Will God Dwell on Earth?

"But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!" (1 Kings 8:27 ESV)

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14 ESV)

Solomon's question at the temple dedication finds its definitive answer in John's declaration about the incarnation. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones draws our attention to the staggering contrast between these two passages, separated by nearly a thousand years yet connected by a single theme: God's dwelling with humanity.

Lloyd-Jones observes that Solomon's rhetorical question expresses appropriate awe at God's transcendence. How could the infinite be contained within finite space? How could the eternal be localized in temporal dimensions? How could the Creator be housed in a created structure? The question reveals the vast gulf between divine and human existence—a gulf that seems unbridgeable.

John's declaration—"the Word became flesh and dwelt among us"—announces that this apparently unbridgeable gulf has been spanned. The Greek term translated "dwelt" (eskēnōsen) literally means "tabernacled" or "pitched his tent," deliberately echoing Old Testament language about God's presence in the tabernacle. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that John intentionally connects Christ's incarnation with God's dwelling among Israel, but with a crucial difference: God now dwells not in a building but in a person.

The phrase "we have seen his glory" affirms that Christ's humanity did not diminish His deity. Though veiled in flesh, divine glory remained visible to those with eyes to see. Lloyd-Jones notes that just as the Shekinah glory filled the tabernacle and temple, the glory of God filled the person of Christ. His miracles, teaching, character, and ultimately His resurrection revealed the "glory as of the only Son from the Father."

The final phrase—"full of grace and truth"—highlights what the incarnation reveals about God's character. Lloyd-Jones observes that these attributes perfectly address humanity's predicament. We need truth to overcome our ignorance about God, and we need grace to overcome our alienation from God. In Christ, both are provided in full measure.

This Christmas, marvel at the answer to Solomon's ancient question. Yes, God indeed dwells on earth—not in temples made with hands but in the person of His Son. The question that perplexed Israel's wisest king finds resolution in Bethlehem's manger. The One whom "heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain" willingly confined Himself to human form.

The God who once dwelt behind veils and curtains now reveals Himself openly in Christ. What Moses could only glimpse partially, what Solomon could only question rhetorically, we can know fully through the Word made flesh.