Opus 2026-360: A Moment Is Not Forever

There is a danger in spiritual snapshots.  We know that is true in our own lives but it is also true in the Bible.  Take for instance Solomon.  He is remembered for his wisdom.  When God gave him the opportunity to choose any gift he wanted, that is what he asked for.  It worked well at first.  Later on, not so much but that is the topic of another day.

What I want to recognize as wisdom and humility comes early in his reign.  He had been told he was to build the temple and was embarking on that challenge.  What hit me as I read was this observation of Solomon:

(2Ch 2:6 KJV)  But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him?

He had a realistic understanding of the greatness of God and the futility of trying to build Him a house that would contain Him.  In fact, notice the real purpose he lays out for the temple.  It was a focal point for us to come to so that we could offer our sacrifices.

I know there are lots of pictures in the Bible of God’s presence in the temple.  You can’t take away from that but Solomon wisely points out that God was making allowance for our needs rather than His own.  That is typical of the God we serve.  His majesty is beyond us.  His glory would consume us.  His knowledge would trip all the circuit breakers in our brain.  Yet He knows that we need something within our comprehension to grab hold of.  In His plan the temple was that place for Israel.  Since Pentecost the Holy Spirit has been available.  Some say we become the temple.  In Revelation we have this,

(Rev 21:22 KJV)  And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

Will the temple be rebuilt?  I am not sure why it would need to be but I am not a member of your brand of eschatology.  I can live with these simple Bible statements.

homo unius libri