Moment of Meditation: The Temple Is Built (1 Kings 6:1)

Original Broadcast: October 2009

Monthly Theme: King Solomon

In the four hundred and eightieth year after the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt,
in the fourth year of Solomon's reign,
in the month of Ziv, which is the second month,
he began to build the house of the LORD.
(1 Kings 6:1)

The Temple is Built

Four hundred eighty years after God called Moses from the burning bush, His house was finally being constructed. It's not that God needed a house. He was fine with the Tabernacle, but it was the solemn desire of both David and Solomon to build a more magnificent structure to be the central point of Israel's religious life. Certainly the Temple far exceeded the simple elegance of the Tabernacle.

As we learn from St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, "Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands" (Acts 7:48). God, however, does wish to be among His people. He wants to be the central focus of their lives. He wants to be the central focus of their communities. Therefore many towns and cities were built with the church building first and then the members' homes. Having a designated place to worship was the central desire for building a new settlement.

The desire to worship God comes to all people. Our church buildings look nothing like Solomon's Temple, but we treat them with the same dignity and respect. David wrote in the Psalms, "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the LORD'" (122:1). That joy should permeate our lives so that we see worship not as something we can check off our "to-do" list, but worship is time that we get to come into the presence of our Heavenly Father and bless Him for all the things He has given to us. Amen.