Episode 8: The Temple

Break the Ice

What single materialistic thing in your life brought you the most happiness?

Bring the Word

Read 1 Chronicles 17:1-6

  • Why would David be bothered when comparing his living quarters to the tent that the ark of the covenant of the Lord is in?
  • Was Nathan replying on his own or on God’s behalf as a prophet or both?
  • How do you think God feels about David’s desire to build him a temple?
  • Have you ever had a desire to do something good or righteous but God closed the door?

Read 1 Chronicles 22:6-10

  • Why does God not allow David to build his temple?
  • Why do you think this would disqualify David from building the temple?
    • Taken from the Enduring Word Bible Commentary: “It wasn’t that David’s wars were wrong or ungodly, or that the blood he shed was unrighteous. It was that God wanted His house built from the context of peace and rest and victory; He wanted it to be built after and from the victory, not from the midst of struggle.”
  • Who besides Solomon does this passage prophesy about?

Read 1 Chronicles 22:1-5, 28:11-14

  • What do you think David’s motives are for furnishing everything for the building of the temple?
  • Do you view David’s preparations for the temple as disobedience or zeal? Why?

Read 1 Kings 5:13-18, 6:37-38

  • Add up all the labor force listed in 5:13-16. This list a total workforce here of 183,300. What city or combination of cities can you compare this with?
    • (You can use your phone to find an answer, but for quick reference it’s about 2.5x the population of Georgetown).
  • How many more people do you think would have to be involved as the support network for this force? (Provide food, shelter, etc.)
  • Do you think this was a popular project with the people? Why or why not?
  • For fun, can anyone approximate the man hours involved in building this? If not, here is an estimate:
    • (183,000 – 20,000 workers from the rotating shifts of Israelites = 163,000 workers per day x 10 hrs/day = 1,630,000 hrs/day x 6 days per week = 9,780,000 hrs/wk x 52 weeks = 508,560,000 hrs/year x 7 years= 3,559,920,000 hrs building temple assuming a 10 hour work day and rest on the Sabbath).

Bring it Home

Read 1 Kings 8:27-40

  • How would you summarize the role of the temple for the Jewish people?

Read 1 Kings 8:41-43

  • What role does the temple serve to those that are not God’s people?
  • How does this image contrast what Jesus finds in the temple in Matthew 21:12-13?

Read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

  • In this passage, Paul tells the Corinthians to honor their bodies because they are temples of the Holy Spirit. How can we, as believers, fulfill the roles of a temple to non-believers? And what might fulfilling those roles look like in your life?
  • How can we pray for you?



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