Today's Reading: 2 Chronicles 2 & 3

His House Will Be Great

The purpose of the Temple in Jerusalem was to provide a dwelling place for the presence of Yahweh, as it is written, “They are to make a sanctuary for Me so that I may dwell among them.” (Exodus 25:8) The Temple Solomon was to build was to be the place of God’s holy presence and the center of worship and spirituality for the nation. In Israel, this Temple to Yahweh was called “Beit Hamikdash,” which translates literally as "the Holy House."

Temples for the purpose of religious worship were not unusual in Solomon’s day. A temple was a structure usually built for the purpose of, and always dedicated to, religious or spiritual activities including prayer, meditation, sacrifice and worship. Every sacred site had a link to the past and honored the specific “god” whose temple it was.  Ancient Egyptian temples were dedicated to their myriad of different deities or so-called “gods.” Ancient Mesopotamian temples were considered the house of the local deity or the patron god of the city. In China, early temples honored Xi'an (heaven) which represented both creation and divine order. 

The conventional thinking of the day was, “The grander the god, the grander the temple.” Thus, a routine or trite deity would have a rather inglorious temple, while the more powerful and great “gods” would have the most elaborate and magnificent temples. The Temple to Yahweh was no exception. It was to be the greatest and most magnificent place. As Solomon said, “The house that I am to build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods.” (V5)

The reality is that a Temple great enough to house God’s presence and be a reflection of His grandness could never be built by human hands. The notion that the omnipresent Creator of Heaven and Earth could be confined in a house or a temple was laughable. As Solomon went on to say, “The heaven of heavens cannot contain Him.” (V6) We cannot localize God, nor confine Him to a structure made of stone.

Nevertheless, God’s Temple was to be built. And it was to be the grandest of temples. It was going to be the greatest undertaking ever for the Israeli people. In fact, it would take over 150 thousand workers seven years to complete. No expense would be spared.  And, when completed, it would serve as the place for God’s people to gather and come into His presence for prayer, sacrifice, and worship.

Solomon’s dedication to the magnificence of the Lord’s Temple is an example of a person who knows that everything done for God is worthwhile and it must be done with all of our might and commitment. We also have a calling from Yahweh to “build His temple.” Our undertaking is not a stone building, but a spiritual building made up of “living stones” who come to Him and become His Church (see 1 Peter 2:4-5). We, like Solomon, must recognize that everything we do to build this spiritual “Temple” is worthwhile and must be done with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Our Grand God deserves nothing less!