1 KINGS LESSON 10


     We will begin this lesson in I Kings 7:23  "And he made a molten
sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: [it was] round all
about, and his height [was] five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits
did compass it round about."

     This is a tremendous brass bowl for water for the oblations.
This is called a sea, because it is so big. It is made in the shape of
a circle. This is 7 1/2 feet deep, the diameter is 15 feet across and
it is approximately 45 feet in circumference.  This is the size of a
small swimming pool.

     I Kings 7:24 "And under the brim of it round about [there were]
knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about:
the knops [were] cast in two rows, when it was cast."

     It seemed, this bowl had a lip turned under all around. This,
too, was decorated with knops. There appears to be two rows of these
knops all the way around.

     I Kings 7:25 "It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the
north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the
south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea [was set] above
upon them, and all their hinder parts [were] inward."

     These oxen were symbolically the bearers of the burden. The heads
of the animals were facing outward toward the people. There were three
on each of the four sides.

     I Kings 7:26 "And it [was] an hand breadth thick, and the brim
thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it
contained two thousand baths."

     The brass was as thick as the width of an adult's hand. A bath is
the same as a little over 7 gallons. This means there would be over
14,000 gallons of water in this. It was decorated around the edge with
lilies.

     I Kings 7:27  "And he made ten bases of brass; four cubits [was]
the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three
cubits the height of it."

     These bases were 6 feet long, and 6 feet wide. They were 4 1/2
feet high. "Brass" symbolizes judgement.

     I Kings 7:28 "And the work of the bases [was] on this [manner]:
they had borders, and the borders [were] between the ledges:" I Kings
7:29 "And on the borders that [were] between the ledges [were] lions,
oxen, and cherubims: and upon the ledges [there was] a base above: and
beneath the lions and oxen [were] certain additions made of thin
work."

     This is speaking of the decorations between the ledges that hold
up the laver.

     I Kings 7:30 "And every base had four brasen wheels, and plates
of brass: and the four corners thereof had undersetters: under the
laver [were] undersetters molten, at the side of every addition."

     The water within this laver would get dirty and the wheels were
to move it out, so it could be emptied and refilled.

     I Kings 7:31 "And the mouth of it within the chapiter and above
[was] a cubit: but the mouth thereof [was] round [after] the work of
the base, a cubit and an half: and also upon the mouth of it [were]
gravings with their borders, foursquare, not round."

     These were not round like the larger laver, but were made like a
wagon. Even these were decorated with the engravings.

     I Kings 7:32 "And under the borders [were] four wheels; and the
axletrees of the wheels [were joined] to the base: and the height of a
wheel [was] a cubit and half a cubit."

     The wheels were 27 inches high. They were connected together
under the base by axles.

     I Kings 7:33 "And the work of the wheels [was] like the work of a
chariot wheel: their axletrees, and their naves, and their felloes,
and their spokes, [were] all molten."

     These were made for use in the temple, and they were decorated
like the other fixtures in the temple. This entire thing was made of
molten brass. These wheels were made to move like a chariot or wagon.

     I Kings 7:34 "And [there were] four undersetters to the four
corners of one base: [and] the undersetters [were] of the very base
itself."

     This is speaking of a reinforcement coming up from the base and
covering the corners, where the most stress would be.

     I Kings 7:35 "And in the top of the base [was there] a round
compass of half a cubit high: and on the top of the base the ledges
thereof and the borders thereof [were] of the same."

     It seems, that inside this flat sided wagon of brass, there was a
circular bowl, which was 3/4 of a foot deep.

     I Kings 7:36 "For on the plates of the ledges thereof, and on the
borders thereof, he graved cherubims, lions, and palm trees, according
to the proportion of every one, and additions round about."

     Everything, that was visible, had been engraved for beauty.

     I Kings 7:37 "After this [manner] he made the ten bases: all of
them had one casting, one measure, [and] one size." I Kings 7:38
" Then made he ten lavers of brass: one laver contained forty baths:
[and] every laver was four cubits: [and] upon every one of the ten
bases one laver."

     Verse 37 is explaining that all ten of them were the very same
size, made the very same way. In verse 38, we are told that each of
them would hold about 280 gallons of liquid. Four cubits are 6 feet.

     I Kings 7:39 "And he put five bases on the right side of the
house, and five on the left side of the house: and he set the sea on
the right side of the house eastward over against the south."

     Five of the basins were on the south side, and five were on the
north side, with the sea for the priest on the south east.

     I Kings 7:40  "And Hiram made the lavers, and the shovels, and
the basins. So Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he made
king Solomon for the house of the LORD:"

     All of the utensils used in the outer court, where the sea was,
were made of brass. "Brass" signifies judgement. These shovels were
for taking away the ashes from the brazen altar. The basins were for
the water. Hiram finished his work in the brass.

     I Kings 7:41 "The two pillars, and the [two] bowls of the
chapiters that [were] on the top of the two pillars; and the two
networks, to cover the two bowls of the chapiters which [were] upon
the top of the pillars;"  I Kings 7:42 "And four hundred pomegranates
for the two networks, [even] two rows of pomegranates for one network,
to cover the two bowls of the chapiters that [were] upon the pillars;"
I Kings 7:43 "And the ten bases, and ten lavers on the bases;" I Kings
7:44 "And one sea, and twelve oxen under the sea;"  I Kings 7:45 "And
the pots, and the shovels, and the basins: and all these vessels,
which Hiram made to king Solomon for the house of the LORD, [were of]
bright brass."

     These are a re-cap of all the things made by Hiram for use in the
temple service. All of these are made of brass, so they could not be
used in the holy place, or in the most holy place. These were in the
first place, as you entered from the porch.

     I Kings 7:46 "In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in
the clay ground between Succoth and Zarthan."

     This was in the low area near the Jordan River. This area was,
probably, chosen, because the sand, or clay, was the kind needed for
this type of work. The names of the towns given, here, are explaining
that this graving was done near the old ford for river crossing. This
was done on the western side of the Jordan, because it would have been
truly difficult to cross the Jordan with some of these extremely heavy
items.

     I Kings 7:47 "And Solomon left all the vessels [unweighed],
because they were exceeding many: neither was the weight of the brass
found out."

     It would have been a monumental task to weigh all of this brass.
The only way they could have done it, was weigh the amount they used.
They could not have found anything capable of weighing things like the
sea.

     I Kings 7:48 "And Solomon made all the vessels that [pertained]
unto the house of the LORD: the altar of gold, and the table of gold,
whereupon the shewbread [was],"

     These items had to have nothing showing but the pure gold,
because they were in the presence of God. The "shewbread" symbolized
the Lord Jesus, who was the bread of life.

     I Kings 7:49 "And the candlesticks of pure gold, five on the
right [side], and five on the left, before the oracle, with the
flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs [of] gold,"

     These candlesticks bring forth the light, symbolic of Jesus
Christ, who is the Light of the world. This is really saying, that
there were ten candlesticks. It is not saying ten flutes on one
candlestick.  This is just saying, there were ten candlesticks, and
each of these candlesticks, probably, had the seven flutes on them.
The number "ten" has to do with world government. This just means
that, the Lord has enough light for the world. Everything in the near
presence of God is pure gold, or 24 kt. gold overlaid.

     I Kings 7:50 "And the bowls, and the snuffers, and the basins,
and the spoons, and the censers [of] pure gold; and the hinges [of]
gold, [both] for the doors of the inner house, the most holy [place,
and] for the doors of the house, [to wit], of the temple."

     These are the smaller instruments used in the service. They must
all be gold. Even the hinges on the doors entering into the holy of
holies, must be made of pure gold.

     I Kings 7:51 "So was ended all the work that king Solomon made
for the house of the LORD. And Solomon brought in the things which
David his father had dedicated; [even] the silver, and the gold, and
the vessels, did he put among the treasures of the house of the LORD."

     These were speaking of the things used in the tabernacle in the
worship services. "Silver" means redemption, and had been a part of
the items in the holy place in the tabernacle. These were stored in
the temple treasury.







                        1 Kings 10 Questions


1.  How big was the molten sea?
2.  Why was it called a sea?
3.  What was it for?
4.  This is the size of a small ___________ pool.
5.  What were the decorations on the sea?
6.  How many oxen were under the sea?
7.  What were these oxen symbolically?
8.  The brass it was made of was how thick?
9.  How big is a bath?
10. How many gallons of water would it hold?
11. The bases made of what?
12. Describe the size of the bases?
13. What were between the ledges of the base?
14. How many wheels did each base have?
15. What were the wheels connected to?
16. The wheels made this move like what?
17. How many lavers of brass did he make?
18. How much did each laver hold?
19. Where was the sea located?
20. What were the utensils made of, that were used in the outer court?
21. Who made the lavers and the utensils?
22. Where had he made these things?
23. Why was that place chosen?
24. The things used in the holy of holies were made of what?
25. What does the "shewbread" symbolize?
26. Who does the light in the candlesticks symbolize?
27. What did they do with the things David furnished?