A Temple Meeting

Day 79: II Chronicles 1-5

Once again, the story of building the temple is re-told. David didn’t like living in a house of cedar while the Ark of the Covenant was in a tent, so he made plans to build a temple to house the Ark and other items for the Lord. When David (through Nathan) asked God if he could build the temple, God told him that David would not be allowed to build the temple because he had been too violent during his lifetime. At the same time, however, God told David that He would build a house for David instead—a house in which the Lord would dwell forever. So Solomon was the one who built the temple.

When Solomon decides to build the temple, this is what he says, “The temple I am going to build will be great, because our God is greater than all other gods. But who is able to build a temple for him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him?” (II Chronicles 2:5-6a)

The whole idea about building a temple is interesting. The Israelites wanted to honor God and to give him a holy place, even though they knew that He couldn't be contained in a building. They knew that the earthly building they created would not be near enough for the Lord, yet they wanted a place for their holy items and a place where people could go to feel closer to God. A special place. A holy place. A place that held history inside. A place that cost a lot of money but that was worth it because God was worth it.

Today, we, too, construct temples to the Lord. We have houses of worship where we go to meet God, to be closer to God, to worship God. We have churches where we meet together and commune with others and with Gods. Some of these buildings are elaborate and ornate, while others are simple and bare. Whatever level of the spectrum these churches may fall in terms of decoration, they all are filled with hope that in these places we will meet God. Although we can meet God in many different places, settings, and venues, there's just something special about meeting Him in a church building. God still cannot be contained in a building; He is too big for our roofs, yet we can still meet him there. How wonderful is that.

While we may not always agree about how to build our churches, how they should be used, or even how much money should be spent on them, we can all agree that when we enter there and gather in Jesus' name, we hope to experience the Holy Spirit, the sweet nature of Jesus, and the loving kindness of the Father. May you meet the Lord God as you enter into the doors of your temple.