We Are the Home of God (1 Kings 5-7 & 2 Chronicles 2-4)
Have you ever wondered where God lives? These chapters reveal how the temple was built to reflect God's presence with His people.
1 Kings 5 - 7; 2 Chronicles 2 - 4
Today's Scripture Passage
A Few Thoughts to Consider
Where does God live?
While this might seem like a strange question, 1 Kings 5-7 and 2 Chronicles 2-4 give us some profound insights. First, we see the preparation for and building of the temple. Keep in mind that Solomon was able to build the temple, a task that his father, David, could not undertake due to specific divine directives and circumstances. God's house was to be a place of peace, and it was deemed inappropriate for it to be built by someone associated with war and bloodshed. Instead, God chose Solomon, David's son, who reigned during a period of peace, to build the temple.
As Solomon is building, 1 Kings 6:11-13 says,
11 “The word of the Lord came to Solomon: 12 ‘As for this temple you are building—if you walk in my statutes, observe my ordinances, and keep all my commands by walking in them, I will fulfill my promise to you, which I made to your father David. 13 I will dwell among the Israelites and not abandon my people Israel.’”
Paul House notes, “Once more the Lord bases Solomon’s (and Israel’s) success on covenant faithfulness. As David told him in 2:1–4, Solomon must obey God’s word. Only then can the temple have lasting significance, and only then can the nation as a whole enjoy God’s favor.”[1]
This has been and will forever be the basis of God’s covenant with his people. He will always keep his end of the bargain, but he expects his people to keep theirs. While many today act as though God’s covenantal love is a blank check to live however we want underneath the umbrella of God’s perpetual forgiveness, this passage tells us something different.
As Iain Provan writes, “God will certainly live among his people once it is built. But this ‘dwelling’ will be on the same condition as before, namely obedience to the Law.”[2] Obedience and God’s presence are intertwined. The more we obey and the quicker we are to reflexively live as God wants us to live, the more of God’s presence we will experience.
The great tragedy of Solomon’s life is that the very person who built such a methodical and magnificent home for God did not give the same detail to his own heart. In doing so, he failed to see the real purpose behind Yahweh’s instructions. The primary reason God instructed Solomon to build such a grand home was not that God needed a place to live. Instead, this physical temple was to point Israel to a spiritual reality and show how God wanted to transform humanity and make the hearts of his people his home.
A Meditation to PRAY
Praise | Lord, I come before you in awe of your grandeur and wisdom. Your detailed instructions and the provision of resources underscore your sovereignty and meticulous plan for places where your presence dwells. I praise you for your unfailing commitment to dwell among your people, from the days of Solomon’s temple to the reality of your Spirit within us today.
Release | I release into your hands my desires, my plans, and my will, asking you to use me as you see fit. Like the cedar and stone used to build the temple, may every aspect of my life be prepared and positioned according to your design. I let go of my control, knowing that your plans are higher than mine and your ways are beyond my understanding.
Ask | I ask you, Lord, to fill me with your wisdom and strength, as you did with Solomon, so I can undertake the tasks you have set before me with integrity and skill. Guide me in constructing my life into a temple that honors you, using the gifts and talents you’ve bestowed upon me for your glory. Help me to be diligent and faithful in my service to you, reflecting your beauty and grace.
Yield | I yield to your Holy Spirit, inviting you to dwell richly within me. Transform my heart into your holy sanctuary, where peace, love, and holiness reside. As Solomon dedicated the temple to you, I dedicate my life to you, asking you to consecrate every moment for your purpose. Teach me to walk in your ways, to cherish your presence, and to extend your love to others.
