Ark Brought into the Temple

One of the main reason for building the Temple is to house the presence of God, represented by the Ark of the Covenant. The Israelites know that their God is the Almighty and cannot really be housed in any temple or ark, but the Ark just represents the presence of God. So when the construction of the Temple was finished, they brought the Ark into the Temple.

The Ark was carried by the Levites into the Temple, first into the tabernacle of meeting. It was the priests only who were allowed to carry the Ark into the Most Holy Place inside the Temple. The Ark itself contained the two tablets brought by Moses when God made the covenant with Israel.

When the transfer of the Ark to the Temple was complete there was celebration with great song and music. Following that, the Glory of the LORD filled the Temple as a cloud.



2 Chronicles 5

 1 So all the work that Solomon had done for the house of the LORD was finished; and Solomon brought in the things which his father David had dedicated: the silver and the gold and all the furnishings. And he put them in the treasuries of the house of God.

The Ark Brought into the Temple
 
2 Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, in Jerusalem, that they might bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD up from the City of David, which is Zion. 3 Therefore all the men of Israel assembled with the king at the feast, which was in the seventh month. 4 So all the elders of Israel came, and the Levites took up the ark. 5 Then they brought up the ark, the tabernacle of meeting, and all the holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle. The priests and the Levites brought them up. 6 Also King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him before the ark, were sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered for multitude. 7 Then the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple,[a] to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim. 8 For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles. 9 The poles extended so that the ends of the poles of the ark could be seen from the holy place, in front of the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside. And they are there to this day. 10 Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they had come out of Egypt.
11 And it came to pass when the priests came out of the Most Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without keeping to their divisions), 12 and the Levites who were the singers, all those of Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, stood at the east end of the altar, clothed in white linen, having cymbals, stringed instruments and harps, and with them one hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets— 13 indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying:

      “For He is good,
      For His mercy endures forever,”[b]
   that the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, 14 so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.

Furnishings of the Temple

This chapter details the furnishings of the Temple, highlighting the importance of it. Some of the articles are:
- a bronze altar
- the Sea of cast bronze, for the priests to wash in
- ten oxen under the Sea
- ten lavers, for washing the offerings
- ten golden lampstands
- ten tables
- one hundred bowls of gold
- pots, shovels, bowls
- four hundred pomegranates
- the altar of gold
- the tables on which was the showbread
- the trimmers, the bowls, the ladles, and the censers of pure gold
- inner doors to the Most Holy Place and the doors of the main hall of the temple were gold

There are a few sites that have pictures of some of these items:
http://www3.telus.net/public/kstam/en/models/models.htm
http://www.mishkanministries.org/kingsolomonstemple.php


2 Chronicles 4

Furnishings of the Temple

 1 Moreover he made a bronze altar: twenty cubits was its length, twenty cubits its width, and ten cubits its height.
2 Then he made the Sea of cast bronze, ten cubits from one brim to the other; it was completely round. Its height was five cubits, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference. 3 And under it was the likeness of oxen encircling it all around, ten to a cubit, all the way around the Sea. The oxen were cast in two rows, when it was cast. 4 It stood on twelve oxen: three looking toward the north, three looking toward the west, three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; the Sea was set upon them, and all their back parts pointed inward. 5 It was a handbreadth thick; and its brim was shaped like the brim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It contained three thousand[a] baths.
6 He also made ten lavers, and put five on the right side and five on the left, to wash in them; such things as they offered for the burnt offering they would wash in them, but the Sea was for the priests to wash in. 7 And he made ten lampstands of gold according to their design, and set them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. 8 He also made ten tables, and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. And he made one hundred bowls of gold.
9 Furthermore he made the court of the priests, and the great court and doors for the court; and he overlaid these doors with bronze. 10 He set the Sea on the right side, toward the southeast.
11 Then Huram made the pots and the shovels and the bowls. So Huram finished doing the work that he was to do for King Solomon for the house of God: 12 the two pillars and the bowl-shaped capitals that were on top of the two pillars; the two networks covering the two bowl-shaped capitals which were on top of the pillars; 13 four hundred pomegranates for the two networks (two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two bowl-shaped capitals that were on the pillars); 14 he also made carts and the lavers on the carts; 15 one Sea and twelve oxen under it; 16 also the pots, the shovels, the forks—and all their articles Huram his master[b]craftsman made of burnished bronze for King Solomon for the house of the LORD.
17 In the plain of Jordan the king had them cast in clay molds, between Succoth and Zeredah.[c] 18 And Solomon had all these articles made in such great abundance that the weight of the bronze was not determined.
19 Thus Solomon had all the furnishings made for the house of God: the altar of gold and the tables on which was the showbread; 20 the lampstands with their lamps of pure gold, to burn in the prescribed manner in front of the inner sanctuary, 21 with the flowers and the lamps and the wick-trimmers of gold, of purest gold; 22 the trimmers, the bowls, the ladles, and the censers of pure gold. As for the entry of the sanctuary, its inner doors to the Most Holy Place, and the doors of the main hall of the temple, were gold.

Solomon Builds the Temple

Solomon began building the temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, where the LORD had appeared to father, David. Interesting to note that Solomon began the building only at the fourth year of his reign, even though there had been great anticipation and great preparation for the building of the Temple since before his reign started. Perhaps this patience was also part of the wisdom of Solomon in that he did not rush into the project even though he knew he was appointed for it.

There was no expenses spared for the Temple, gold was used to overlay the interior of the Temple. Precious stoned were used to decorate many parts of the Temple. There was also mention of two pillars in front of the temple that was given the names of Jachin and Boaz for the right and left pillars respectively.



2 Chronicles 3

Solomon Builds the Temple

 1 Now Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD[a] had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan[b] the Jebusite. 2 And he began to build on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign.
3 This is the foundation which Solomon laid for building the house of God: The length was sixty cubits (by cubits according to the former measure) and the width twenty cubits. 4 And the vestibule that was in front of the sanctuary[c] was twenty cubits long across the width of the house, and the height was one hundred and[d] twenty. He overlaid the inside with pure gold. 5 The larger room[e] he paneled with cypress which he overlaid with fine gold, and he carved palm trees and chainwork on it. 6 And he decorated the house with precious stones for beauty, and the gold was gold from Parvaim. 7 He also overlaid the house—the beams and doorposts, its walls and doors—with gold; and he carved cherubim on the walls.
8 And he made the Most Holy Place. Its length was according to the width of the house, twenty cubits, and its width twenty cubits. He overlaid it with six hundred talents of fine gold. 9 The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold; and he overlaid the upper area with gold. 10 In the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim, fashioned by carving, and overlaid them with gold. 11 The wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits in overall length: one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, touching the wall of the room, and the other wing was five cubits, touching the wing of the other cherub; 12 one wing of the other cherub was five cubits, touching the wall of the room, and the other wing also was five cubits, touching the wing of the other cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubim spanned twenty cubits overall. They stood on their feet, and they faced inward. 14 And he made the veil of blue, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and wove cherubim into it.
15 Also he made in front of the temple[f] two pillars thirty-five[g] cubits high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits. 16 He made wreaths of chainwork, as in the inner sanctuary, and put them on top of the pillars; and he made one hundred pomegranates, and put them on the wreaths of chainwork. 17 Then he set up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand and the other on the left; he called the name of the one on the right hand Jachin, and the name of the one on the left Boaz.

Solomon's Builders and Craftsmen for the Temple

In this chapter Solomon, enlists the help of Hiram, King of Tyre, who was very helpful to David. In his request, Solomon mentioned that although he was building a temple for the LORD, nothing can really contain the LORD. Solomon acknowledges that the Temple was merely a place where they can burn sacrifices for Him. Having all the raw materials for the Temple accumulated by David, Solomon's request to Tyre was for skillful builders.

The King of Tyre, agreed to the request and send Solomon a multitude of skilled craftsmen to work alongside the Israelites. In addition, Solomon also used the 153,600 foreigners living in Israel to build the temple. The majority of this were "bearers of burden" (possibly labourers), stonecutters and 3600 of them were made the overseers.



2 Chronicles 2

Solomon Prepares to Build the Temple

 1 Then Solomon determined to build a temple for the name of the LORD, and a royal house for himself. 2 Solomon selected seventy thousand men to bear burdens, eighty thousand to quarry stone in the mountains, and three thousand six hundred to oversee them.
3 Then Solomon sent to Hiram[a] king of Tyre, saying:
   As you have dealt with David my father, and sent him cedars to build himself a house to dwell in, so deal with me. 4 Behold, I am building a temple for the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to Him, to burn before Him sweet incense, for the continual showbread, for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths, on the New Moons, and on the set feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance forever to Israel.

 5 And the temple which I build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods. 6 But who is able to build Him a temple, since heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then, that I should build Him a temple, except to burn sacrifice before Him?

 7 Therefore send me at once a man skillful to work in gold and silver, in bronze and iron, in purple and crimson and blue, who has skill to engrave with the skillful men who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, whom David my father provided. 8 Also send me cedar and cypress and algum logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants have skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and indeed my servants will be with your servants, 9 to prepare timber for me in abundance, for the temple which I am about to build shall be great and wonderful.

 10 And indeed I will give to your servants, the woodsmen who cut timber, twenty thousand kors of ground wheat, twenty thousand kors of barley, twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil.
11 Then Hiram king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon:

   Because the LORD loves His people, He has made you king over them.
12 Hiram[b] also said:

   Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, for He has given King David a wise son, endowed with prudence and understanding, who will build a temple for the LORD and a royal house for himself!

 13 And now I have sent a skillful man, endowed with understanding, Huram[c] my master[d]craftsman 14 (the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre), skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, purple and blue, fine linen and crimson, and to make any engraving and to accomplish any plan which may be given to him, with your skillful men and with the skillful men of my lord David your father.

 15 Now therefore, the wheat, the barley, the oil, and the wine which my lord has spoken of, let him send to his servants. 16 And we will cut wood from Lebanon, as much as you need; we will bring it to you in rafts by sea to Joppa, and you will carry it up to Jerusalem.
17 Then Solomon numbered all the aliens who were in the land of Israel, after the census in which David his father had numbered them; and there were found to be one hundred and fifty-three thousand six hundred. 18 And he made seventy thousand of them bearers of burdens, eighty thousand stonecutters in the mountain, and three thousand six hundred overseers to make the people work.

God Blesses Solomon with Wisdom, Wealth, Power

The Book of 1 Chronicles ends with the end of David passing his kingdom to Solomon and the Book of 2 Chronicles begin with Solomon's reign. This chronicle starts with Solomon seeking the Lord at the Tabernacle of meeting. A bit of background was given stating that the tabernacle was made by Moses, and was now at Gibeon, since the Temple was not build yet.

God replied Solomon by asking him what he wanted. At this early age, Solomon had already displayed his wisdom and integrity by asking God for wisdom so that he may rule his people wisely and fairly. God was very pleased with the selfless request that God granted him the wisdom above all other men as well as riches, wealth and honour. As a result of God's blessing from the beginning of his reign, Solomon's kingdom is the richest and most powerful among the nations in the region.

2 Chronicles 1

Solomon Requests Wisdom

 1 Now Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him and exalted him exceedingly.
2 And Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to every leader in all Israel, the heads of the fathers’ houses. 3 Then Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for the tabernacle of meeting with God was there, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness. 4 But David had brought up the ark of God from Kirjath Jearim to the place David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it at Jerusalem. 5 Now the bronze altar that Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he put[a] before the tabernacle of the LORD; Solomon and the assembly sought Him there. 6 And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the LORD, which was at the tabernacle of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.
7 On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask! What shall I give you?”
8 And Solomon said to God: “You have shown great mercy to David my father, and have made me king in his place. 9 Now, O LORD God, let Your promise to David my father be established, for You have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. 10 Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?”
11 Then God said to Solomon: “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life—but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king— 12 wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like.”

Solomon’s Military and Economic Power
 
13 So Solomon came to Jerusalem from the high place that was at Gibeon, from before the tabernacle of meeting, and reigned over Israel. 14 And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; he had one thousand four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 15 Also the king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland. 16 And Solomon had horses imported from Egypt and Keveh; the king’s merchants bought them in Keveh at the current price. 17 They also acquired and imported from Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for one hundred and fifty; thus, through their agents,[b] they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria.

Offerings for the Temple, Solomon Anointed King

Besides the actual grandeur of the architecture for the Temple of the LORD, the interior is also to house vast amounts riches to reflect the offerings of the people. David led the way by contributing his treasures including gold and precious materials. The various leaders of Israel also followed and donated a large amount for the temple.

Previously, David had already anointed Solomon as King. Now David again called for loyalty, respect and cooperation for his son Solomon from the leaders of Israel. Then the people made Solomon King and Solomon started his reign while David was still alive.



1 Chronicles 29

Offerings for Building the Temple

 1 Furthermore King David said to all the assembly: “My son Solomon, whom alone God has chosen, is young and inexperienced; and the work is great, because the temple[a]is not for man but for the LORD God. 2 Now for the house of my God I have prepared with all my might: gold for things to be made of gold, silver for things of silver, bronze for things of bronze, iron for things of iron, wood for things of wood, onyx stones, stones to be set, glistening stones of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, and marble slabs in abundance. 3 Moreover, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, my own special treasure of gold and silver: 4 three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses; 5 the gold for things of gold and the silver for things of silver, and for all kinds of work to be done by the hands of craftsmen. Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the LORD?”
6 Then the leaders of the fathers’ houses, leaders of the tribes of Israel, the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the officers over the king’s work, offered willingly. 7 They gave for the work of the house of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze, and one hundred thousand talents of iron. 8 And whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the LORD, into the hand of Jehiel[b] the Gershonite. 9 Then the people rejoiced, for they had offered willingly, because with a loyal heart they had offered willingly to the LORD; and King David also rejoiced greatly.

David’s Praise to God
 
10 Therefore David blessed the LORD before all the assembly; and David said:

      “ Blessed are You, LORD God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever.
 11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness,
      The power and the glory,
      The victory and the majesty;
      For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours;
      Yours is the kingdom, O LORD,
      And You are exalted as head over all.

 12 Both riches and honor come from You,
      And You reign over all.
      In Your hand is power and might;
      In Your hand it is to make great
      And to give strength to all.

 13 “Now therefore, our God,
      We thank You
      And praise Your glorious name.

 14 But who am I, and who are my people,
      That we should be able to offer so willingly as this?
      For all things come from You,
      And of Your own we have given You.

 15 For we are aliens and pilgrims before You,
      As were all our fathers;
      Our days on earth are as a shadow,
      And without hope.
16 “O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build You a house for Your holy name is from Your hand, and is all Your own. 17 I know also, my God, that You test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things; and now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here to offer willingly to You. 18 O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the intent of the thoughts of the heart of Your people, and fix their heart toward You. 19 And give my son Solomon a loyal heart to keep Your commandments and Your testimonies and Your statutes, to do all these things, and to build the temple[c] for which I have made provision.”
20 Then David said to all the assembly, “Now bless the LORD your God.” So all the assembly blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed their heads and prostrated themselves before the LORD and the king.

Solomon Anointed King
 
21 And they made sacrifices to the LORD and offered burnt offerings to the LORD on the next day: a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, a thousand lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. 22 So they ate and drank before the LORD with great gladness on that day. And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and anointed him before the LORD to be the leader, and Zadok to be priest. 23 Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him. 24 All the leaders and the mighty men, and also all the sons of King David, submitted themselves to King Solomon. 25 So the LORD exalted Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed on him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.


 
26 Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. 27 And the period that he reigned over Israel was forty years; seven years he reigned in Hebron, and thirty-three years he reigned in Jerusalem. 28 So he died in a good old age, full of days and riches and honor; and Solomon his son reigned in his place. 29 Now the acts of King David, first and last, indeed they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer, 30 with all his reign and his might, and the events that happened to him, to Israel, and to all the kingdoms of the lands.

David Declares to All Leaders that Solomon Will Build the Temple

When David had established his reign and government of his kingdom, and having made the preparations for the temple, he gathered all the leaders and officials of the kingdom, all his mighty men and people of influence. David made the announcement to them all that although he would have liked to build the temple, God had forbidden him to do so since he had been a man of war. Instead God had chosen his son to build the temple and David clearly named his successor as Solomon, who will be the one to build the temple. In addition David reminded them that they are supposed to continue to walk in God's ways and obey Him, so that they can continue to possess the land of Israel and pass it to the next generations.

David's encouragement extended to Solomon, saying that "If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever". David also knew God well when he said, "LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts". Then David gave the detailed plan of the Temple to Solomon as well as the contents of the Temple and the people who will serve there. David explained that "the LORD made me understand in writing" the plans of the Temple. For the great task of building the Temple, David had provided every part of the plan and all the people necessary for the task would be available for Solomon to command.

Unlike other monuments of ancient civilisations which are solely build for grandeur to enable their leaders to boast about their achievements and power, the Temple in Jerusalem would be solely focused on the LORD God of Israel. It was not to show the power of David or Solomon or even Israel, though foreigners may tend to think so. David and Solomon and the rest of the Israelites knew the Temple was not for their pride but instead to glorify God. The Temple would be lavished with so much gold and precious materials, simply because nothing is too good for the Almighty God.




1 Chronicles 28

Solomon Instructed to Build the Temple

 1 Now David assembled at Jerusalem all the leaders of Israel: the officers of the tribes and the captains of the divisions who served the king, the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possessions of the king and of his sons, with the officials, the valiant men, and all the mighty men of valor.
2 Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Hear me, my brethren and my people: I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and for the footstool of our God, and had made preparations to build it. 3 But God said to me, ‘You shall not build a house for My name, because you have been a man of war and have shed blood.’ 4 However the LORD God of Israel chose me above all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever, for He has chosen Judah to be the ruler. And of the house of Judah, the house of my father, and among the sons of my father, He was pleased with me to make me king over all Israel. 5 And of all my sons (for the LORD has given me many sons) He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. 6 Now He said to me, ‘It is your son Solomon who shall build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his Father. 7 Moreover I will establish his kingdom forever, if he is steadfast to observe My commandments and My judgments, as it is this day.’ 8 Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God, be careful to seek out all the commandments of the LORD your God, that you may possess this good land, and leave it as an inheritance for your children after you forever.
9 “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. 10 Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong, and do it.”
11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the vestibule, its houses, its treasuries, its upper chambers, its inner chambers, and the place of the mercy seat; 12 and the plans for all that he had by the Spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD, of all the chambers all around, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries for the dedicated things; 13 also for the division of the priests and the Levites, for all the work of the service of the house of the LORD, and for all the articles of service in the house of the LORD. 14 He gave gold by weight for things of gold, for all articles used in every kind of service; also silver for all articles of silver by weight, for all articles used in every kind of service; 15 the weight for the lampstands of gold, and their lamps of gold, by weight for each lampstand and its lamps; for the lampstands of silver by weight, for the lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstandshowbread, for each table, and silver for the tables of silver; 17 also pure gold for the forks, the basins, the pitchers of pure gold, and the golden bowls—he gave gold by weight for every bowl; and for the silver bowls, silver by weight for every bowl; 18 and refined gold by weight for the altar of incense, and for the construction of the chariot, that is, the gold cherubim that spread their wings and overshadowed the ark of the covenant of the LORD. 19 “All this,” said David, “the LORD made me understand in writing, by His hand upon me, all the works of these plans.”
20 And David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God—my God—will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD. 21 Here are the divisions of the priests and the Levites for all the service of the house of God; and every willing craftsman will be with you for all manner of workmanship, for every kind of service; also the leaders and all the people will be completely at your command.”