The glory of the Lord filled the house of God

2 Chronicles 5-6:11 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Thus all the work that Solomon performed for the house of the Lord was finished. And Solomon brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, even the silver and the gold and all the utensils, and put them in the treasuries of the house of God.

² Then Solomon assembled to Jerusalem the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion. ³ All the men of Israel assembled themselves to the king at the feast, that is in the seventh month. ⁴ Then all the elders of Israel came, and the Levites took up the ark. ⁵ They brought up the ark and the tent of meeting and all the holy utensils which were in the tent; the Levitical priests brought them up. ⁶ And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him before the ark, were sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. ⁷ Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the holy of holies, under the wings of the cherubim. ⁸ For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, so that the cherubim made a covering over the ark and its poles. ⁹ The poles were so long that the ends of the poles of the ark could be seen in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen outside; and they are there to this day. ¹⁰ There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets which Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

¹¹ When the priests came forth from the holy place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without regard to divisions), ¹² and all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and kinsmen, clothed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps and lyres, standing east of the altar, and with them one hundred and twenty priests blowing trumpets ¹³ in unison when the trumpeters and the singers were to make themselves heard with one voice to praise and to glorify the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice accompanied by trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and when they praised the Lord saying, “He indeed is good for His lovingkindness is everlasting,” then the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, ¹⁴ so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

6 Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud. ² “I have built You a lofty house, And a place for Your dwelling forever.”

³ Then the king faced about and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. ⁴ He said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David and has fulfilled it with His hands, saying, ⁵ ‘Since the day that I brought My people from the land of Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house that My name might be there, nor did I choose any man for a leader over My people Israel; ⁶ but I have chosen Jerusalem that My name might be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’ ⁷ Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. ⁸ But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Because it was in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was in your heart. ⁹ Nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who will be born to you, he shall build the house for My name.’ ¹⁰ Now the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for I have risen in the place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹¹ There I have set the ark in which is the covenant of the Lord, which He made with the sons of Israel.”

Today’s text ends saying:  It was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.  But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Because it was in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was in your heart.  Nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who will be born to you, he shall build the house for My name.’  Now the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for I have risen in the place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.  There I have set the ark in which is the covenant of the Lord, which He made with the sons of Israel.   The temple that Solomon built was a marvelous, magnificent structure, filled with gold and silver. It was constructed and decorated by the finest craftsmen in the world. Reading the descriptions of the ornate work certainly cannot do justice to the actual beauty and magnificence, that we today can only imagine.

The text says:  They brought up the ark and the tent of meeting and all the holy utensils which were in the tent; the Levitical priests brought them up. And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him before the ark, were sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered.  Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the holy of holies, under the wings of the cherubim.  For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, so that the cherubim made a covering over the ark and its poles. The poles were so long that the ends of the poles of the ark could be seen in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen outside; and they are there to this day. There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets which Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.  When the priests came forth from the holy place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without regard to divisions),  and all the Levitical singers, with cymbals, harps and lyres, standing east of the altar, and with them one hundred and twenty priests blowing trumpets  in unison when the trumpeters and the singers were to make themselves heard with one voice to praise and to glorify the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice accompanied by trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and when they praised the Lord saying, “He indeed is good for His lovingkindness is everlasting,” then the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud,  so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.  There was sacrifice beyond the ability to number. There was worship and praise. Then God came and filled the temple with His manifest presence and glory.

Now consider this, 1 Corinthians 3:16 says:  Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?    So, what changed that God would dwell in such ordinary vessels rather than in one of the most magnificent structures ever built?  It was again a sacrifice which made the way. This time it was not sheep or oxen beyond number, but rather it was a single sacrifice. It was Christ dying for our sins so that we could be reconciled to God. In John 14:15-23 Jesus says:  “If you love Me, keep My commandments.And I will pray the Father, andHe will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—  the Spirit of truth,whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with youand will be in you.  I will not leave you orphans;I will come to you… Because I live, you will live also.At that day you will know thatI am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him…  If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him,and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”  We have the privilege of housing the same glory that filled the temple. Romans 12:1-2 says:  Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.  We should not take lightly the privilege we have in being the temple and dwelling place of God. If Solomon spared no expense and took years to complete a building worthy of God’s presence, should we not at least, daily present ourselves as acceptable to God?  In Luke 17:21 Jesus says:  “Indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”  When the glory of God filled the temple, it says:  the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.   That could be; that should be the effect we have as we carry the glory of God and His kingdom with us wherever we go. At the glory of God, people should give glory to God. In Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus says:  “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do theylight a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men,that they may see your good works andglorify your Father in heaven.”  

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit, thank You that through Your perfect sacrifice, I have been perfected in Your sight. I am amazed that You would consider me Your dwelling place, but because of Your mercy, I indeed present my body as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is my spiritual service of worship. I choose not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of my mind, so that I may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.  May Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven and as Your light and Your glory shines in me and through me may others glorify You. Amen.