I love that the Bible is a living document. There are so many new details that I catch every time I read it or new ways of understanding what I just read. This time, in second Chronicles two, the building of the temple by King Solomon is described. Usually when I read about the building of the temple, I notice the splendor of it. All of the gold that is used. It seems like almost every item is laid in gold. I also have thought through how ginormous the temple was and how as you go deeper and deeper into the inner chambers, how much holier it was to be. What I hadn’t taken in before was the amount of labor put into it. I was blown away this time as I read 2 Chronicles 2:2 “And Solomon assigned 70,000 men to bear burdens and 80,000 to quarry in the hill country, and 3,600 to oversee them.”
Okay. That is 153,600 workers. And in 1 Kings 5:13-14, there are possibly 30,000 more people put to work on a rotating basis.
153,600 people? Do you realize how many people that is? The population of Newton is about 18,500 people. Think of all the people you see in Newton. Think of all the kids in the elementary schools. Picture all of the people you see at Walmart, at Dillons, at the restaurants, at the parks in the summer, all of the sports teams at the rec center and at Athletic park. I could go on and on. There were almost 8 times as many people building the Temple during Solomon’s rule then there are in the whole city of Newton Kansas. 8 times! Wowza!
In thinking of how many people that is, that will make this next verse I’m about to mention even more awesome.
1 Kings 6:7 “No hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built, the rocks were quarried and prepared offsite.”
Can you imagine? 153,600 people working, and it might not have even sounded like a work site? They treated the place as holy even as it was being built.
2 Chronicles 2:5 “The temple I am going to build will be great, because our God is greater than all other gods.”
I am amazed more and more every time I read about it. Even as majestic as this building was and as holy as it was treated, God is worth even more. I am in awe. This brings to mind Colossians 3:23 which states, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” I cannot physically match the dedication that King Solomon gave to God in the building of the temple. I don’t know if my mention of this will spur anyone else to do better, but this personally challenges me to give more to God in my own work.
Praise His Holy Name!
Amy