1 Kings 5 Solomon, exercising his great wisdom, prepares for building the temple.

In some ways the temple represents God’s blessing on Israel in this season of peace and prosperity. In the next 500 years the destruction of this same temple will be a symbol of Israel’s waywardness.

Nonetheless, in this chapter we see the immense wisdcom of Solomon in trading with his neighbors and establishing and organizing a workforce to collect the materials necessary to do the job. When God wanted a temple He had the right man in power to organize building it.