Useful Bible Studies > 1 Kings Commentary > chapter 7
At the time of the Bible, people burned the oil from the fruit called olives, to give light. A lampstand, therefore, was an object to hold these lamps as the oil in them burned. God gave Moses instructions for the design of a special gold lampstand in the sacred tent called the tabernacle (Exodus 25:31-40).
Solomon followed those same instructions when he made the lampstands for the temple, God’s house in Jerusalem. However, he asked his skilled workmen to make 10 lampstands, and not just one. He arranged 5 on each side of the temple, as he had done with the basins (7:39) and the tables (2 Chronicles 4:6-8). Solomon had ordered 10 of each of these sacred objects. In his mind, Solomon perhaps connected the number 10 with the idea that this work was complete. It probably reminded him about the 10 commands that God gave in Exodus 20:1-17.
Everything that the priests used in the temple was pure gold. They needed various tools to do their work. For example, they had gold tools with which they looked after the lamps. They had gold censers - in other words, bowls to carry burning incense (a substance that burns with a sweet smell).
Even the metal pieces that held the doors in place, were gold.
Next part: How David provided for the future maintenance of the temple (1 Kings 7:51)
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