The Shunammite's son restored to life, Junior - I, Lesson - 20

JUNIOR

AGE: 10 - 11 YEARS

STANDARD/GRADE: V & VI

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No part of this document can be modified, sold or used for any commercial purpose.

LESSON – 20

THE SHUNAMMITE'S SON RESTORED TO LIFE

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In the previous lesson we learnt about one of the greatest prophets of Israel called Prophet Elijah. He had a servant named Elisha. After Elijah’s prophetic ministry was fulfilled on this earth, a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and Elijah was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha, his servant received a double portion of the special prophetic and miracle-working gifts of Elijah to continue the prophetic ministry. During Prophet Elisha’s days many young prophets lived together as a community, called as “school of prophets”. There were many schools of prophets established in various cities of Israel. Prophet Elisha visited and lived with the young prophets often. Prophet Elisha had a servant named Gehazi.

Prophet Elisha performed many miracles and this particular miracle happened during the reign of Jehoram, an Israelite king. During his travels Prophet Elisha often passed through a town called Shunem. Shunem was a village that belonged to the tribe of Issachar, located near a valley called Jezreel (Joshua 19:18). Ancient travels were much different from the modern ones. In ancient Israel, in places where it was difficult to find lodging, travellers, especially Israelites could be expected to be invited into someone’s home for a meal and stay. Such hospitality was considered honorable and it was valued. We could find many such examples in the Holy Bible.

There was a wealthy, respectable woman who lived in the town of Shunem. She invited Prophet Elisha to her home for a meal. After that, whenever he was in Shunem, he visited and stayed with the woman’s family. The woman recognized Prophet Elisha as a true prophet and a holy man of God and suggested to her husband to set up a guest room for Elisha in their home. She also wanted to furnish the room with a bed, a table, a chair and a lamp. Soon, they constructed a room and furnished it according to the woman’s wish. Prophet Elisha stayed in the guest room of the Shunammite woman whenever he visited Shunem. The name of the woman is not mentioned in the Holy Bible, and she is referred to as the Shunammite woman because she belonged to the town of Shunem.

Once while visiting that family, Prophet Elisha asked the woman what he could do for her since she had taken so much effort for him. He had his servant Gehazi ask her if she needed any help or she wanted him to speak on her behalf with the king or the commander of the army. The woman replied that everything was fine; she lived in safety and was well off. However, Prophet Elisha was not convinced, so he asked his servant, Gehazi, how he could help the woman in return for her hospitality. Gehazi mentioned that she had no son and her husband was old. Prophet Elisha then called the woman and told her she would have a son by that time next year. Instead of being happy, the woman told Prophet Elisha not to deceive her. The woman may have been disappointed earlier, so she didn’t want to have any false hope.

However, Prophet Elisha’s words came true and the woman had a child the next year. One day, the Shunammite woman’s husband went to harvest their field and the little boy also accompanied him. When the little boy was in the field with his father, he said, “My head, my head”, indicating some kind of discomfort in his head. Immediately, the father asked a servant to take the child to his mother. A few hours later, the boy died on his mother’s lap. 

  

The mother did something unusual. She did not tell anyone that the child had died. She took the child upstairs to Prophet Elisha’s room and laid him on his bed. Then she sent a message to her husband, asking him to send a servant and a donkey to visit the man of God (Prophet Elisha). Her husband was intrigued and asked her why she wanted to visit the prophet, because it was an ordinary day and not a Sabbath day or a special day. She did not give any specific reply, instead just replied that all is well, yet she wanted to visit Prophet Elisha.

Even though, the husband did not get a specific reply, he sent a donkey and a servant. The woman saddled the donkey and asked the servant to ride it. She gave strict instructions to the servant not to halt anywhere until they reached their destination at Mount Carmel, where Prophet Elisha was residing. When she neared Prophet Elisha’s home, the prophet noticed the Shunammite woman and asked Gehazi, his servant, to meet her and ask about her and her family members' wellbeing. The woman once again replied to Gehazi that all is well. The reason for her not revealing the death of her child to Gehazi, could be because, she did not want the intervention of anyone else other than the man of God himself. The woman quickly went and caught Prophet Elisha’s feet. In some cultures, holding someone’s feet is a gesture of humility and supplication. Prophet Elisha’s servant Gehazi, thought that she was bothering him and came near to push her away. But the man of God told him to leave her alone.

Prophet Elisha understood that the woman was in deep sorrow and distress. Prophet Elisha wondered why the Lord had hidden it from him. The woman hinted the reason for her distress when she told the prophet that she did not ask for a son on the first place but was given one. The woman even reminded Prophet Elisha how she had told him not to give false hope and deceive her, when she was first told about having a child.

Prophet Elisha understood that something was not right with the child, so he told his servant Gehazi to rush to the woman’s home and asked him to place his staff on the boy’s face. A staff is a very long cane, used predominantly as walking sticks or as support to rest upon during long walks. Prophet Elisha told Gehazi not to greet anyone on the way and also not to respond to anyone’s greetings. Meanwhile, the woman told Prophet Elisha that she would not leave the Prophet, until she got an answer. So, Prophet Elisha got up and went along with that woman to her house. Gehazi went ahead of them and did just as Prophet Elisha told him. He laid the staff on the child’s face, but the child did not move or respond. Gehazi came back and reported to the prophet that the child did not wake up.

Prophet Elisha arrived at the woman’s home in Shunem and went upstairs to his room where the mother had laid the child. He saw the child lying dead on his bed. So, he went in and shut the door behind the two of them and prayed to the Lord. Then he went up and laid on the child, putting his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. As he did that, the child’s body became warm. 

Then the Prophet got up, walked back and forth in the house, and once again laid on the child. The child sneezed seven times, opened his eyes and his life was restored. Prophet Elisha called the mother and asked her to take her son. The woman fell at his feet, bowed to the ground and took her child who was restored to life.

Bible Reference: II Kings 4:8 - 37

Memory Verse: Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13:1,2)

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ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES

Fill in the blanks:

1. Prophet Elisha had a servant named ……………….

2. The Shunammite woman sent a message to her husband, asking him to send a servant and a …………….. to visit the man of God.

3. Prophet Elisha told his servant Gehazi to rush to the Shunammite woman’s home and place his ……………. on the child’s face.

4. When Prophet Elisha laid on the child, the child sneezed …………… times.

Give short answers:

1. What were the furniture added by the Shunammite woman in Prophet Elisha’s guest room?

 

2. What was the response of the Shunammite woman when her husband asked her why she wanted to visit the Prophet?

 

3. What did the woman do when her son died?

 

4. What did Prophet Elsha ask Gehazi to do when the Shunammite woman caught his leg?

 

Answer in brief:

1. How was the Shunammite woman’s dead son restored back to life?

Prophet Elijah and the prophets of Baal, Junior - I, Lesson - 19

JUNIOR

AGE: 10 - 11 YEARS

STANDARD/GRADE: V & VI

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No part of this document can be modified, sold or used for any commercial purpose.

LESSON – 19

PROPHET ELIJAH AND THE PROPHETS OF BAAL

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In this lesson we are going to learn about one of the greatest prophets in the Old Testament called Prophet Elijah. He was from a place called Tishbe and lived during the reign of a King named Ahab. He was the seventh king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. King Ahab, just like the other kings of the Northern Kingdom of Israel did not obey God. Ahab married a woman named Jezebel from a place called Sidon. Her father’s name was Ethbaal and he was the King of Sidon. The people of Sidon worshipped a god called Baal-Melkart. Jezebel led Ahab to worship Baal-Melkart. Ahab introduced the worship of Baal in Israel also. Jezebel was evil, she tried to destroy anyone who opposed her. She also challenged God’s great prophets including Prophet Elijah.

Prophet Elijah was a brave man of God. Prophet Elijah was not afraid of Jezebel. He spent much time praying and listening to God and knew that God is much more powerful than Jezebel. One day Prophet Elijah went and spoke to king Ahab in the name of God. He introduced himself as the one who stood before God and delivered an important message. Prophet Elijah declared to King Ahab that there would not be any rain in Israel until he commanded it to rain again. King Ahab was furious. If there is no rain in the land, the plants will not grow and there will be drought and famine. Eventually animals and humans will die of hunger and starvation.

Prophet Elijah sealed the skies and there was no more rain. God sent Prophet Elijah to a brook named Kerith and fed him miraculously. Later he was sent to a place called Zarephath where God had arranged for a widow to provide him with food. King Ahab became desperate and sent people everywhere to find Elijah because he thought Prophet Elijah was responsible for Israel’s troubles. After three years, God sent Prophet Elijah back to King Ahab. Prophet Elijah reminded King Ahab that it was he who was to be blamed for the drought, since he had allowed Jezebel to institute the worship of her false gods in Israel.

Prophet Elijah challenged King Ahab to gather the people of Israel and the prophets of Baal together at Mount Carmel for a contest to see whose god was real. King Ahab did as Prophet Elijah said. People from all over Israel came to watch the contest. Elijah was the only prophet of the God of Israel present there. There were 850 prophets of the false gods, (including 450 prophets of the false god Baal and 400 prophets of the false goddess Asherah) sent by King Ahab and Jezebel standing against him. It was one true man of God against 850 false prophets. We have to remember that there were other true prophets of God in Israel at that time but they remained hidden and scattered because of the persecution by Jezebel and her false prophets. There were 100 prophets who were hidden in a cave by Obadiah, one of the officials of King Ahab. There were also 7000 other true men of God who refused to bow before Baal.

Mount Carmel in modern day Israel

Prophet Elijah got ready for his challenge against the false prophets. He told the people of Israel to make a decision that day and not to be double minded thereafter. If Baal was real and powerful, then they need to worship him. If the Lord God of Isreal was real and powerful, then they need to worship Him. Prophet Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to prove that Baal was a god in front of the Israelite people. Prophet Elijah asked the prophets of Baal to build an altar and offer a bull as a sacrifice to their god without lighting a fire. Prophet Elijah would also do the same. The God that answers with fire from the sky would be the real and powerful God. The people of Israel and the prophets of Baal agreed.

The prophets of Baal began the contest and offered the sacrifice. They cried out to Baal to answer them with fire. There was no answer! They became desperate and danced around their altar from morning till noon with no answer from Baal. Prophet Elijah began to mock them and asked them to shout even louder! Prophet Elijah even suggested that Baal must be deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. He also wondered whether Baal was sleeping and must be awakened. 

The prophets of Baal seemed to accept Prophet Elijah’s prompting as they shouted louder. They also slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed without any response from Baal, so they continued their rituals until the time for the evening sacrifice. There was no response, no one answered, Baal didn’t even seem to pay attention.

Then it was Prophet Elijah’s turn. He asked the people of Israel to come closer. He first repaired the Lord’s altar that had been neglected. He took twelve stones corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel and built an altar. Prophet Elijah named the altar, “Israel.” He then dug a ditch around it, prepared the sacrifice and arranged it on the altar. Prophet Elijah also ordered that four large jars of water be poured over it. There was so much water that it soaked the sacrifice and all of the wood on the altar. It even ran into the ditch around the altar. The Israelites must have been confused by this. Baal and Asherah could not create even a spark in a dry altar, yet Prophet Elijah was confident that the Lord would set fire to an altar soaked in water!

Once the sacrifice was ready, Prophet Elijah prayed a very simple yet powerful prayer. He prayed to God saying, “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” He requested God to prove that he is the one true God of Israel, and that Elijah is his prophet. Immediately, the fire of God fell from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust. It also licked up the water in the trench.

The Israelites were dumb struck as the fire consumed the sacrifice, the wood, stones, soil and even the water that had overflowed into the trenches around the altar! The Israelites fell down and proclaimed, “The Lord – he is God!”. They also realized that Prophet Elijah is a true prophet of God. Prophet Elijah captured all the prophets of Baal and destroyed them. After that, God sent heavy rains upon the land of Israel and the drought and famine ended. Later Prophet Elijah anointed Prophet Elisha as his successor. Prophet Elisha along with King Jehu brought an end to the wicked Queen Jezebel’s reign.

Bible Reference: I Kings 18

Memory Verse: Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again, he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. James 5:17, 18 NIV

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ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES

Fill in the blanks:

1. The people of Sidon worshipped a god called ……………….

2. After ……………. years, God sent Prophet Elijah back to King Ahab.

3. Prophet Elijah ordered that …………. large jars of water be poured over the altar with the sacrifice.

4. Prophet Elisha along with King ……………… brought an end to the wicked Queen Jezebel’s reign.

Give short answers:

1. Who was Jezebel?

 

2. Why was King Ahab furious with Prophet Elijah?

 

3. How did Prophet Elijah make fun of Baal?

 

4. What happened when Prophet Elijah asked God to answer his prayers? 

Answer in brief:

1. What did Prophet Elijah do, when it was his turn to offer the sacrifice and how did the people respond?

Jeroboam's hand becomes stiff, Junior - I, Lesson - 18

JUNIOR

AGE: 10 - 11 YEARS

STANDARD/GRADE: V & VI

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No part of this document can be modified, sold or used for any commercial purpose.

LESSON – 18

JEROBOAM’S HAND BECOMES STIFF

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In the previous lessons we had learnt how some of the greatest kings ruled Israel and also about the beautiful Temple built by King Solomon. The nation of Israel consisted of 12 tribes and the priestly tribe Levi. King Solomon ruled over all the 12 tribes of Israel. He was considered to be the wisest person on earth because God had granted him special wisdom. King Solomon loved God and did many good things to please God during the beginning of his reign. As years passed, King Solomon married many foreign wives and started to build altars for foreign gods to please his wives. He soon turned away from God and began to worship these false gods himself. God appeared to King Solomon twice in dreams and warned him not to go astray. But King Solomon failed to take heed of God’s advice. God told Solomon that since he did not keep God’s laws, the kingdom was going to be torn away from him and given to someone else.

After King Solomon died, the nation of Israel was divided into two kingdoms. God gave 10 tribes of Israel to a man named Jeroboam and he became the king. It was called the Northern Kingdom or the Kingdom of Israel. King Jeroboam made Shechem the capital of the Northern Kingdom. King Solomon’s son Rehoboam became King of only two tribes, Judah and Benjamin. It was called the Southern Kingdom or the Kingdom of Judah. Jerusalem was the capital of the Southern Kingdom.

The Temple of God built by King Solomon was in Jerusalem, the Northern ten tribes did not have a separate place to worship, so people from both the Kingdoms worshipped in the Temple at Jerusalem. King Jeroboam was afraid that his subjects would be influenced to join King Rehoboam’s side when they visited Jerusalem for worship. To overcome this fear, Jeroboam built two new sanctuaries (places of worship) in the towns of Bethel and Dan in Northern Israel. He setup golden idols in the form of calves and called them as God (Elohim), the name almost exclusively reserved in the Holy Bible to refer to the one true God. 

Jeroboam brazenly told the Israelites that those were the gods which brought them out of the land of Egypt and hence they need not go all the way to Jerusalem to worship God. King Jeroboam inaugurated a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival celebrated in Judah. He appointed people whom God did not approve of as priests according to his own wishes. 

One day, as King Jeroboam was standing beside the altar to make an offering, a “man of God” arrived there from Judah. He was sent by God to prophesy against the false altar at Bethel. The man of God cried out against the altar saying, "O altar, altar! This is what the LORD says: 'Look, a son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. He will sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who offer sacrifices here and human bones will be burned on you.' That was an astounding prophecy, since a king named Josiah would not be born for another six hundred years in Israel. 

To affirm the prophecy the Lord gave a sign to King Jeroboam that the altar would split apart and its ashes would be poured out. King Jeroboam disliked what he heard, since the priests appointed by him in the Temple of the golden calves had never uttered a word against him. So, he stretched out his hand and angrily commanded that the man of God be seized. Suddenly something happened! His stretched-out hand was paralyzed and he was not able to pull it back. At that time the altar split open and the ashes poured out, fulfilling the sign from the Lord. The king pleaded with the man of God to intercede with God and pray for his hand to be restored. The man of God did so and Jeroboam’s hand was immediately restored. 

King Jeroboam tried to please the man of God and invited him to his home. But the man of God declined and explained that God had strictly commanded him not to stop anywhere in Israel. The prophet told the king that even if he were to give him half of his possessions, he would not go with him and neither eat nor drink in that place. For God had given him strict orders not to eat or drink from that place and also not to return home through the same way. So the man of God from Judah started his travel back home on another road; he did not travel back on the same road he had taken to Bethel.

On his way back home, the man of God met an old prophet who lied to him saying that God had sent him to take him home to dine. The old prophet convinced the man of God from Judah by saying that he too is a prophet who gets special messages from God. The man of God did not enquire of God and believed the old prophet’s lie. He went to the old prophet’s house. While they were having their supper, the old prophet suddenly received a true word from God against the man of God from Judah. God spoke through the old prophet to the man of God and stated his displeasure at the man of God for defying his word, going back to Israel, eating bread and drinking water. His mistake brought disaster and was later killed by a lion when he was about to continue his journey back home.

Listening to lies and acting according to them is equally bad as speaking lies. Satan is the originator of all lies. He is called as the “father of lies” in the Holy Bible (John 8:44). Misrepresenting the truth by adding, deleting, exaggerating, diluting or twisting the information with an intention to change the outcome contributes to lies. There are many warnings in the Holy Bible against listening to lies. The word of God is truth (John 17:17) and all lies work contrary to the purpose and essence of the word of God. Anyone who listens to lies and accepts them without trying to find the truth because it is  convenient, comfortable or adavantageous and acts according to it shares in the punishment of the liars. Sometimes it leads to permanent and irreversible consequences, without a second chance to repent as we see in the case of the man of God from Judah. The people of Israel who listened to King Jeroboam’s lies and worshipped the golden calves also had a miserable ending. Even after all these things happened, King Jeroboam did not change his ways and continued his wicked deeds, which led to his downfall.

Bible Reference: I Kings 12:25-33; 13^th & 14^th Chapters

Memory Verse: See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. (Hebrews 3:13 NIV).

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ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES

Fill in the blanks:

1. King Jeroboam made ……………….. the capital of the Northern Kingdom.

2. King Jeroboam setup golden idols in the form of ………….. and called them as God.

3. The Lord gave a sign to King Jeroboam that the altar would split apart and its ……………. would be poured out.

4. King Jeroboam’s wife visited Prophet …………….. to inquire if her son Abijah would live.

Give short answers:

1. Why did the people from the ten Northern tribes visit Jerusalem?

 

2. What did the man of God cry out against the altar?

 

3. What did the man of God tell King Jeroboam when he invited him home?

 

4. During King Jeroboam’s reign how was priesthood determined? 

Answer in brief:

1. Elaborate on the circumstances that led to King Jeroboam’s hand being paralyzed.

 

King Solomon builds the Temple of God, Junior - I, Lesson - 17

JUNIOR

AGE: 10 - 11 YEARS

STANDARD/GRADE: V & VI

Permission is granted only for free distribution among Sunday School children.

No part of this document can be modified, sold or used for any commercial purpose.

LESSON – 17

KING SOLOMON BUILDS THE TEMPLE OF GOD

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We had learnt about a special tent set up by Moses called the “Tabernacle”, where the Israelites went to worship God in Lesson – 11. The most sacred object inside the Tabernacle was the “Ark of God”. The presence of God dwelt in the Ark of God, so it was kept in a special place called the Most Holy Place inside the Tabernacle. The original Tabernacle was set up at a place called Shiloh where it remained during most of the period of judges (Joshua 18:1). 

When Eli was judging Israel, his sons took the Ark of God to the battlefield while they went for a war against the Philistines. But the Philistines captured the Ark of God and took it to their own city. Later they were forced to return the Ark when they were punished by God with a terrible disease. When the Ark was returned, it was not taken to the Tabernacle at Shiloh, instead was kept in Abinadab’s house at Kiriath-jearim. The Ark remained there for 100 years, until it was brought back by King David. When the Ark was brought back it was taken to a special tent made by King David in Jerusalem. 

David loved God and enjoyed God’s presence. In Psalms, we can read how much David longed for the Temple of God. As soon as David became the King, he wanted to build a beautiful Temple for God. He was not happy that the holy Ark of God was kept in a temporary tent while he was living in a magnificent palace. He wanted to build a permanent dwelling place for the Ark of God. But God did not want David to build the Temple and told him that his son Solomon would build the Temple. But God was pleased with David’s desire to build the Temple and greatly blessed him. God even gave King David the plan for the Temple of God (I Chronicles 28:19). King David accepted God’s decision. Out of his love for the Temple of God he started to gather precious materials that would be required to build the Temple of God. He wanted the Temple of God to be very special. 

(Cick this link to learn more about the life of King Solomon who built the Temple of God).

When King David became old, his son Solomon was anointed the King of Israel. David called his son King Solomon and gave him the charge to build the Temple of God. He also gave him the plan for the Temple of God and handed over all the precious materials he had collected for the building (I Chronicles 28:11 – 21). He had also bought a land for the Temple of God in Mount Moriah. Just as he was commanded by his father David, Solomon started to build the Temple of God four years after he became the king. It was four hundred and eighty years after Israelites left their Egyptian slavery. King Solomon began the construction work in the second month of the Jewish calendar called Ziv.

Stone blocks needed for building the Temple were cut from a nearby quarry and shaped perfectly, so that they fitted together without being pounded, and then brought to the building site. Hence there was no noise of hammer, chisel or any other iron tool at the Temple site while it was being built.

King Solomon also needed a lot of timber for the woodwork in the Temple. He specifically used cedar trees from Lebanon which are known for their strength and longevity. 

Cedar of Lebanon, Photo credit: Bibleplaces.com

A city called Tyre had great cedar trees. The King of Tyre, Hiram was a good friend of King David. So King Solomon bought all the cedar trees he would need for the Temple from Hiram in exchange for wheat and olive oil. Solomon employed approximately 1,50,000 men to help cut and transport the timber from Lebanon. Hiram had his men cut down trees, made them into rafts and send them down the Mediterranean Sea, from where men from Israel received them and took them into Jerusalem. The inside of Temple was lined with the timber of the cedar trees and covered with pure gold, so that the stones were not seen. 

Picture of modern timber drafting, Picture credit: Public Domain

The setup of the Temple was very similar to the setup of the Tabernacle we had learnt in lesson – 11. The Temple building was rectangular. Around the Temple Solomon built rooms to be used by the priests. These rooms were arranged in three stories.  Solomon’s Temple was divided into different areas where various worship rituals were carried out. The outer courtyard and inner courtyard were the areas outside the Temple. The inside of the Temple was divided into the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place.

The design of the courtyard in Solomon’s Temple was different from the Tabernacle. The Bible scholars are of the opinion that the courtyard was not an open area and it may have been built as a colonnade (1).

(i)             The Entrance / Outer Courtyard / Great Court (1 Kings 6:3; 2 Chronicles 3:4; 4:9; 29:7). The gentiles and the uncircumcised could enter only till the outer court.  

(ii)          The Court of the priests / Inner courtyard (1 Kings 6:36, 2 Chronicles 4:9) It contained the altar of burnt-offering, the bronze sea (a large round tank supported by 12 bronze bulls), and 10 bronze basins (1 Kings 7:38, 39). Priests and Levites ministered in the Outer Court as they offered sacrifices for sin and guilt as well as the other sacrifices. 

Bronze laver (basin)

Bronze Altar

Brazen Sea

(iii)       The Holy Place - Also called as the main hall of the Temple (1 Kings 6:17). Only the priests could enter the Holy Place. There were three sacred items kept in the Holy Place.

Ø   Golden lampstand

Model of the Golden Lampstand

Ø   Table for the bread of presence (or the table of showbread) - This is a table where holy bread prepared fresh every week was arranged.

Model of the Table of Show Bread

Ø   Altar of incense where a special incense was burned each morning and evening.

Model of the golden "Altar of Incense"

(iv)        The Most Holy Place / Holy of holies – It is also called as the “holy of holies or the inner sanctuary / the inner room" (1 Kings 6:23, 27). It’s floors and walls were lined with cedar wood and covered with gold. The Ark of God was kept here. King Solomon also made two cherubim out of cedar wood, covered them with gold and placed them on top of the Ark of God. Only the High Priest could enter here once in a year on the day of Atonement. The Holy of Holies was separated from the rest of the Temple by a large veil. The veil was woven from fine linen and blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and decorated with intricate embroidery featuring an image of gold cherubim.

Model of the Ark of God

On the walls inside the Temple were ornamental carvings of cherubim (angels), palm trees and flowers. 

There were 2 bronze pillars called Jachin and Boaz erected at the porch in front of the Temple. Each pillar had two rows of chainwork on them and the two pillars were decorated with a total of 400 bronze pomegranates. The bronze articles and the intricate bronze design and decorative works for the Temple were done by Huram-Abi, a skilled artisan sent by the king of Tyre. It took seven years to complete building the Temple of God.

Model of the Bronze Pillar

King Solomon arranged for a grand ceremony to dedicate the Temple of God. During the dedication ceremony, the Ark of God was brought from the tent in which David had kept it to the Most Holy Place in the Temple. The cloud of God’s glory descended on the Temple, indicating God’s divine presence and approval. Then Solomon stood on a platform built for him, in the sight of all the people, lifted up his hands to heaven and offered a fervent prayer. The Dedication of the Temple lasted 7 days, which was followed by the Feast of Tabernacles for 7 days. The ceremony ended on the 8th day of the feast of Tabernacles and the people returned to their homes filled with joy and gladness of heart. 

The Temple of God built by Solomon was the pride of Israel and people came from far and wide to offer worship and admire the architectural wonder of the building. However, this magnificent Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians few centuries later. It was rebuilt two more times, only to be destroyed again. Today there is no Temple of God at Jerusalem, but the site of Solomon’s Temple can be visited today on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. 

Temple Mount in Jerusalem where King Solomon built the Temple of God

To learn more about the reign of King Solomon click this link

Reference:

James Orr (Ed), Court of the Sanctuary; Tabernacle; Temple. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (1939).

Bible Reference: I Kings 5 – 8; I Chronicles 28, 29; II Chronicles 2 - 7

Memory Verse: One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple (Psalm 27:4 NKJV).

 

ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES

Fill in the blanks:

1. The Tabernacle remained in ……………… during most of the period of judges.

2. God gave the plan for the Temple of God to ……………………..

3. The ……………………… is a large round tank supported by 12 bronze bulls.

4. There were 2 bronze pillars called …………….. and ………….. erected at the vestibule in front of the sanctuary. 

Give short answers:

1. Why was there no noise of hammer, chisel or any other iron tool at the Temple building site?

 

 

2. From where did King Solomon get the timber for the woodwork     in the Temple?

 

 

3. Who did the bronze works in the Temple?

 

 

4. How did King Solomon dedicate the Temple? 

 

Answer in brief:

1. Describe the Holy Place and Most Holy Place inside Solomon’s Temple.