Although King David (1) had ambitions to build a permanent Temple in which God (2) would dwell (2 Samuel 7:1-17, 1 Kings 5:3-4) amongst His chosen people, the Most High saved the endeavor for Solomon (3), David's son and heir to his throne as head of the United Monarchy of Israel (4) (1 Chronicles 22:6-10):

Then he called for his son Solomon and charged him to build a house for the Lord, the God of Israel. David said to Solomon: “My son, I had it in my heart to build a house for the Name of the Lord my God. But this word of the Lord came to me:

‘You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight. But you will have a son who will be a man of peace and rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon, and I will grant Israel peace and quiet during his reign. He is the one who will build a house for my Name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. And I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’

Over 400 years before the First Temple was constructed, God had come to live amongst the Twelve Tribes of Israel (5) in the Tent of Meeting/Tabernacle (6), a portable temple containing the Ark of the Covenant (7) which guided the journey of the Israelites from Mount Sinai (8) to the Promised Land (9) of Canaan (10) and beyond.

King Solomon began construction on the Temple in Jerusalem (11) atop Mount Moriah (12), where God had appeared before Solomon's father, King David, years prior (2 Chronicles 3:1). Throughout the seven years of construction, only blocks dressed at the quarry were used and no tools were ever heard at the building site. Check out biblical references to the Temple's construction and dedication by exploring 1 Kings 6 - 1 Kings 8.

Once the work was finished, the priests (13) brought in the Ark of the Covenant and all the sacred furnishings for arrangement inside the new Temple, which was replacing the portable Tent of Meeting/Tabernacle.

After the Temple and the palace (which took 13 years to build) were completed, God appeared to Solomon. The Most High affirmed with Solomon that He had, indeed heard his prayers and pleas. God told Solomon that, as long as he walked upright and remained faithful to Him, He would establish Solomon's royal throne over Israel forever. Likewise, God also warned Solomon of the wrath that would assuredly come if he turned away from Him and started worshiping other gods. "This Temple will become a heap of rubble." (1 Kings 9:1-9).

The rest, shall we say, is history, as Solomon did exactly what God warned him not to do. God became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from Him, the God of Israel. Although He had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep God's command. So, God said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept My covenant and My decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David My servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen" (1 Kings 11:9-13).

Accordingly, although Solomon is widely heralded as the wisest of biblical men, the above discloses it was his disobedience (14) to God that was responsible for the splitting of the united kingdom into two separate (and often quarreling) domains.

Almost 400 years after the completion of the Temple, the ruthless king of Babylon (15), Nebuchadnezzar (16), and his forces invaded the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The Northern Kingdom of Israel had fallen to the Assyrians some 130 years before. The Babylonians laid siege to Jerusalem, Judah's capital city, destroying it as the Temple was plundered and torched. The occupying Israelites were either executed or taken into exile (17) to Babylon.

The destruction of the Temple began on the 9th of Ab (Hebrew month) and was finished on the 10th. The Israelites had no center of worship until Zerubbabel (18) and other exiles were permitted to return and build the Second Temple (19). Ironically, the 9th of Ab was also the day that Jerusalem's Second Temple was completely obliterated over 600 years after the First Temple was destroyed. (b)
 

For more information on the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the first Temple, explore 2 Chronicles 36:15-21.

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Footnotes and External Sources appear below. Consider printing and sharing the offered PDF narrative and other listed resources with family, friends and strangers alike for use in Bible Studies (20), Home and/or Church Faith Sharing Groups (21), Discipleship Encounters (22) and/or Personal Faith Enrichment!

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Modifications are welcome at goodnews@marionmannaproject.com.

FOOTNOTES:

  (1) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/a-man-after-gods-own-heart

  (2) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/god-of-the-bible

  (3) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/solomon

  (4) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/israel

  (5) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/twelve-tribes-of-israel

  (6) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/tabernacle

  (7) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/ark-of-the-covenant

  (8) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/mount-sinai

  (9) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/promised-land

(10) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/canaan-1

(11) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/jerusalem

(12) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/mount-moriah

(13) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/levi-1

(14) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/disobedience

(15) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/babylon

(16) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/Nebuchadnezzar

(17) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/exile

(18) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/Zerubbabel

(19) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/temple-second

(20) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/bible-studies

(21) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/christian-education

(22) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/discipleship

EXTERNAL SOURCES:

(a) https://www.thebibleproject.com/explore/temple/

(b) https://www.biblestudy.org/prophecy/israel-kings.html