CEDARS of LEBANON

 

2 Chronicles 2:1-2

King James Version

2 And Solomon determined 

to build an house 

for the name of the Lord, 

and an house for his kingdom.

2 And Solomon told out threescore 

and ten thousand men to bear burdens, 

and fourscore thousand to hew in the mountain, 

and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them.

Only the BEST materials for the "house of God".

We mentioned in the previous article, "The CEDAR tree", that GOD appointed Solomon to build that house, in place of David.

King David was a warrior king.

In Solomon's time, Israel was going to have peace.

And thus, a proper "house of God" was to be built.

Scripture gives us more details on the cedar used for GOD's house.

2 Chronicles 2:3-5

King James Version

3 And Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, 

saying, As thou didst deal with David my father, 

and didst send him cedars to build him

an house to dwell therein, even so deal with me.

4 Behold, I build an house 

to the name of the Lord my God, 

to dedicate it to him, 

and to burn before him sweet incense, 

and for the continual shewbread, 

and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, 

on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, 

and on the solemn feasts of the Lord our God. 

This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.

5 And the house which I build is great: 

for great is our God above all gods.

2 Chronicles 2:8-10

King James Version

8 Send me also cedar trees, 

fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: 

for I know that thy servants can skill 

to cut timber in Lebanon; 

and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants,

9 Even to prepare me timber in abundance: 

for the house which I am about to build 

shall be wonderful great.

10 And, behold, I will give to thy servants, 

the hewers that cut timber, 

twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, 

and twenty thousand measures of barley, 

and twenty thousand baths of wine, 

and twenty thousand baths of oil.

2 Chronicles 2:11-12

King James Version

11 Then Huram the king of Tyre 

answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, 

Because the Lord hath loved his people, 

he hath made thee king over them.

12 Huram said moreover, 

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, 

that made heaven and earth, 

who hath given to David the king a wise son, 

endued with prudence and understanding, 

that might build an house for the Lord, 

and an house for his kingdom.

2 Chronicles 2:13-14

King James Version

13 And now I have sent a cunning man, 

endued with understanding, of Huram my father's,

14 The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, 

and his father was a man of Tyre, 

skilful to work in gold, and in silver, 

in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, 

in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; 

also to grave any manner of graving, 

and to find out every device 

which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, 

and with the cunning men 

of my lord David thy father.

2 Chronicles 2:15-16

King James Version

15 Now therefore the wheat, and the barley, the oil, 

and the wine, which my lord hath spoken of, 

let him send unto his servants:

16 And we will cut wood out of Lebanon, 

as much as thou shalt need: 

and we will bring it to thee in floats by sea to Joppa; 

and thou shalt carry it up to Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 2:17-18

King James Version

17 And Solomon numbered all the strangers 

that were in the land of Israel, 

after the numbering wherewith 

David his father had numbered them; 

and they were found an hundred and fifty thousand 

and three thousand and six hundred.

18 And he set threescore and ten thousand of them 

to be bearers of burdens, 

and fourscore thousand to be hewers

in the mountain, 

and three thousand and six hundred overseers 

to set the people a work.

Are we still able to work such magnificent projects today?

Well, most projects these days are for man's vanity.

But in David, and Solomon's time, it was for GOD.

More articles here.

"Flag of Lebanon"

(Clipart Library)

Related material:

The CEDAR tree

CEDAR

TREE images

GOD's GLORY blogs

BORN AGAIN classics

Top image: Prof. Julian Evans for Free Bible Images

The CEDAR tree

 

1 Chronicles 22:1-4

King James Version

22 Then David said, 

This is the house of the Lord God, 

and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel.

2 And David commanded to gather together 

the strangers that were in the land of Israel; 

and he set masons to hew wrought stones 

to build the house of God.

3 And David prepared iron in abundance 

for the nails for the doors of the gates, 

and for the joinings; 

and brass in abundance without weight;

4 Also cedar trees in abundance: 

for the Zidonians and they of Tyre 

brought much cedar wood to David.

My first knowledge of this tree is from the "cedars of Lebanon".

Another impression is the aroma of cedar chests.

Of course, the cedar tree has so much more to tell us.

King David's son, Solomon, was tasked to build a "house of God".

1 Chronicles 22:6-7

King James Version

6 Then he called for Solomon his son, 

and charged him to build an house 

for the Lord God of Israel.

7 And David said to Solomon, 

My son, as for me, 

it was in my mind to build an house 

unto the name of the Lord my God:

David could not build such a "house" for this reason:

1 Chronicles 22:8

King James Version

8 But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 

Thou hast shed blood abundantly, 

and hast made great wars: 

thou shalt not build an house unto my name, 

because thou hast shed much blood 

upon the earth in my sight.

GOD told David:

1 Chronicles 22:9-10

King James Version

9 Behold, a son shall be born to thee, 

who shall be a man of rest; 

and I will give him rest 

from all his enemies round about: 

for his name shall be Solomon, 

and I will give peace and quietness 

unto Israel in his days.

10 He shall build an house for my name; 

and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; 

and I will establish the throne of his kingdom 

over Israel for ever.

Just as GOD commanded, David's heir -- Solomon -- built such a house.

1 Kings 6:1

King James Version

6 And it came to pass 

in the four hundred and eightieth year 

after the children of Israel were come out 

of the land of Egypt, 

in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, 

in the month Zif, which is the second month, 

that he began to build the house of the Lord.

1 Kings 6:11-14

King James Version

11 And the word of the Lord 

came to Solomon, saying,

12 Concerning this house 

which thou art in building, 

if thou wilt walk in my statutes, 

and execute my judgments, 

and keep all my commandments to walk in them; 

then will I perform my word with thee, 

which I spake unto David thy father:

13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, 

and will not forsake my people Israel.

14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it.

Just as the olive tree was used for the "house of God", so was cedar.

1 Kings 6:9

King James Version

9 So he built the house, and finished it; 

and covered the house with beams 

and boards of cedar.

1 Kings 6:10

King James Version

10 And then he built chambers against all the house, 

five cubits high: and they rested on the house 

with timber of cedar.

1 Kings 6:15-18

King James Version

15 And he built the walls of the house within 

with boards of cedar, 

both the floor of the house, 

and the walls of the ceiling: 

and he covered them on the inside with wood, 

and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir.

16 And he built twenty cubits 

on the sides of the house, 

both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar: 

he even built them for it within, 

even for the oracle, 

even for the most holy place.

17 And the house, that is, the temple before it, 

was forty cubits long.

18 And the cedar of the house within 

was carved with knops and open flowers: 

all was cedar; there was no stone seen.

1 Kings 6:19-20

King James Version

19 And the oracle he prepared in the house within, 

to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

20 And the oracle in the forepart 

was twenty cubits in length, 

and twenty cubits in breadth, 

and twenty cubits in the height thereof: 

and he overlaid it with pure gold; 

and so covered the altar which was of cedar.

1 Kings 6:36

King James Version

36 And he built the inner court 

with three rows of hewed stone, 

and a row of cedar beams.

1 Kings 6:37

King James Version

37 In the fourth year was the foundation 

of the house of the Lord laid, 

in the month Zif:

1 Kings 6:38

King James Version

38 And in the eleventh year, 

in the month Bul, 

which is the eighth month, 

was the house finished 

throughout all the parts thereof, 

and according to all the fashion of it. 

So was he seven years in building it.

The next post tells us where the cedar came from.

And how dedicated Solomon was in building the "house of God".

Related material:

CEDAR

TREE images

GOD's GLORY blogs

BORN AGAIN classics

Image: Kanenori on Pixabay