1Ki 6:14-35 | KingComments | STEP | The stones are covered with cedar wood. The cedar represents the greatness of man which is humiliated by the LORD ( ). When a person repents, another greatness returns for it. Christ is compared to a cedar in Song of Songs and God unites us with Christ in His greatness ( ; ). Thus we are useful to God for the building of His house. The great thing that the believer is, he only is through Christ. Therefore the wood is covered with gold again. Everything speaks in God’s temple of His glory ( ). The inner sanctuary or rear space – a large, glorious space – is the place where the ark is placed. The altar ( ) and the veil ( ) are also mentioned. The altar is also mentioned in . It is seen here as belonging to the most holy place, although it will stand before the veil, but directly close to it (cf. ; ).

‏ 1 Kings 6:14-35

The Covering of Wood and Gold

The stones are covered with cedar wood. The cedar represents the greatness of man which is humiliated by the LORD (Isa 2:12-13). When a person repents, another greatness returns for it. Christ is compared to a cedar in Song of Songs and God unites us with Christ in His greatness (Song 5:15b; Psa 92:12). Thus we are useful to God for the building of His house. The great thing that the believer is, he only is through Christ. Therefore the wood is covered with gold again. Everything speaks in God’s temple of His glory (Psa 29:9b).

The inner sanctuary or rear space – a large, glorious space – is the place where the ark is placed. The altar (1Kgs 6:20) and the veil (1Kgs 6:21) are also mentioned. The altar is also mentioned in 1Kgs 6:22. It is seen here as belonging to the most holy place, although it will stand before the veil, but directly close to it (cf. Num 18:7; Heb 9:3-4).

The Cherubim

The cherubs are made of olive wood, which is wood from the wild olive tree, of which also the doors of the holy and the posts of the entrance of the temple are made. They have large dimensions, larger than the cherubs on the ark. They fill the most holy place.

Cherubs are special angels who are connected with God as Judge (Gen 3:24). God rides on them (Psa 18:10a) and they are God’s throne (Eze 1:4-28 ; Eze 10:8-17). They represent God in His judicial glory. In the books of Moses they occur only in connection with paradise and the tabernacle.

The Walls, Floor and Doors

On the walls of the house “cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers” are carved. The cherubim remind us of paradise (Gen 3:24). They watch over a service in the sanctuary, not to stop it, but to let it take place in accordance with God. In the temple paradise is as it were open to man again. This is possible because the Lord Jesus gained the victory, of which the palm trees speak, over sin and death on the cross. As a result, new life is possible, which is represented by the open flowers.

The floor is made of gold. There is walking on the basis of God’s glory which has become visible in Christ and which is the part of everyone who believes. This golden floor is reminiscent of the street of gold in the new Jerusalem (Rev 21:21b).

The doors are a picture of Christ through Whom we can only approach God (Jn 10:7). “For through Him we … have our access in one Spirit to the Father” (Eph 2:18). This is the great privilege for us who are saved by grace. On the doors is the same carved artwork as on the walls of the house. This reminds us that we will be like Christ when we are with Him and the work of grace is perfect (1Jn 3:3).