Solomon – A Living Sacrifice

Introduction

Living Sacrifice

Welcome back everyone to Torah Today Ministries as we continue our series called The Hebrew Key, where we take some detail in the Hebrew scriptures that is not even translated into our English ones and we draw out depths of meaning from it. And we fulfill the verse, I think, where David prayed:

“Unveil my eyes, that I may behold wonders from your Torah (תּוֹרָה).” — Psalm 119:18

And I think the thing that we have to look at today is truly a wonder from God’s Torah (תּוֹרָה).

Solomon’s Platform – 2 Chronicles 6:12–13 

So to begin today, I want to start with the story of Solomon’s Temple. As you know, David wanted to build a house for God, but God declined David’s offer and said that your son Solomon will build it for me. And sure enough, when Solomon became the king, he built this beautiful edifice as a home for God’s presence there in Jerusalem. And in 2 Chronicles, we read the story of the dedication of Solomon’s Temple. And we’re going to pick it up in 2 Chronicles chapter 6, verses 12 to 13.

Everything is made ready. Solomon is about to pray to dedicate this Temple. And it says in verse 12:

Then Solomon stood before the altar of Adonai (אֲדֹנָי) in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the court. And he stood on it, then he knelt on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven. — 2 Chronicles 6:12–13

And then, if you continue to read on — and I encourage you to — Solomon prays one of the most inspirational prayers I think found anywhere in the scriptures. It is a beautiful prayer, dedicating not just the Temple but the people of Israel themselves, and Solomon himself, to God’s service.

The Bronze Altar – Exodus 27:1–2 

Now, the thing I want to focus in on is this platform that he built. It tells us the material it was made of — bronze — and it gives us dimensions: five cubits wide, five cubits long, three cubits high.

Now, there’s only one other object in the Bible that has these same dimensions and is also made of bronze. And Solomon, being a student of the Torah (תּוֹרָה), would have known what he was doing when he made this platform to these exact dimensions.

Do you know what this other object was? Well, if we go back to the description of the Tabernacle and the instructions God gave Moses for building it, we read in Exodus 27, verses 1 and 2:

“You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long, five cubits wide — the altar shall be square — and its height shall be three cubits. And you shall make horns for it on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze.” — Exodus 27:1–2

So here we see what is usually referred to as the bronze altar. And its dimensions are exactly the same dimensions as Solomon’s platform that he stood on, knelt on, raising his hands to God and devoting this Temple that he constructed to God’s service.

This is no coincidence. What we see here is Solomon symbolically making himself a living sacrifice. Because he puts himself on a platform — the same dimensions as the altar — he kneels on it and devotes this house that he has made to God’s honor.

Romans 12:1 – Present Your Bodies

This is what we too are invited to do — to become living sacrifices. As Paul writes in Romans chapter 12, verse 1:

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. — Romans 12:1

What does it mean to be a living sacrifice? It means that on the one hand, we’re still alive. But on the other hand, we’ve died. And it’s kind of like what Solomon did. Solomon continued to live for many years after this day, but he had given ownership of his life to God.

And when we become a living sacrifice — as Solomon dedicated this house that he had built, we dedicate this house that we dwell in, and we devote it to God, for him to make into his dwelling place. That our bodies become a temple for his presence and his spirit. But he only does that by invitation. Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ) was born in a place where room was made for him. He knocks at the door of your heart, and he comes in only when you open the door and invite him. And we are to invite him into our lives, and we do that by giving ourselves to him and asking him to come cohabit this house with us.

Leviticus 7:8 – The Priest Gets the Hide

Now, there’s something else that the first-century reader would have seen in Paul’s instructions here in Romans 12. And what they would have seen in this is something that’s very unique, and it’s something we cannot afford to miss.

You notice that Paul says that he beseeches them to present their bodies as living sacrifices — their bodies, the flesh. Well, if we go back to the book of Leviticus — which is, you might call, the handbook for the priesthood — it gives all the details about the sacrifices. You find a detail there that is very important. And the detail is this: any of the mammals — not the birds, but the mammals — that were presented as sacrifices, they were always skinned. If they were killed, they were skinned. The skin, the hides, never went on the altar. What was inside the hide went on the altar.

And we find this in Leviticus chapter 7, verse 8:

And as to the priest who presents any man’s burnt offering, the skin of the burnt offering which he has presented shall be the priest’s — for himself. — Leviticus 7:8

So let’s get the picture here. I bring an offering — say a bull or a lamb — as a whole burnt offering. The priest who officiates at the altar, he would then kill the animal. He would then skin the animal. And then everything that was inside the skin of that animal would go on the altar — it’s a whole burnt offering, an elevation offering. But the skin, the hide, now becomes the property of the priest.

When we make ourselves a living sacrifice, our hides now belong to our priest — our high priest — who is Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ). But what’s inside — our hearts, our desires, our dreams, our ambitions — whatever those are, we put those on the altar. And you can always think of the altar, where there was always fire — you can think of it as being like a spiritual elevator. What goes on the altar goes up. And so what is inside goes up — it’s given to God. But my hide is left behind, and it’s no longer my own. It belongs to my priest, my high priest, Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ).

Living Skins — God’s Word Written on Our Hides

Now, what would a priest do with all these hides? I don’t think they made shoes and purses out of them. But one of the things I know for sure they did with them is what we see this scribe — this Israeli scribe — doing here. He’s writing God’s word. He’s making copies of God’s Torah (תּוֹרָה). And in the back you can see a roll of parchment. And what he is writing on is not paper. What he’s writing on is the skin, the hide, of a kosher animal.

And so in the ancient times, when the Temple stood, when the Tabernacle stood, these skins would be used to record God’s word. They’d be used to copy the Torah (תּוֹרָה). They would be used to make little scrolls with various passages on them that would go on the hand — tefillin (תְּפִלִּין) — on the arm, tefillin (תְּפִלִּין) on the head. They would make mezuzah (מְזוּזָה) scrolls that would go on the doorpost of a home.

But the hides would be used to proclaim God’s word. If you’ve made yourself a living sacrifice — that what’s inside, you’ve given your heart, your future, your dreams, your ambitions, you give those to God. You’re his. Your life is his. But your hide is left behind. It’s now the property of your high priest. And he wants to use it to proclaim his word to the world.

If you are a living sacrifice, then your words and your deeds are God’s message to the world around you. And just as Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ) is the Word made flesh, the Word incarnate — he wants you and me to also be his word made flesh. He wants us, as living hides, living skins that are his property, to act out and live and pronounce and speak his word to the world. He wants us to be living epistles, living letters, through whom he can write his message of love to the world around us.

It’s an amazing picture Paul gives us in Romans 12.

The Hebrew Key: Kior (כִּיּוֹר) — Platform, Laver, and Stove

But now, where does the Hebrew come into this? What’s the Hebrew key? What is the word we want to look at?

Well, I want us to return back to 2 Chronicles and let’s look at that second verse we read — verse 13. It said Solomon had made a bronze platform. And we saw the dimensions — same as the altar. But that word for “platform” is very unusual, because it’s the word kior (כִּיּוֹר).

And if you are a Hebrew student and you’re familiar with the terminology of the Tabernacle and the Temple, you know that the kior (כִּיּוֹר) is the laver — which held water. There was a kior (כִּיּוֹר) made of bronze in the Tabernacle courtyard, between the altar and the door to the tent. And that is where the priests would wash. When they needed water to wash the parts of the sacrifices or to wash their own hands and feet, that’s where they went to access the water.

But one of the little-known facts about this word is: not only is it a vessel for water — it is also a vessel for fire. Water and fire.

And though almost all the time it is translated as a laver for water, we do find in Leviticus 11:35 it being translated as a “stove” — a place of fire.

Fire and Water Together

So think about this for a moment. This platform — we can translate it as a platform that is the same size and shape and material as the altar. But we can also translate it as a laver filled with water. So we can picture Solomon on the one hand standing in a place of fire, but also standing in a place of water. Fire and water.

We’ll be doing a teaching later on about fire and water and their relationship with each other. But let me just say right now — wherever you find fire and water dwelling in peace together, you find God’s presence. And there are more places in the scriptures than you might imagine where fire and water dwell together in peace.

Numbers 31:23 – Cleansed by Fire and Water

But I want us to go to the book of Numbers, chapter 31, verse 23, and consider this. God gives Moses instructions for cleansing various objects and vessels, and he tells them:

Everything that can stand the fire, you shall pass through the fire, and it shall be clean. Nevertheless, it shall also be purified with the water for impurity. And whatever cannot stand the fire, you shall pass through the water. — Numbers 31:23

So if it can stand the fire, you put it through the fire. If it can’t endure the fire, you cleanse it with water.

What is the purpose of this? What this instruction is, is an instruction about you and me. Because we are vessels — we’re like wineskins, we are houses — and we need to be cleansed. But we are composed of two different kinds of substances. On the one hand, our flesh, our bodies, are made out of dirt and mostly water. But we also are made up of spirit, which is non-physical.

Our bodies don’t do well with fire, but they love the water. Our soul and spirit, on the other hand, cannot connect with the water, but they are objects of fire.

Think about it for a second. Your body is made of mostly water, and yet inside you’ve got combustion going on. We talk about “burning calories” — calories are a measure of heat. Heat is a product of burning. In your cells, you are literally, chemically burning energy. That’s why you have a temperature, and hopefully it’s around 98.6 or 98.7. If it’s higher than that, you’re sick. And if it drops too much below that, you’re dead.

So we are burning while we’re mostly water. We are unique creatures.

But we need to be cleansed — both physically and spiritually. And so part of us goes through the water — through immersion. But the rest of us, that invisible, intangible part of us, must pass through the fire. John the Immerser said:

“I immerse you with water, but the one who comes after me will immerse you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”— Matthew 3:11

And in the opening chapters of 1 Corinthians, Paul tells us that every man’s work will be tested. So the whole product of your life is going to be tested. How is it tested? By fire. It goes through the fire. Whatever the fire consumes — well, that was just surface, fleshly work. But if it endures — it’s silver and gold and precious stones.

All of us pass through the fire. But that part of us that cannot endure fire — our bodies — have to go through the water. God wants us to be pure. And fire and water are his means of producing that purity.

We need to be clean physically. “Who can ascend God’s holy hill? He who has clean hands and a pure heart.” One with water. One with fire.

So I hope this lesson — which is one that doesn’t really have an end to it; it’s one that you have to end, it’s one that you have to put the ending to as you think about what this means for you — have you allowed God to pass you through the fire? And are your actions, are the things you do in your body, pure? Are they cleansed?

God wants us to be clean inside and out. He wants us to be living sacrifices. So I hope you can take all the little bits of this lesson, put them together, and present yourselves — as Paul begged his listeners, and I beg you — to present your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service, your spiritual worship.

So until next time, I wish you shalom (שָׁלוֹם) and God bless.

Teaching Material

Hebrew Word Studies

• Kior (כִּיּוֹר) — “Laver, basin, platform, stove”; the Hebrew key of this teaching. The word used for Solomon’s bronze platform in 2 Chronicles 6:13 — the same word normally translated “laver” (a vessel for water) in the Tabernacle. But in Leviticus 11:35, it means “stove” (a vessel for fire). Solomon stood on a kior (כִּיּוֹר) — simultaneously a place of fire (altar dimensions) and a place of water (laver). Wherever fire and water dwell together in peace, you find God’s presence. — Strong’s H3595
• Mizbe’ach (מִזְבֵּחַ) — “Altar”; from zabach (זָבַח), “to slaughter.” The bronze altar of the Tabernacle: 5 cubits long × 5 cubits wide × 3 cubits high, overlaid with bronze (Exodus 27:1–2). Solomon built his platform to these exact dimensions — symbolically making himself a living sacrifice. — Strong’s H4196
• Olah (עֹלָה) — “Whole burnt offering, elevation offering”; from alah (עָלָה), “to go up.” The animal was skinned, and everything inside the skin went up on the altar. What goes on the altar goes up to God. Our hearts, desires, dreams, and ambitions go up — but our hides stay behind as property of the priest. — Strong’s H5930
• Or (עוֹר) — “Skin, hide”; the skin of the sacrifice that became the priest’s property (Leviticus 7:8). These hides were used to make Torah (תּוֹרָה) scrolls, tefillin (תְּפִלִּין), and mezuzah (מְזוּזָה) scrolls — proclaiming God’s word. When we are living sacrifices, our “hides” — our words and deeds — become parchment on which Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ), our High Priest, writes his message to the world. — Strong’s H5785
• Tefillin (תְּפִלִּין) — “Phylacteries”; small leather scrolls containing Torah (תּוֹרָה) passages, worn on the arm and head. Made from the hides of kosher animals — the same hides that belonged to the priests from the sacrifices. A picture of God’s word written on living skins.
• Mezuzah (מְזוּזָה) — “Doorpost”; the scroll placed on doorposts of Jewish homes, also written on animal hide. Another use of the sacrificial skins to proclaim God’s word. — Strong’s H4201
• Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ) — “Salvation”; our High Priest who receives our “hides” when we become living sacrifices. Just as he is the Word made flesh, he wants us to also be his word made flesh — living epistles, living letters through whom he writes his message of love to the world. — Strong’s H3442
• Shalom (שָׁלוֹם) — “Peace, wholeness, completeness.” — Strong’s H7965

Scripture References

Open All Scripture in Bible Gateway

• 2 Chronicles 6:12–13 — Solomon’s bronze platform (kior / כִּיּוֹר): 5 × 5 × 3 cubits — identical dimensions to the bronze altar. He knelt on it and dedicated the Temple — symbolically making himself a living sacrifice
• Exodus 27:1–2 — The bronze altar: 5 cubits long × 5 cubits wide × 3 cubits high — the exact dimensions Solomon replicated for his platform
• Romans 12:1 — “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God” — the first-century reader would have understood: the body (hide) becomes the priest’s property, used to proclaim God’s word
• Leviticus 7:8 — “The skin of the burnt offering shall be the priest’s” — what’s inside goes up on the altar; the hide belongs to the priest for writing Torah (תּוֹרָה) scrolls, tefillin (תְּפִלִּין), and mezuzot
• Leviticus 11:35 — The kior (כִּיּוֹר) translated as “stove” — a vessel for fire, not just water. The same word for Solomon’s platform holds both fire and water
• Numbers 31:23 — “Everything that can stand the fire, pass through fire… whatever cannot stand fire, pass through water” — our spirits are cleansed by fire, our bodies by water
• Psalm 119:18 — “Unveil my eyes, that I may behold wonders from your Torah (תּוֹרָה)” — David’s prayer that opens this teaching
• Psalm 24:3–4 — “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?… He who has clean hands and a pure heart” — clean hands (water), pure heart (fire)
• Matthew 3:11 — “He will immerse you with the Holy Spirit and fire” — John the Immerser distinguishes water immersion from the fire immersion to come
• 1 Corinthians 3:12–15 — “Each one’s work will be tested by fire” — what survives is gold, silver, precious stones; what burns away was wood, hay, stubble
• Revelation 3:20 — “I stand at the door and knock” — Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ) enters only by invitation, like being born in a place where room was made
• 2 Corinthians 3:2–3 — “You are our letter… written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God” — living epistles, living skins on which God writes his word

External References & Further Study

• The Kior (Laver) in the Tabernacle — Sefaria — The bronze laver for washing, positioned between the altar and the tent — a vessel for water that shares a name with a vessel for fire
• 2 Chronicles 6: Solomon’s Dedication Prayer — Sefaria — Solomon’s platform (kior / כִּיּוֹר) with altar dimensions and one of the most inspirational prayers in Scripture
• The Bronze Altar — Temple Institute — The altar of acacia wood overlaid with bronze: 5 × 5 × 3 cubits — the dimensions Solomon replicated for his living-sacrifice platform
• Leviticus 7: The Priest’s Portion — Sefaria — The hide of the burnt offering becomes the priest’s property — used for Torah (תּוֹרָה) scrolls and sacred writings
• Writing Torah Scrolls on Parchment — Chabad — How animal hides from kosher animals are used to write God’s word — the living sacrifice principle made tangible
• Torah Today Ministries — Home of The Hebrew Key and other Torah-centered teachings