1 Kings 7:1 But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house.

I have never built my own home. I have ideas, desires, even plans, but I doubt I will ever get to build that dream house. I do love looking at what designers have come up with to satisfy the needs of the market and there are many spec houses out there.

As I read 1 Kings chapter 7 and 8 I was struck with the opulence of Solomon’s design. I was more than a little overwhelmed by the master bath.

1 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.

I guess if you are going to have that many wives and mothers to your children, you would need a big bathroom.

1 Kings 11:3 He had seven hundred wives who were from royal families and three hundred slave women who gave birth to his children.

I was more than a little overwhelmed by the descriptions of that house. I had a hard time picturing it in my mind. Nothing I have seen here in Texas compare to it, and there are some over the top houses here, because of so many millionaires. I am not rich but my humble home would be considered a mansion when compared to homes in poverty stricken areas.

Then in chapter eight we see that while it was on David’s heart to build a temple to house the Ark of the Covenant, he would not. That would fall to Solomon. Yet in the middle of all this opulence and grand schemes, I found a gem more precious than anything Solomon could dream of in all his wealth.

1 Kings 8:18  And the Lord said unto David my father, Whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart.

“It was in thine heart” really spoke to me.

Matthew 9:22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

The word whole here in Matthew 9:22 is the Greek word Sōzō. Its etymology is from a primary sos (contraction for obsolete saoz, “safe”). I love that the root meaning is derived from a cry for help. The word means to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction or to preserve one who is in danger of destruction, to save or rescue.

So why was the word whole used? Perhaps it is because faith provides what is missing in our  lives. The issue of being saved from drowning is a temporary condition, it does not keep you safe from it ever happening again. A more permanent condition needs to be rendered in salvation and faith does that.

Obviously who you cry out to in this case matters. A lifeguard for drowning, a doctor for cancer, a lawyer for false accusations, but in this case Jesus Christ.

Matthew 9:20-21 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.

Who told her that just touching His garment would cure her where doctors had failed for twelve years? Can any of us think our way into being cured of anything? Obviously not, or we would have no need of doctors, lawyers or lifeguards.

Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

This woman heard a word of faith and acted upon it. Sōzō!