1 Kings 5: Glory to God

 As I've learned, Solomon's reign ushered in an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity.  It allowed for cultural flourishing -- a newfound appreciation for art, poetry, music, and philosophy.  Starting with Solomon himself, the Israelites were afforded the leisure to pursue these things.  Therefore, it makes perfect sense that at this point in their history, the Israelites began the construction of their long-awaited temple.  With no foreign wars to worry about, no invaders, no internal strife, Solomon led the charge to finally carry out the plan begun during David's reign to build a grand and glorious temple in which to worship Almighty God.  In Chapter 5 we see how even neighboring kingdoms lent a hand to help Solomon out, with King Hiram of Tyre playing a key role by allowing the Israelites to harvest the famous cedars of Lebanon to use as timber to construct the temple.  The massive amount of wood and stone needed to construct the temple tells us how massive it was to be.  Solomon could have used his riches only on himself or on pursuits of pleasure or even entertainment for his people, but instead he used his wealth (given to him by God after all) to glorify God by building a temple fit for the Almighty.  This First Temple would of course not last forever, but it becomes a precedent for the temples and churches built to glorify God in the years to come.  And for a few hundred years at least, Solomon's Temple would be the center of Jewish worship, a sacred place containing the presence of God, and the cornerstone of Jewish life.  And it should be so today -- our churches ought to strive to be awe-inspiring as our God is.  They ought to be grand and glorious and exceed all other structures in size and importance.  They ought to be the foundation and cultural center of any community.  For a time, it was so.