Temple

Readings for today: 1 Kings 5-6, 2 Chronicles 2-3

There is little direct archeological evidence for the existence of Solomon’s Temple. This is mainly due to the ban on excavations on the Temple Mount since it is a holy site for Islam. However, there is plenty of circumstantial evidence that exists. The Western Wall is the retaining wall built during that period by Solomon so he could flatten the top of the mount and build upon it. On the Eastern Wall of the Temple Mount, there are stones dating back to the First Temple period. An ancient gate house has been discovered in front of the Temple Mount that guarded something sacred on top. And perhaps most persuasive of all are the discoveries made during the Temple Mount Sifting Project which combed through some 9000 tons of dirt that was illegally removed from the Temple Mount by Islamic authorities using heavy equipment and without any concern for its archeological significance. The debris was dumped unceremoniously into the Kidron Valley, among other places, and included bits of pottery, coins, tools, and animal bones from the First Temple period.

Solomon’s Temple would have been a wonder of the ancient world. As such, the temptation would be to worship the structure itself rather than see it as a means to a much greater end. As beautiful as the Temple must have been, it could not contain the fullness of God’s glory. As much as it represented the house of the Lord, it was not God’s permanent residence. God was not trapped there. God did not live there. Perhaps this is why the Lord offers a warning to Solomon even in the midst of his greatest building project. “As for this temple you are building, if you walk in my statutes, observe my ordinances, and keep all my commands by walking in them, I will fulfill my promise to you, which I made to your father David. I will dwell among the Israelites and not abandon my people Israel.” (1 Kings‬ ‭6‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭CSB‬‬) The key here is not the nature of the building itself but the life Solomon and his people will lead. If they are faithful to obey the Lord and walk in His ways, He will be faithful to fulfill His promise to them and never abandon them.

God always fulfills His promises. Even when we inevitably sin and fall short. Falter in our steps. Fail to observe His commands. He remains faithful. The story of the Old Testament is the story of a God who refuses to abandon His people despite their rebellion and sin. He refuses to leave them or forsake them. Even when He judges them and sends them into exile, He will go with them, proving to them that the Temple is not His only home. And with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, God now makes His home in the heart of every single believer. It’s why the Apostle Paul says we are God’s Temple because the Spirit of God lives in us. (1 Corinthians 3:16)

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Kings 7-8, Psalms 11

Every Square Inch of Creation

Readings for today: 2 Chronicles 5-8, Psalms 72

Abraham Kuyper, the famous Dutch theologian and politician, once said, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!” That quote rings in my mind as I preach in northern Uganda this morning. This is an area recovering from the trauma of a twenty-year reign of terror under the notorious warlord and witch doctor, Joseph Kony. From the 1980’s until the early 2000’s, he kidnapped children, forced them torture and kill and even eat their parents, and turned them into mindless slaves and soldiers. For years, the government tried to capture him and bring him to justice. The United States even sent their special forces after him. He would evade capture over and over again. The local population believes it was due to his connection to demonic spirits. Once his power was broken - a miraculous story in itself - the region began the long process of recovery. The people here are marked by their suffering physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. They have endured unspeakable horrors and yet God, through the Holy Spirit, is bringing healing. He is reclaiming lives that the devil tried to “kill, steal, and destroy.” He is reclaiming territory that the devil tried to curse. He is breaking the power of evil in this part of the world and it is incredible to witness.

Over and over again, through the Bible, God declares His great desire to dwell with His people. He dwelt with them at the beginning of time in the Garden of Eden. He journeyed with them through the wilderness in the Tabernacle. His presence filled the Temple Solomon built. He came in the Person of Jesus Christ to walk among us. He will eventually return in all His glory to dwell forever here on earth with those He made in His image. This is God’s great plan for all of creation. Until that great day comes, God promises to dwell with His people through the Holy Spirit. He indwells the church. The local gathering of people from every tribe, tongue, and nation on the earth. As God comes to be with His people, we are sanctified and made holy. The very ground we occupy is reclaimed for God’s purposes. The power of evil and sin and death is driven out and new life begins to emerge. The sick are healed. The enslaved are set free. The broken are mended. The grieving are comforted. The lost are found. The poor are provided for. These are all signs of God’s presence breaking into the world. It happens in places like Parker, CO and Kitgum, Uganda. It happens in beautiful church buildings and under mango trees. It happens in major metropolitan cities and remote villages. It happens all over the world and the incredible news is we get to part of it!

Take some time and re-read Solomon’s prayer today from 2 Chronicles 6. Let yourself feel his emotions as he marvels at all God has done for him and for Israel. Reflect on all God has done for you and your family and your church family. Think about the blessings He has bestowed on you. The many ways He has provided and protected you. The incredible things He has done for you. Rejoice in how much He loves you. God is for you, friends, not against you! God is with you, friends, not distant from you! God knows your every need, your every desire, your every hope, your every fear, your every success, your every failure, your every joy, your every heartbreak and He is faithful. Faithful and good to love you and draw near to you if you will draw near to Him. This is why God’s Presence filled the Tabernacle in the wilderness. It’s why God’s Presence filled the Temple in Jerusalem. This is why God’s Presence fills the heart of every believer. There is not one square inch in the whole domain of human existence nor one individual person made in God’s own image over which Christ does not declare, “You are mine!” He will never cede any territory to the devil. Never cede a single soul to His great enemy. He will never relent until the powers of sin and death and evil and the devil are destroyed once and for all.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Chronicles 9-12, Psalms 73

Whose House are you Building?

Readings for today: 1 Kings 4-7, Psalms 95

Whose house are you building? Are you seeking to build God’s house or your own? Where do you spend most of your time, attention, and resources? Today’s reading challenges us. It presents a comparison between God’s house and Solomon’s house and forces us to come to ask some tough questions about our own lives as well.

No doubt, Solomon fulfilled his father’s dream and built a magnificent Temple for the Lord. The project took seven years and took up a great deal of Solomon’s time, energy, and resources. Several chapters are dedicated in the books of Kings and Chronicles to the Temple construction and the general consensus is that Solomon completed his task with excellence, building a house worthy of the Lord. At the same time, Scripture draws some important comparisons between the house built for the Lord and the house Solomon built for himself by laying these chapters side by side. Yes, Solomon took seven years to build God’s house but he took thirteen to build his own. Yes, God’s house was large, measuring some 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 45 feet high. However, Solomon’s house was even bigger and more grand, measuring 150 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. Each house was built of costly trimmed and dressed stone and covered in cedar beams. We know each building contained all kinds of gold and precious stones but once again, it seems Solomon used the bulk of his wealth on his own home. This suggests that for all of Solomon’s devotion to the work of temple building, he was more devoted to his own glory than he was to the glory of the Lord.

Like Solomon, we too can become distracted and focus more on our own concerns than that of the Lord and His will for our lives. We can put more energy and time into our own pursuits than into worshipping and serving God. We can treat God as one priority among many rather than the first and most important priority of our lives. So, again, let me press the question. As you think about where you spend your time, energy, wealth, and resources…whose house are you building? Who is getting the bulk of your attention? Are you seeking first the Kingdom of God for your life or are you seeking your own kingdom?

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Kings 8-10, Psalms 96

God’s Temple

Readings for today: 1 Kings 5-6, 2 Chronicles 2-3

Today’s reading ties together several threads in Old Testament history. Here are a couple of the key texts…

“So Solomon broke ground, launched construction of the house of God in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, the place where God had appeared to his father David. The precise site, the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, had been designated by David.”(2 Chronicles‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

“Four hundred and eighty years after the Israelites came out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s rule over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month, Solomon started building The Temple of God.”(1 Kings‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

“The word of God came to Solomon saying, “About this Temple you are building—what’s important is that you live the way I’ve set out for you and do what I tell you, following my instructions carefully and obediently. Then I’ll complete in you the promise I made to David your father. I’ll personally take up my residence among the Israelites—I won’t desert my people Israel.” (1 Kings‬ ‭6‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

Mount Moriah is the modern-day Temple Mount. It’s the place where Solomon built his Temple. It’s also the place where the 2nd Temple was built by Zerubbabel which is the same Temple King Herod expanded and remodeled during his reign. But that’s not the only place Mt. Moriah is mentioned in Scripture. Moriah is also the region where Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac and it was on one of the mountains in that region that Abraham built his altar. Those of you who remember the story from Genesis 22, probably recall it was the angel of the Lord who appeared to stay Abraham’s hand. Mt. Moriah is also the place where King David saw the angel of the Lord relent from his destruction of Jerusalem at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 1 Chron. 21:16 tells us, “David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven...” This is really what temples were all about in the ancient world. They were the places where heaven and earth came together. A “thin space” if you will where the veil of this world peels back as God intervenes to meet us in a powerful way.

The timing of the Temple is important as well. 480 years have passed since Israel first set out on their Exodus journey. Whether the number is literal or symbolic, there was theological significance attached to it because the Temple represented in a very real way the fulfillment of all God’s promises. He had delivered His people from slavery. He had given them the Promised Land. He had conquered their enemies and now they were at peace with their neighbors. Everything God said He would do, He did and the building of the Temple served as a monument to God’s great faithfulness.

Finally, the Temple represented the fulfillment of the covenant of God. It was the completion of the promise God made to David, Solomon’s father, and it represented the eternal nature of the relationship God desired to have with His people. If Solomon - and by extension Solomon’s people - will walk in faithful obedience before the Lord, God would be with them. He would live with them and dwell with them. He would bless them and protect them. He would guide them and give them a hope and a future.

So what’s our takeaway? How is a passage like this relevant for our daily lives? Well, first and foremost, I think it’s important for us to recognize sacred space. Particular places or particular times and seasons where God showed up in a powerful way. Bending the heavens to come to earth to perform a miracle or do a mighty work on our behalf. Such spaces will hold a special place in our hearts as well they should. Second, we need to recognize the importance of God’s timing. He may not work as quickly as we would like or on the timeline we’d prefer but He is always faithful to His promises. Our job is walk in faith. Walk in obedience. Surrender our lives into His hands. Finally, and most importantly, we need to remember that we are now temples of the Living God. We are walking, talking “Mt. Moriah’s” due to the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. God has touched down in our lives. He has done something in our hearts. And we need to praise Him continually for the miracle of spiritual rebirth.  

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Kings 7-8, Psalm 11