The Role of Worship in the Everyday Lives of the People

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The Role of Worship in the Everyday Lives of the People

Looking back at some of the earliest years of God's chosen people, we can see that worship played quite a significant role in the everyday lives of the people. Until the temple in Jerusalem was built, there was no real establishment or unification of the people since their captivity to Egypt. Solomon, one of Israel's first few kings, built the Temple of Jerusalem. Solomon's Temple was believed to be the dwelling place of God.

The Temple was a very complex structure, and because of its destruction there is no abundance of information upon its exact design. Therefore, most of the information that we have today is taken from the books of Kings and also from the books of Chronicles in the Holy Bible. In this paper, the Biblical references come from a New King James Version of the Holy Bible. In this paper we will examine the history behind Solomon's Temple, its structure, and its downfall.

A Brief Introduction to Solomon's Temple

In the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel came out of Egypt, Solomon built the Temple. The building of Solomon's temple lasted seven years. The completion of the temple was in the eleventh year of Solomon's reign. Although it underwent many changes and renovations, Solomon's temple stood for nearly four centuries until its destruction in 586 BC.

The temple was considered to be a divine presence; it included such things as the ark, the cherubim, and on very rare occasions a statue of Yahweh. It also contained objects used in God's service such as the table of shewbread, and a lampstand. The altar was not included with the temple building but in an open court adjoining the temple. The format of the...

... middle of paper ...

...he people turning their backs on God, the Temple was destroyed and the Israelites were again taken captive.

Conclusion

Solomon's Temple was built to meet the limitations and needs of God's people. It represented the believer's assurance of the grace of God for their joy and blessing. The Temple was to be a memorial to Israel to turn her heart away from the idols of the surrounding nations. The Temple would provide for them an incentive not to practice evil things. But, as we see from the actions of His people, the story of Solomon's Temple serves the purpose of, once again, showing us that if we turn our backs on Him we will be punished. From the history of the Temple, to its lavish structure, to the Temple's complete destruction, we can take home more than just the facts, but also a lesson. Which is simply, as the D author would say, "Worship Only Yahweh!"

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