1 Kings 6:15-38
Inside the Sanctuary
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15He lined the interior walls with cedar paneling from the floor of the temple to the ceiling, and he covered the floor with cypress boards.
16He partitioned off the twenty cubits at the rear of the temple with cedar boards from floor to ceiling to form within the temple an inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place.
17And the main hall in front of this room was forty cubits long.
18The cedar paneling inside the temple was carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar; not a stone could be seen.
19Solomon also prepared the inner sanctuary within the temple to set the ark of the covenant of the LORD there.
20The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold, and he also overlaid the altar of cedar.
21So Solomon overlaid the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, which was overlaid with gold.
22So he overlaid with gold the whole interior of the temple, until everything was completely finished. He also overlaid with gold the entire altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary.
23In the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim, each ten cubits high, out of olive wood.
24One wing of the first cherub was five cubits long, and the other wing was five cubits long as well. So the full wingspan was ten cubits.
25The second cherub also measured ten cubits; both cherubim had the same size and shape,
26and the height of each cherub was ten cubits.
27And he placed the cherubim inside the innermost room of the temple. Since their wings were spread out, the wing of the first cherub touched one wall, while the wing of the second cherub touched the other wall, and in the middle of the room their wingtips touched.
28He also overlaid the cherubim with gold.
29Then he carved the walls all around the temple, in both the inner and outer sanctuaries, with carved engravings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers.
30And he overlaid the temple floor with gold in both the inner and outer sanctuaries.
31For the entrance to the inner sanctuary, Solomon constructed doors of olive wood with five-sided doorposts.
32The double doors were made of olive wood, and he carved into them cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers and overlaid the cherubim and palm trees with hammered gold.
33In the same way he made four-sided doorposts of olive wood for the sanctuary entrance.
34The two doors were made of cypress wood, and each had two folding panels.
35He carved into them cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and he overlaid them with gold hammered evenly over the carvings.
36Solomon built the inner courtyard with three rows of dressed stone and one row of trimmed cedar beams.
37The foundation of the house of the LORD was laid in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign, in the month of Ziv.
38In the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, the eighth month, the temple was finished in every detail and according to every specification. So he built the temple in seven years.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Cedar panels cover the temple’s interior walls, and cypress boards cover the floor. At the rear, Solomon partitions off an inner room twenty cubits long, wide, and high. This Most Holy Place is prepared for the ark of the LORD’s covenant. The main hall stretches forty cubits in front of it.
Gold covers the interior, including the inner sanctuary and its altar. Two olive-wood cherubim stand in the innermost room, each ten cubits high. Their outstretched wings touch the walls and meet in the middle. Carved cherubim, palms, and open flowers decorate the walls and doors. The account takes time to describe both the room’s purpose and the skilled work that fills it.
The temple is completed in Solomon’s eleventh year, seven years after its foundation was laid. Its beauty serves a place set apart for the LORD. Neither the precious materials nor the years of work make God dependent on what Solomon has built.
Hebrews 9:1–14 later describes the earlier tabernacle’s Holy Place and Most Holy Place, including the ark and cherubim. It explains that those gifts and sacrifices could not cleanse a worshiper’s conscience. Christ, our high priest, secures eternal redemption through His own blood and cleanses us to serve the living God.
We can value the temple’s careful workmanship without treating its gold as the source of forgiveness. The sanctuary directs attention toward the holy God. Our confidence in approaching Him rests in what Christ has done for us.
Questions
1 What materials line the temple interior?
AnswerCedar lines the walls, cypress covers the floor, and gold overlays the interior. Olive wood is used for the great cherubim and the inner sanctuary’s doors.
2 What room is prepared for the ark?
AnswerThe innermost room is prepared as a sanctuary for the ark of the covenant before it is placed inside.
3 What designs are carved on the doors?
AnswerCherubim, palm trees, and open flowers are carved on the olive-wood doors and overlaid with gold.
4 What can help us pray when we feel unworthy to approach God?
AnswerRemember that Christ supplies the cleansing we cannot create. We can confess our sin and ask for mercy instead of waiting until our surroundings or behavior look impressive. Hebrews directs our confidence to His sacrifice and calls us to serve the living God.
What This Means for Us
A well-prepared place can help a household give attention to prayer. It might be as simple as a clear table, an open Bible, and a few quiet minutes. Care is worthwhile without an impressive room or expensive objects.
What we need most cannot be supplied by the room. When a troubled conscience makes us reluctant to pray, we turn to Christ’s mercy rather than trying to make ourselves presentable through outward arrangements. He cleanses us so that we may serve God.
Prayer
Holy God, teach us to approach You with reverence and trust. Thank You for the redemption Christ has secured. Cleanse our consciences, receive our prayer, and make the work of our hands a grateful service to You. Amen.