Today’s devotion comes from 1 Kings 7:1-12.
“Now Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house. He built the house of the forest of Lebanon; its length was 100 cubits and its width 50 cubits and its height 30 cubits, on four rows of cedar pillars with cedar beams on the pillars. It was paneled with cedar above the side chambers which were on the 45 pillars, 15 in each row. There were artistic window frames in three rows, and window was opposite window in three ranks. All the doorways and doorposts had squared artistic frames, and window was opposite window in three ranks.
Then he made the hall of pillars; its length was 50 cubits and its width 30 cubits, and a porch was in front of them and pillars and a threshold in front of them.
He made the hall of the throne where he was to judge, the hall of judgment, and it was paneled with cedar from floor to floor.
His house where he was to live, the other court inward from the hall, was of the same workmanship. He also made a house like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom Solomon had married.
All these were of costly stones, of stone cut according to measure, sawed with saws, inside and outside; even from the foundation to the coping, and so on the outside to the great court.
The foundation was of costly stones, even large stones, stones of ten cubits and stones of eight cubits. And above were costly stones, stone cut according to measure, and cedar. So the great court all around had three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams even as the inner court of the house of the LORD, and the porch of the house.” 1 Kings 7:1-12.
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The abundant use of cedar in Solomon’s Palace leads us to meditate on the hope of the righteous. The LORD will cause the righteous to grow “like a cedar in Lebanon”, and a Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, will appear to the righteous and His appearance will be “like Lebanon, Choice as the cedars”, “wholly desirable”.
“12 The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree,
He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 Planted in the house of the LORD,
They will flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They will still yield fruit in old age;
They shall be full of sap and very green,
15 To declare that the LORD is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.” Psalm 92:12-15.
“15 “His legs are pillars of alabaster
Set on pedestals of pure gold;
His appearance is like Lebanon
Choice as the cedars.
16 “His mouth is full of sweetness.
And he is wholly desirable.
This is my beloved and this is my friend,
O daughters of Jerusalem.” Song of Solomon 5:15-16.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 