Observation: After constructing the rest of the temple, Solomon commissions two great pillars ... between the pillars and their capital on top they are both 34.5 feet tall, and made of solid bronze. And then he names them. One is named "he will establish" and the other "in him is strength".
The Jews have a way of naming places after historical characteristics of either some land feature or of an event that occurred there, but they do not typically name things. Throughout the time constructing objects to honor the Lord, they call things by their function and design, but do not give them formal names. The ark, the tabernacle, the wash basin, the alter, the ephod, the temple, the giant cherub, the lampstands, the table of incense, and the table of the bread of presence ... none of these are named. Even the Lord himself has an unspoken name, and names they call him are typically adjectives of his character. This makes the naming of these bonze pillars interesting not only in their meaning, but also in the logic of why it was done.
And in fact, there is ONE object representative of the Lord that has a name. It is the bronze snake made by Moses - Nehushtan - that is lifted up on a staff during a plague of snakes in the wilderness, so that anyone who looked upon the snake would not die from poison. What we know about this event is that it is foreshadowing of Messiah. The Jews are sinning, which brings with it earthly pain and death. However, the embodiment of Messiah is lifted up on a wooden pole, and anyone who looks upon and trusts in that Messiah is redeemed from sin and saved from death.
As for Solomon's pillars, "he will establish" is future tense, and "in him is strength" implies a dependency for salvation. Is it possible that Solomon named the pillars because, while the entire temple was built as the resting the place for the Lord, the pillars represent the Lord's redemptive covenant, which is to be fulfilled by Jesus?
Application: It is possible that my ol' English Lit analytics have kicked in, and I'm connecting dots that don't exist. However, I have also learned that everything in the Old Testament has a connection to the New Testament, so it makes sense to wonder about the random naming of these two objects - and nothing else - during the temple construction.
The Lord has in fact established his kingdom through Jesus. The Lord has in fact placed the strength of salvation in Jesus. It is by that strength, while striving to live in his kingdom, that we can have salvation from sin and death by simple faith in Jesus and adoption into the Messianic promise.
Prayer: Abba, my wonderful daddy, you are great and your name is great. There is no name above you, and no name worthy of you, which is why we simply honor you without the need for named symbols. May your kingdom truly come to the earth and all around us, this day and every day, and may I find ways to live into your kingdom values and teachings today. As you have declared in heaven, may we find ways to do and accomplish and serve your will on earth. Please give me what I need this day, and especially forgive the sins I commit. I have been baptized in the name of Jesus, but I walk in a fallen world as a weak man, so I need my feet washed every day. May your ways be near to me, and thus may evil remain far away from my home and my family. You are my master and my God, Jesus is my Lord and my savior, and the Holy Spirit is my ally and strength. Amen.
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