1. Solomon planned to build a Temple to give honor to the Lord’S name. He also planned to build a palace for himself.
2. He got 70,000 laborers and 80,000 stonemasons to cut stones in the mountains. He chose 3600 foremen to supervise the workers.
3. Then Solomon sent this message to King Hiram of Tyre: “Help me as you helped my father David. You sent him cedar logs so that he could build a palace for himself to live in.
4. I will build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord my God. At the Temple we will burn incense in front of him, and we will always put the holy bread on the special table. We will offer burnt offerings every morning and evening, on the Sabbath days, during New Moon celebrations, and on the other special meeting days that the Lord our God has commanded us to celebrate. This is a rule for the people of Israel to obey forever.
5. “I will build a great temple because our God is greater than all the other gods.
6. No one can really build a house to put our God in. The whole sky and the highest heaven cannot contain our God, so I cannot build a temple to put him in. I can only build a place to burn incense to honor him.