Read: 1
Kings 8
The temple is completed. The implements are made
and preparations set in place. Israel is gathered at Jerusalem for the
dedication of the temple. The priests bring the Ark of the Covenant into the
Most Holy place, reminding us of the sacred position Yahweh deserves. His
holiness deserves the deepest, most reverential place in our hearts. God,
seeing the worship in Israel’s hearts, descends into the temple, filling it
with the cloud of His presence. His glory is so strong that only the High
Priest may enter the Holy of Holies. And then, he may only enter once a year on
the Day of Atonement. Sin cannot live in the presence of holiness, preventing
the priests (sinful humans, like you and I) from entering God’s presence fully.
Solomon first dedicates the temple before the
assembly of Israel, praising God for fulfilling His promises (v 15-20). Next,
Solomon turns to the altar and pours out his prayers to Yahweh. Solomon
worships God and asks God to hear his prayers, even in light of His holiness (v
23-28). The heart of this prayer is this: while God’s holiness requires
discipline for the sinful, His love will show mercy to the truly repentant. The
temple is established as a focal point for God’s relationship with Israel. It
is meant to be a house of prayer, where man can communicate with God (Isaiah
56:7). God’s desire, beginning with Adam and Eve and extending into eternity is
to be in close relationship with mankind. The temple system is a key point in
God’s history with mankind. God’s presence in the temple gives us a taste of
intimacy with Him, whetting our appetites for more. However, it also reveals
how our sin keeps us separated from God, even though He remains close to us
(Hebrews 9:8-12). Sin will always create a barrier in our relationship with
Him. Thus, the temple system revealed the void which could only be filled by
Christ’s death and resurrection.
While growing our hunger for God and revealing the
impossibility of reaching Him on our own, the temple also foreshadows our
eternity with Him. God’s presence came from heaven and filled a place on earth.
The Israelites feasted and celebrated His presence. Surely this is a glimpse
into the day when God will fully make His home with man on earth (Rev 21:3).
Unlike the Israelites on the day of the temple dedication, when God brings
heaven to earth we will experience it with renewed and forgiven hearts. We will
no longer be marred by sin and separated from God. We will have new,
resurrected bodies and hearts that are pure before Him. On that day we will
experience the fullness of God in a way no human in history has ever known Him.
Oh, how we will celebrate on that day!
Prayer and
Journaling
1. Read Hebrews 9:8-12. Meditate on how the temple
reveals our need for Jesus’ work on the Cross.
2. This chapter reveals many of God’s attributes,
whether explicitly written in the text or hinted at through the events and
prayers that take place. Review the chapter you just read and list as many of
God’s attributes as you can in your journal. Spend some time praising Him for
who He is.
3. The gift of salvation and eternal life is too
wonderful for words. The thought of walking in intimacy with God for eternity
stirs our hearts deeply. Pray for your loved ones who do not yet know Christ.
Pray that God would stir the longing for eternity that He has written on their
hearts. Pray that they would grow in their desire for God, their awareness of
the problem of sin, and in their knowledge of what Christ has done for us. Pray
that you would be able to spend eternity in heaven with these loved ones!
