A Temple Worthy of God
A House Worthy of God
2 Chron 1-5
“He indeed is good for his lovingkindness is everlasting,” then the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.”
How do you build a building that is worthy to serve as a place of worship for the God of the universe? How can you create a temple that adequately reflects His Majesty and glory to those who come to worship there? This is the challenge confronting Solomon. He was given the task of building a Temple that would adequately reflect the glory of God. To build this temple, he undertook a task that was beyond comprehension. It would require the labor of 150,000 men and cost an inexorably large amount of money to purchase all the gold and precious metals for the construction. In 1 Chronicles 22:14, it mentions that David amassed 100,000 talents of gold for the construction of the temple. This would be equivalent to 3,000 tons of gold. Today, this would be worth over $200 billion. In the Holy of Holies, the room where the Ark of the Covenant would be placed, Solomon used 33 tons of gold alone to overlay the wood. If the temple existed today, it would be one of the most significant architectural buildings in the world.
Not only was the temple constructed with unparalleled riches, but the dedication of the temple involved unparalleled sacrifices. In 5:6, it mentions that “so many sheep and oxen were sacrificed that they could not be counted or numbered.” It was a building and celebrative worship that was unequaled in the Ancient Near East. For all the extravagance and cost, it was still a poor reflection of the glory of the God of the universe. As Solomon himself affirmed, “But who is able to build a house for Him for the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain him?” Even with all our architectural ability today, even the most elaborate and most significant building we could construct would still be a poor reflection of the God who dwells in all of heaven.
Yet this points us to an even deeper question. If the grand temple of Solomon was a poor reflection of the infinite glory of God, how do we reflect his glory now that he dwells in us? If it is impossible for such a building of wonder to reflect God, how can sinful humanity be a temple to reflect his glory to the world? In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, we are reminded that we are God’s temple and are called to glorify God in our bodies. People today want to affirm that “their body is their own,” so they can do what they desire with their body. They demand “my body, my choice.” However, this is a lie, for our body is not our own; rather, our body is the temple of God, and we belong to him. We are his temple, and therefore, he has authority over our bodies and our lives. Just as the temple belonged to God to reflect His glory, we now belong to God and are to reflect his glory in our actions and attitudes. Just as the temple was to reflect the glory of God visibly, so we are to live our lives and conduct ourselves in a way that visibly reflects his glory to the world. Every thought and every action we have or do is to manifest the glory of God to the world. In the Old Testament, God dwelt in the temple, which served as a symbol of God’s presence to the world. Today, he resides in us, and we are to reflect his glory to the world. If building encompassed in gold could not reflect his glory, how much more does sinful humanity destroy God’s glory? Today, as you go through the day, ask yourself how your actions and attitudes are a reflection of God’s glory, for this is what we are called to do. Are you living as God’s temple?
2 Chron 1-5
“He indeed is good for his lovingkindness is everlasting,” then the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.”
How do you build a building that is worthy to serve as a place of worship for the God of the universe? How can you create a temple that adequately reflects His Majesty and glory to those who come to worship there? This is the challenge confronting Solomon. He was given the task of building a Temple that would adequately reflect the glory of God. To build this temple, he undertook a task that was beyond comprehension. It would require the labor of 150,000 men and cost an inexorably large amount of money to purchase all the gold and precious metals for the construction. In 1 Chronicles 22:14, it mentions that David amassed 100,000 talents of gold for the construction of the temple. This would be equivalent to 3,000 tons of gold. Today, this would be worth over $200 billion. In the Holy of Holies, the room where the Ark of the Covenant would be placed, Solomon used 33 tons of gold alone to overlay the wood. If the temple existed today, it would be one of the most significant architectural buildings in the world.
Not only was the temple constructed with unparalleled riches, but the dedication of the temple involved unparalleled sacrifices. In 5:6, it mentions that “so many sheep and oxen were sacrificed that they could not be counted or numbered.” It was a building and celebrative worship that was unequaled in the Ancient Near East. For all the extravagance and cost, it was still a poor reflection of the glory of the God of the universe. As Solomon himself affirmed, “But who is able to build a house for Him for the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain him?” Even with all our architectural ability today, even the most elaborate and most significant building we could construct would still be a poor reflection of the God who dwells in all of heaven.
Yet this points us to an even deeper question. If the grand temple of Solomon was a poor reflection of the infinite glory of God, how do we reflect his glory now that he dwells in us? If it is impossible for such a building of wonder to reflect God, how can sinful humanity be a temple to reflect his glory to the world? In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, we are reminded that we are God’s temple and are called to glorify God in our bodies. People today want to affirm that “their body is their own,” so they can do what they desire with their body. They demand “my body, my choice.” However, this is a lie, for our body is not our own; rather, our body is the temple of God, and we belong to him. We are his temple, and therefore, he has authority over our bodies and our lives. Just as the temple belonged to God to reflect His glory, we now belong to God and are to reflect his glory in our actions and attitudes. Just as the temple was to reflect the glory of God visibly, so we are to live our lives and conduct ourselves in a way that visibly reflects his glory to the world. Every thought and every action we have or do is to manifest the glory of God to the world. In the Old Testament, God dwelt in the temple, which served as a symbol of God’s presence to the world. Today, he resides in us, and we are to reflect his glory to the world. If building encompassed in gold could not reflect his glory, how much more does sinful humanity destroy God’s glory? Today, as you go through the day, ask yourself how your actions and attitudes are a reflection of God’s glory, for this is what we are called to do. Are you living as God’s temple?
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