Although the books of the Kings give us the public history of God's government of Israel, in the Chronicles we rather find the history of His ways in grace. All is told out in Kings, while in Chronicles only those sins are mentioned which exalt the God of all grace. Yet, when we come to look at the two books in their typical aspect, we find the books of Kings surpass the Chronicles in that the former point us to heavenly things, the latter to earthly things.
The two descriptions of the various buildings erected by King Solomon are a striking illustration of this principle. Each has its own peculiar place and its special signification. Let us briefly glance at the description of each and at its typical bearing.
There can be no question to whom King Solomon points when we read in Zech. 6:1212And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord: (Zechariah 6:12) and 13, "Behold the man whose name is The Branch; and He shall grow up out of His place, and He shall build the temple of the Lord: even He shall build the temple of the Lord; and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His throne; and He shall be a priest upon His throne." It is Christ, the son of David. Joined with Him we find King Hiram, and he likewise (how common are these double figures in Scripture) points us to the One that "shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in Him shall the Gentiles trust." Rom. 15:1212And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust. (Romans 15:12). As head of Jew and Gentile, Jesus builds the temple of the Lord.
The House of the Lord
Cedar trees, fir trees, great stones, costly stones and hewed stones were the materials needed for the work. Jehovah is the first thought of these united kings, and "the house of the Lord," therefore, is their first design. Compact and in unison as to its proportions, it is adorned with a porch and windows of narrow lights. Surrounded by chambers, the structure does not encroach upon the proportions of the house, seeing that their beams are dependent on narrowed rests round about.
This carefulness in regard to the Lord's dwelling place is further brought before us when we read that the house was built of stone, made ready beforehand, so there was neither hammer nor ax nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it was in building (1 Kings 6:77And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building. (1 Kings 6:7)). How suited this is to the calm and dignified repose of the One who, when a great and strong wind rent the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, and after the wind an earthquake, and after the earthquake a fire, was neither in wind, earthquake nor fire, but in the still small voice (1 Kings 19:11,1211And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: 12And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. (1 Kings 19:11‑12)).
“The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir." Sol. 1:1717The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir. (Song of Solomon 1:17). Well-chosen were those trees which represent creation's fairest produce (1 Kings 4:3333And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes. (1 Kings 4:33)); this earth's fertility was to adorn the home of Him to whom earth and creation alike owe their existence. "Carved with knops and open flowers," creation does its best to do Him honor while the unseen stones tell us of outward beauty and strength within.
As in the tabernacle, so in the temple there was the holy of holies, the oracle where the Ark of the Covenant should have its place, but unlike the wilderness habitation, no veil is here to shroud the glory of Jehovah. It was merely a partition formed of doors of olive tree and chains of gold, a most precious and lasting material with which the whole house was covered. When we learn that gold signifies divine righteousness (Rev. 3:1818I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. (Revelation 3:18)), in contrast to human wretchedness, the wondrous suitability of this is evident as well as becoming to the house of the righteous Lord that loveth righteousness (Psa. 11:77For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright. (Psalm 11:7)). The unvarying accompaniments of the throne, the cherubim, come now into prominence. Their very material, like that of the doors, seems to tell us that the One in whom all the promises of God are yea and amen, is now enthroned in glory; they are made of olive trees (Rom. 11:1717And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; (Romans 11:17)).
The accomplishment of promises and triumph over the king's enemies always go together, so we find the palm trees, too, brought in to tell of victory. What a beautiful combination it must have been when all the walls of the throne round about were carved with figures of cherubim, palm trees and open flowers within and without. The floor was overlaid with gold and the doors of olive tree were adorned with carvings of cherubim, palm trees and open flowers overlaid with gold. The two folding doors of fir tree were covered with gold on the carved work. How sweetly it reminds us that righteousness, promise, victory and creation's blessings can now be blended together in perfect harmony.
The house was seven years in building. Perfection in spiritual things gives a period to the formation of the house. How could it be otherwise with the work of such a Workman?
Three More Houses
But though the house of the Lord first, and rightly so, was built, there is yet another structure that occupies King Solomon. Though there may not have been the same energy in exercise as when the house of the Lord was in course of construction, yet in due time his own house was completed.
Lastly, private affections have their place as well as public government. Pharaoh's daughter whom he had taken to wife, a bride culled from the world (for Egypt is always a type of this world's glory),is not forgotten. A house is erected especially for her, the object of his love.
Durability, and that of the choicest kind, is evidenced in all these structures by costly stones according to the measures of hewed stones sawed with saws, within and without, even from the foundation unto the coping, stones of ten and eight cubits.
Inside the Houses
Now we pass from the various structures themselves, beautiful in their variety, to their internal fittings and arrangements. First in order come the two pillars of brass, each eighteen cubits high with their two capitals of molten brass, nets of checker work, and wreaths of chain work. All these were adorned with pomegranates and lily work. These were erected in the porch of the temple, or house of the Lord, and when erected duly entitled "He will establish" and "In Him is strength.”
How eloquently these, standing as they do at the entrance to the dwelling of the "Most High, possessor of heaven and earth," tell of the power and stability of the throne of Him who governs man righteously, yet graciously. This also is consistent with the purity of His nature. The brass, the pomegranates, and lily work are blended together in perfect unison.
If the pillars bear witness to the power and stability of the throne, the sea, which comes next in order, testifies to the holiness of Him who sits upon it. Though the oxen with their faces every way may tell us of the patience that bears with evil throughout the universe (Matt. 5:4545That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew 5:45)), yet the brim of it wrought like the brim of a cup with flowers of lilies and bases of brass with borders of lions, oxen, cherubim, and wheels, and ledges engraved with cherubim, lions, and palm trees, most assuredly remind us of the purity found to perfection in Him.
His righteousness demands righteousness from those who approach Him; His power deals with those who disregard it. His government is in favor of the righteous and against the wicked, and this is shown by the rapidity with which He carries out His purposes, and the victory that must follow when He has taken the case in hand. The lavers, shovels and basins conclude the work of this widow's son of Naphtali whose father was a man of Tire, a simple figure of Jew and Gentile.
Solomon Must Build the House
Hiram's work was inferior to that of Solomon, for it is not without a purpose that the Spirit of God has recorded that Solomon built the house of the Lord, His own house, the house of the forest of Lebanon, and even that of Pharaoh's daughter, but to Hiram was entrusted the lesser work of pillars, sea, lavers, basins and shovels.
Cast of bright brass, they might be, and without weight, but no one but Solomon must build the house or construct the vessels of gold that remain yet to be spoken of. They were for the house of the Lord, and of material suited to His glory. The altar, table for showbread, the candlesticks with their flowers, lamps and tongs, bowls, snuffers, basins, spoons, censers, even the hinges for the doors were all to be of gold, and all to be the work of Solomon. How careful of His glory is the God who has thus recorded with minute accuracy the material and structure of everything that He has ordained to surround Himself from the house to the hinges of the doors.
The Temple as Seen in Chronicles
Let us turn to 2 Chron. 2. At once the differences are noticeable. "Solomon determined to build a house for the name of the Lord, and a house for his kingdom." It is not so much the person of the dweller that is here before us as the dominions of the king the earthly kingdom rather than the heavenly home. This difference is manifest throughout. In Kings, no site is named; in Chronicles, the Mount Moriah at Jerusalem is specially designated as the place of the Lord's selection.
And yet King Solomon takes an interest in it and builds it, seeing it is for Jehovah. This sweetly reminds us of Christ's attention to His Father's interests, whether heavenly or earthly. It has its glory too, garnished with precious stones for beauty and the gold was gold of Parvaim. Still, the veil is there, telling of distance and imperfect access to the throne. The altar, too, of brass, the lavers wherein to wash the offerings and the sea for the priests to wash in remind us that we are not by any means on the same exalted ground we have already gone over from the book of Kings. Whatever the privileges of the earthly subjects of the millennial throne of the Son of man, they can in no way be compared to the higher order of privilege accorded to the heavenly saints.
As we have observed, in Kings we have the public government of Israel; in Chronicles we have God's ways in grace. In the former it is types of heavenly things, but in the latter, types of earthly ones. This, by attentive study, can be easily ascertained. In the one, the heavenly glory of the Father and the Son is set before us, but in the latter, it is the display of the earthly glory of the Son of man.
The Chambers of the House
The house of the Lord, with its chambers surely tells us of the Father's house with many mansions (John 14:22In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2)). There He dwells in the atmosphere of love peculiarly His own. The love of His Son has formed this place for Him, and not only for Him, but for those whom the same love has been pleased to gather around Himself-the companions of His glory, the sharers of His home. He has His own peculiar home, but immediately grouped around Him are the "chambers," the "place" that the Son has gone to prepare for us.
But the Son as well as the Father has His own peculiar glory, "as a son over His own house" (Heb. 3:66But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. (Hebrews 3:6)), the circle of His interests, the sphere of His attentions. He thinks of us; He cares for us, and He meets our every need. In connection with this peculiar place, this place of special preciousness to us, He builds His own house.
But more than this, there is the house of the forest of Lebanon with its porch of judgment, reminding us that public sway will be the portion of Him to whom every knee shall yet bow and every tongue confess. From the heavens He must reign till He hath put all things under Him. It therefore tells us of the glory of Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords.
The House of Pharaoh's Daughter
Last of all this fourfold picture is completed by the house of Pharaoh's daughter. This tells us that whatever may be the joys of the Father's home, the sense of the care of Him who rules over His own house, the grandeur of the time when saints will follow in the train of the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Bridegroom still will not permit the bride to forget His precious love. That love proved its fullest measure when He gave Himself that He might sanctify, having cleansed her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and without blemish. Truly this is love, "strong as death," that "many waters cannot quench.”
Finally we notice the scene of His earthly rule, the house of His kingdom. Jerusalem will yet be the throne of the Lord. He will be represented there, no doubt, by the Prince of the house of David. The earthly Jerusalem will be the scene of His government as the heavenly one will be that of His grace and glory. How happy to have one's portion there!
D.T. Grimston