1 Kings 6:18 (ESV)

18 The cedar within the house was carved in the form of gourds and open flowers. All was cedar; no stone was seen.

We are not to think that the temple was without any decoration. The cedar boards were carved. The carving represented gourds and open flowers. This verse suggests that our God is not opposed to all expressions of visible artistic representations, and that includes the representation of living things, that is, gourds and open flowers. Nevertheless, this observation does not annul the second commandment, which does forbid the worship of such representations.