A Temple Worthy of God
A Temple Worthy of God
1 Kings 6-10
Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in My statutes and execute My ordinances and keep all My commandments by walking in them, then I will carry out My word with you which I spoke to David your father. I will dwell among the sons of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.”
We only imagine the greatness of Solomon’s temple, but its beauty must have been dazzling. The temple itself took a literal army of workers 7 years to construct. The temple was 180 feet long, 90 feet wide, and 50 feet high, although the highest point of the temple was approximately 100 feet high. Constructed with the choicest stones and lined with cedar, bronze, and gold, it was not just an engineering marvel but a building of incredible beauty and value. All the utensils in the temple were either made from gold or overlaid with gold. So great was its beauty that it would have been one of the wonders of the ancient world. The Bible mentions that 190 tons of gold, 380 tons of silver, 675 tons of bronze, and 3800 tons of iron were used to construct the temple (1 Chron 22:14). It was a temple that reflected the wealth of Solomon. In chapter 10, we see an indication of the wealth that marked the reign of Solomon. In one year, Solomon obtained 666 talents of gold (which would weigh approximate 18 tons today and have a value of approximately 2 billion dollars today how much gold).
Yet the temple was more than just a building of incredible wealth and beauty; it was where God would visibly dwell in the Holy of Holies. For all its beauty and extravagance, it was still not worthy to be the dwelling place of the God of the universe. Thus Solomon confesses in 8:27, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built!” Yet, because God condescended to dwell with His people in this place, it became the hope and security of the nation and a place of hope in times of adversity and crisis. When the nation encountered trials, adversity, and judgment, the temple was the place they could turn for hope and salvation (chapter 8).
When we come to the New Testament, we find something more remarkable. God not only condescends to dwell among His people; He takes up residency in our hearts. Now we become the temple of God (1 Cor 6 15-20; 2 Cor 6:14-7:1)! Just as the temple was to reflect the glory of God, so now we are to reflect the glory of God in our lives, not with our outward adornment, but with the way we live. Contrary to the belief of popular culture, our bodies are not our own; instead, they belong to God to reflect His holiness. We are not to use our bodies for our pleasure, but to now live in a way that glorifies him. Our identity is not found in our sexuality, our careers, our accomplishments, or any other “identity;” our identity is found in Christ. Just as the beauty of the temple was to reflect God’s glory, we are to conduct ourselves in a manner that reflects God’s glory to the world. Are you living today in a way that displays God’s presence and glory? Are you a temple of gold, or a broken-down, decaying shack? Today, live in a manner that reveals the glory of the God of the universe, for you are His temple!.
1 Kings 6-10
Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in My statutes and execute My ordinances and keep all My commandments by walking in them, then I will carry out My word with you which I spoke to David your father. I will dwell among the sons of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.”
We only imagine the greatness of Solomon’s temple, but its beauty must have been dazzling. The temple itself took a literal army of workers 7 years to construct. The temple was 180 feet long, 90 feet wide, and 50 feet high, although the highest point of the temple was approximately 100 feet high. Constructed with the choicest stones and lined with cedar, bronze, and gold, it was not just an engineering marvel but a building of incredible beauty and value. All the utensils in the temple were either made from gold or overlaid with gold. So great was its beauty that it would have been one of the wonders of the ancient world. The Bible mentions that 190 tons of gold, 380 tons of silver, 675 tons of bronze, and 3800 tons of iron were used to construct the temple (1 Chron 22:14). It was a temple that reflected the wealth of Solomon. In chapter 10, we see an indication of the wealth that marked the reign of Solomon. In one year, Solomon obtained 666 talents of gold (which would weigh approximate 18 tons today and have a value of approximately 2 billion dollars today how much gold).
Yet the temple was more than just a building of incredible wealth and beauty; it was where God would visibly dwell in the Holy of Holies. For all its beauty and extravagance, it was still not worthy to be the dwelling place of the God of the universe. Thus Solomon confesses in 8:27, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built!” Yet, because God condescended to dwell with His people in this place, it became the hope and security of the nation and a place of hope in times of adversity and crisis. When the nation encountered trials, adversity, and judgment, the temple was the place they could turn for hope and salvation (chapter 8).
When we come to the New Testament, we find something more remarkable. God not only condescends to dwell among His people; He takes up residency in our hearts. Now we become the temple of God (1 Cor 6 15-20; 2 Cor 6:14-7:1)! Just as the temple was to reflect the glory of God, so now we are to reflect the glory of God in our lives, not with our outward adornment, but with the way we live. Contrary to the belief of popular culture, our bodies are not our own; instead, they belong to God to reflect His holiness. We are not to use our bodies for our pleasure, but to now live in a way that glorifies him. Our identity is not found in our sexuality, our careers, our accomplishments, or any other “identity;” our identity is found in Christ. Just as the beauty of the temple was to reflect God’s glory, we are to conduct ourselves in a manner that reflects God’s glory to the world. Are you living today in a way that displays God’s presence and glory? Are you a temple of gold, or a broken-down, decaying shack? Today, live in a manner that reveals the glory of the God of the universe, for you are His temple!.
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