Author: admin

The temple Solomon built for God was impressive. People came from all over the known world to see it and to worship within it. The magnificent structure towered about the city skyline. So elaborate was it that it took seven years of intense labor by an army of builders to complete the glorious structure. Yet the king took thirteen years to build his own house.

Perhaps nothing should be seen in this. Solomon did build God’s house first. Kings require numerous rooms and apartments to house their royal retinue and harem that God does not. Nevertheless, more effort was placed on his own comfort and prestige than in the effort Solomon made on behalf of God.

At times it is what we put our money in to that reflects where our heart is. Perhaps the growing preoccupation with his own opulence and grandeur ultimately led Solomon to neglect the God who had given him his kingdom in the first place. Perhaps having built God a magnificent house, the king now felt he could turn his attention elsewhere. Could it be that you once gave God your full loyalty and attention, but of late, your focus has been on other things? Have you been neglecting your relationship with God while you attended to other matters?

For a people making their living farming, shepherding, and fishing, going to the temple must truly have been an awe-inspiring experience! Gold was used so generously that even the floor of the outer sanctuary was covered with it! As Israelite worshipers traveled from their farms and villages from across the land to the temple in Jerusalem, the people must have been amazed at the awesome sight. The temple upon Mount Moriah, rising above the city walls, could be seen in the distance as the pilgrims approached. The gold shone brightly off the temple in its dazzling brilliance. Then, entering the temple to worship, and walking upon a golden floor would have been the most amazing experience in many of these humble peasant’s lives.

Yet we also know that the gold of the temple would eventually be seized, either by desperate Israelite kings needing to pay tribute to their enemies, or from pillagers as they destroyed the holy place. The temple of Solomon, once a wonder of the world, would eventually lie in ruins. An edifice built to the glory of God would be crudely cast down and stripped of anything of value.

That is because God is not confined to a place, no matter how beautiful. No structure is august enough to adequately house the almighty. As much as we would like to construct a building magnificent enough for God to choose to reside within it, it is impossible.

Our aim ought to be to prepare our hearts to receive and house our Lord. It is not gold and silver that please our Creator, but a pure and humble heart. We tend to want things to be grandiose. God looks for that which is pure.

The Ark of the Covenant sat behind the veil in the holy of holies. Standing guard over it were two enormous golden cherubim. The wings of the angelic creatures stretched across the entire room. What an awesome sight it must have been for the high priest to enter that sacred place and see the golden guardians looming over the most sacred place!

Yet, despite the dazzling beauty of that place, few people every witnessed it. The high priest, once a year, entered that awesome room, trembling in the knowledge that his life could be in jeopardy if he approached while unclean. One can only wonder if he dared to gaze upon the cherubim or if the priest hurriedly offered his sacrifice and then escaped to safety.

Of course, as Christians, we each have the opportunity to enter into the holy place with God, at any time, on any day we choose. The Old Testament high priests could never have imagined such freedom of access to almighty God! Yet such is the freedom that Christ purchased for us with His shed blood.

How often are you making use of that profound privilege?

Solomon spared no expense in preparing the temple for divine worship. The finest stones were cut. Everything was designed by the most skilled craftsmen of that day. Then, everything was overlaid with gold. When it was finished, the temple was one of the wonders of the world. It truly was magnificent to behold. The vast amount of gold and impressive stones was enormously impressive to an agrarian people used to simple living.

Unfortunately, generously overlaying everything with gold did not make the people’s worship any more acceptable to God. Even Solomon’s heart would drift from his first love. If our heart is not right before God as we worship Him, then no amount of offering or extravagance can make up for it.

At times people can present a great outward appearance to God. We can give generously to His causes. We can dress ourselves up to look professional. We can speak in pious terms. But in reality, there is an emptiness to our worship. We may be hollow people, overlaid with gold. God sees our heart. He is not impressed with outward grandeur. He cannot be “bought off.” Is your life all show, or is it genuine?

The most sacred area of the newly constructed temple was the inner sanctuary. The holy of holies. Once completed, no one but the high priest would be permitted to enter in, and that, only once a year. It was constructed, just like the rest of the building, with physical materials. Had it not been for the presence of God, it would have merely been a room. But, with its divine habitation, it became the most sacred place on earth.

Solomon could not determine if God would choose to take up residence in the sacred place. All the king could do was to prepare a place for Him to dwell. It would be at God’s sovereign pleasure whether He chose to manifest His awesome presence in that place.

Today, we are the temple of God. He chooses to dwell within us. We cannot force Him to. We can only prepare a place. It is at His discretion whether He is pleased to inhabit us fully or not. What kind of dwelling place have you prepared for your God?

God has short term as well as long-term projects for you to undertake. At times the short-term efforts can be easily embraced and dispatched without too much difficulty. A frenetic burst of energy and determination, and we are finished.

But there are long-term assignments that necessitate far more determination and perseverance if we are to complete them. Building the temple cost Solomon seven years of intense investment. It was an assignment that required a lengthy time to complete. Yet, it lasted for centuries. Sometimes our most lasting contributions are those tasks that required our maximum effort.

What long-term assignment has God given you? Have you grown weary in the task? Have you lost your focus or passion for the work? Have you contemplated quitting? Remember, it is often in the most challenging of assignments that we experience our greatest reward and satisfaction.

Reverence. It is not something we are taught anymore. In an egalitarian society where everyone’s opinion is considered to be equally valid, and in a society where we are programed to think we are the center of our universe, it seems foreign to us to treat someone as far beyond ourselves. Yet there is One who is infinitely greater than we are.

Though Solomon was building Him a house, the king understood who was subservient to whom. Even as the foundation was being constructed and the large stones put into place, the ground upon which the temple was being erected was treated as sacred. No banging and clanking and cutting would take place on the work site. Though moving massive stones required enormous effort, all due respect would be shown by the builders. The cutting was done at the quarry so reverential quiet could prevail at the future place of worship.

Do you have holy places in your life? Do you have meeting places where you encounter God? How do you treat those locations? How do you enter the auditorium at your church as you prepare to worship God? Do you approach God’s throne loudly, laughing, and joking with friends? Or do you tremble in silence as you prepare for a life-changing word from almighty God?

Wise leaders keep their perspective. Problems, challenges, and opportunities can only be properly handled when viewed from a long term perspective. Solomon commenced the most magnificent building project in his nation’s history. But he did not do it in a vacuum. He led the effort based on centuries of God’s work in the life of his people. Solomon could never have achieved his spectacular success had it not been for what had gone before him.

Leaders are remiss to assume that God only begins working when they arrive on the scene. God has been at work for generations before us. He will be working long after we are gone. Hopefully our labor will mark a high point in the history of God’s work, but it will only be a point, not the whole.

Have you taken time to trace God’s earlier work in your midst? How far can you trace God’s hand in your ancestors? In your church? In your workplace? One of the great blessings and sources of encouragement is to know you are a part of a great, divine work that is much greater than you.

Anyone who has constructed a building knows how crucial the foundation is. If the base of the building is not straight and solid, the entire structure is in jeopardy. It matters not what elaborate furnishings and decorative work is done on the top floors of a structure if the foundation is flawed.

When Solomon sought to build the most magnificent building in the nation, he spared no expense. He ordered large, expensive, hewn stones to be extracted and brought to provide the base of the temple. This required a massive labor force and enormous expense. Yet Solomon was not building a temporary shelter but an edifice for the ages. When you want something to last, you give special care to its foundation.

Humanity often finds itself frantically scurrying about trying to take care of its immediate needs. To address transitory concerns, an ordinary foundation may appear to be sufficient. But if you want to invest yourself in something that lasts, you must take time to properly lay a solid foundation. How much of what you are currently investing yourself in will not even outlast you? What have you been investing in that is so solid it will continue on long after you are gone?

David was perhaps the greatest king ever to rule over Israel, but he had his limitations. Because of his constant warfare, God had not allowed him to build the temple he had so desired to construct. David had collected building materials and done all that God allowed him to do, but he had been forced to stop short of constructing the magnificent temple he dreamed of building.

There are times when the dreams of the parents are fulfilled through the lives of their children. It is the role of parents to lay a foundation for their children so they can stand higher and reach farther than their parents did. Each generation should stand on the shoulders of the previous one. When this happens, people can reach spectacular heights.

The truth is that the greatest work God may do in your life is to lay a foundation for those who follow you. You may have a vision of what could be done. You may even lay the groundwork. But the ultimate fruition may come in a future generation. Have you considered that your greatest achievement may be to plant the seeds for what is to come at a later time?