Doing Right vs. Doing Evil in the Eyes of the LordНамуна

This week, we begin with the building of the temple as ordained by God, and implemented by King Solomon. The section includes descriptions of the furniture and other features of the building. Why does this matter? Often when we read passages like this, there is a temptation to check-out mentally or just skip it. Please don't skip it, because understanding the role of the Temple is an important aspect, that will equip us to better understand 1 Kings. God created the world and established the Garden of Eden as a place where His presence was manifested in an especially acute way. After Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden, they were unable to experience Gods presence in the same way. How then, could they (and subsequent humans) be with God? The Tabernacle is the place where God dwelt among His people. The Holy of Holies, is where God's glory dwelt. This was a place where Heaven and Earth overlapped. Moving forward to the era of the Kings, Solomon, for the first time, starts building a permanent structure in Jerusalem, where God can literally be with his people. In the passage we are reading today God tells Solomon:

"Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel.” (1 Ki 6:12–13)

The tragedy of the Kings is that the vast majority of them do not follow this command and in the end (of this book, not of scripture!), God allows the Temple to be destroyed (2 Kings 5) and a foreign nation sends Judah into exile. Many years later, as recorded in Ezra and Nehemiah the Exile of Judah ends and the Temple is rebuilt. Many years later, Jesus comes on the scene fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy that He would be called Immanuel meaning “God with us”. Jesus himself became the Temple as He is the manifestation of God with us. He even spoke about Himself this way:

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. (Jn 2: 19-22)

As Christians we too are temples since the Holy Spirit dwells within each of us:

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Co 6:19-20)

In Christ our great high priest God is with us and through us He is restoring the world to Himself.

Today's prayer of illumination: Lord, open my heart and mind by the power of your Holy Spirit, that as I read these Scriptures and your Word is proclaimed to my heart, may I hear with joy what you say to me today. Amen