1 Kings 5:1-18
If David may be viewed as the king of grace, Solomon, his successor, appears as the king of glory. In God’s purposes, glory follows grace without being separate from it. The believer, already in the enjoyment of grace, will receive glory also at the Lord’s coming. Hiram, king of Tyre, had always loved David; at the accession of Solomon he has a share in the glory of the great king and receives plenteous provision for his own needs and for those of his people. In return for these benefits, he contributes towards the construction of the temple, which is the principal undertaking of Solomon’s reign. For, now that the LORD has given rest to Israel, He can also be at rest Himself, and can exchange the traveller’s tent for a durable dwelling. Solomon’s temple will provide us with numerous illustrations of that which concerns God’s relationship with His people, just as the tabernacle did beforehand. There will, however, be a number of differences. At this stage, we come upon the first difference: the tabernacle in the wilderness was set directly on the sand, whilst this house is to be unshakeable, founded upon great stones, costly stones. "His foundation is in the holy mountains" (Psalms 87:1).