来建造自己的王宫（7年 vs 13年)，由此可知，他的心没有摆对。我们的内心真实想法如何，神都可以看到。
二、户兰为所罗门所做的一切 7:13-47
户兰是一个来自推罗的外邦人，由此可看出所罗门用与他有关系的外邦人来建殿。户兰的父亲是推罗人，母亲是以色列人。户兰本人非常有能力，“满有智慧、聪明、技能，善于各样铜作”，又很谦卑，能够“做王一切所要做的”（V14）。从属世的角度看，这位铜匠是最适合来为所罗门做工的人，然而这是否真是神向所罗门要的呢？我们可以从出埃及记31:1-6看到神是怎样挑选人来帮助建造神的会幕。会幕是分别为圣的，负责建造会幕的匠人是神亲自拣选的人，然而所罗门用的是外邦人来做自己想要的东西。出埃及记25:9 神特别指示摩西：”制造帐幕和其中的一切器具，都要照我所指示你的样式”。神要的不是我们一腔热血用自己的方式奉献给他，他要的是我们谦卑顺服于他的指示。
V21 户兰“将两根柱子立在殿廊前头，右边立一根，起名叫雅斤，左边立一根，起名叫波阿斯”。“雅斤”的意思是“他建立”，“波阿斯”的意思是“能力”，圣殿门口这样的设计充满了对个人成就的炫耀。
V23，36，38 出埃及记30:17-21记载了之前神指示摩西如何造在会幕里的洗濯盆，神殿中每一样物品都是有意义的。而户兰做的铜海非常巨大(V23)，只是放在那里当做摆设，没有实际意义。他“又用铜制造十个盆”（V38），显得所罗门好大喜功。“基路伯”本应该只放在圣殿最里面的至圣所，他却雕刻在了在殿外院的铜座上（V36)。所罗门将圣殿的外院造得好像一个辉煌的展览厅，让人看到他自己的厉害。所罗门建圣殿时没有完全按照神的指示，而是加了很多自己的东西彰显他的能力。
三、所罗门造耶和华的殿 7:48-51
最后这一段说的是所罗门造的圣殿内殿和至圣所，这里没有记载是谁亲自建造。里面是不允许人随便进去的，甚至所罗门也不可以进入，只有神选定的人才可以进去。所罗门在这个别人看不到的地方不需要做得好像外院一样金碧辉煌，这才开始按着神的指示来做。我们是否做很多冠冕堂皇的事让别人看到，觉得我们是很棒很属灵的人，但是在别人看不到的地方，我们真实的生命是否也是如此追求神呢？我们是否愿意跟从神和权柄的带领，还是做什么事都想得到别人的赞赏？让我们学习谦卑，谦卑的人就蒙福了。
*追求与回应：
神要我们单单跟从他，要谦卑。放下我们里面所有的小剧场，让我们相信，谦卑就蒙福，让恐惧和害怕离开我们。我们很想别人看到我们，听到别人的掌声，很想出人头地，但是圣灵提醒我们，神所赐给我们的福不是只给我们的，而是直到万代。让我们谦卑来到神面前求帮助，我们有很多属世的东西放不下，我们想服事神，又想得到世界，但是对于这样的人神说“休想得到一切”。求神帮助我们看重他为我们预备的福。让我们一起祷告，求神帮助我们看到自己的生命。耶稣来是让我们能悔改、跟从他。求神帮助我们勇敢面对自己内心的真实，拿走我们里面的不属神的一切。
谢谢主在建殿的过程中让我们的真实的生命得到彰显。求神赦免我们想要别人看到我们厉害、想得到别人掌声的心态，赦免我们的虚伪，挪去我们里面的惧怕，帮助我们学习谦卑，让自己的生命从里到外都降服于主，让我们谨守遵行主你的一切吩咐，谢谢主你要赐给我们和我们子孙后代的祝福！奉耶稣基督的名祷告，阿门！