Opus 2026-388: Should-a-Beens: Temple Anarchy

I recently looked into the events and declaration around the building of the temple.  I started in II Chronicles 6 and went all the way back to the building of the Tabernacle.  Part of the impetus of this was the declaration by a Bible teacher that God never told David or Solomon to build the temple. It was not His idea.

That seemed a strange statement, but as you look at the beginnings, you can see that the idea was born in the “heart of David”.  Solomon is speaking,

(2Ch 6:7 KJV)  Now it was in the heart of David my father to build an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.

It did not come directly from God.

In one of the passages, God even declares that during all of the years of moving in and the wilderness, He never asked them to build him a house of Cedar. 

(2Sa 7:5 KJV)  Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?
(2Sa 7:6 KJV)  Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.
(2Sa 7:7 KJV)  In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?

Notice the question marks.  The idea was that God was perfectly happy with the tabernacle.  I would say that God’s plan was for a mobile worship center.

We run into a similar issue in the monarchy.  What was God’s original plan for how His people were to be governed?  God wanted to be their king.  The people started to pout and we have this confession,

(1Sa 8:7 KJV)  And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

Did God always planned on Saul becoming king?  Was a monarchy always in the works?  That depends on whether you’re a Calvinist or not.  No matter what your theology, God is obviously unhappy about it.

Why would God be satisfied with the anarchy of the judges and the mobility of the Tabernacle?

Both the monarchy and the temple speak of a stationary location for the center of power.  The monarchy transfers the focus of power from God Almighty to a king.  The temple ties the presence of God to one location.  Neither one of these was God’s plan.  He conceded them because it seems that the people needed it, or at least wanted it.

Where would we be today in living out God’s plan for humanity if Israel had never had a king and had been content with the Tabernacle?  Interesting thought.  Maybe I will find it interesting again.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-026: Forms of Government, part 3 of 5, King Me

Once you get past the time of the Judges the Bible assumes the existence of kings.  That runs all the way to Revelation so we see a monarchy considered normal.

How do we put it together?  Old fashioned kings with total power don’t seem to be the plan.  I am not sure they were ever the plan.  If you study ancient cultures, kings often had a name but no real power.  In the Bible a king was not God’s plan.  When Samuel was on his last legs the people were the ones who wanted a king.

(1 Samuel 8:5 KJV)  And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

There is something about conformity that gets us in trouble.  They didn’t want a king because they thought it was wise, they wanted to be like other nations.  God was not happy,

(1 Samuel 8:7 KJV)  And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

From there on God tells Samuel all the things a king will subject them to.  Kings take the young for their own purposes, from soldiers to concubines.  Kings take the best of everything and a portion of what is left.  Can you spell eminent domain and taxes?

So, although the book of Proverbs and the rest of the Bible assumes kings, it is not God’s plan that a strong, powerful individual should tell us how to live our lives.

To be continued...

homo unius libri