Author: admin

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?

One of the greatest blessings we can pass on to the next generation is when we foster the good will of others. Solomon would benefit greatly from his association with King Hiram. Yet he had done nothing to earn Hiram’s favor. Solomon’s father had. How blessed are the children whose parents paved the way for their future success!

Of course not everyone is so fortunate. Some people’s parents inadvertently set roadblocks and landmines along the path of their children, rather than making their journey easy. We have no control over what our parents set before us. Often they are only doing for us what their parents did to them.

But we have control over what we do for those who follow us. Whether it is our children, or our successor at work, or the youth in our church, we have the opportunity to leave a blessing for those who follow behind us.

What is it that those following behind you are going to experience?

God’s wisdom exceeds humanity’s greatest gurus. He has existed eternally. He has watched every age of humanity come and go. He has brought down great empires and raised up new ones. He has revealed the secrets of the universe to those who diligently sought them.

The human race often boasts of its achievements and knowledge. Secular society also can denigrate the values and beliefs of Christians. Yet the reality is that children of God have access to infinite heavenly wisdom. That is a resource unbelievers cannot draw upon. As a result, Christians ought to demonstrate a divine wisdom in their behavior that is absent from those who reject God. Sadly, they often do not. Rather, some Christians never let God enhance their thinking or grant them insight into truth. How tragic it is when Christians behave foolishly when all the wisdom of the universe is readily at their disposal.

Does your wisdom exceed that of your non-Christian colleagues? Do people regularly seek out your counsel? Are you known as someone who possesses wisdom?