Welcome to a new week! I like to start each week, every day, by asking what can I do to make this one better than the last? The answer is to spend more time connecting with God and learning to apply His will to more areas of my life.
Today, we will learn some lessons from 1 Kings 6-7.
Building for God
As some of you may know, the church I am a member of, Sandario Baptist Church, in Tucson, AZ., is undergoing a building project. We have been worshipping in an old mobile building. The maintenance and upkeep were becoming restrictive.
Several years ago, we began praying about it. After many years of praying, we felt God telling us it was the right time.
We had been looking at moving to a different location to build. There have been a lot of communities spring up nearby. Perhaps being closer to them would benefit us.
God had a different plan. He clarified we needed to remain where we were.
After years of resistance, the family which owned the land next to our building sold the property to us at a very reasonable price.
We went through a year of church votes and negotiations.
The time came to meet with an architect and begin the project.
Facing delays
This has been over two years ago, and it is difficult to maintain enthusiasm when things drag on.
We read in 1 Kings 6:1 that it had been four hundred and eighty years since Israel had left Egypt. They had been carrying around the Ark of the Covenant of God for almost five centuries.
Every time it moved, they had to break everything down and then set it up. They followed every rule, obeyed each commandment and ordinance of God.
David wanted to build the temple, but God told him he couldn’t (1 Kings 8:17-19). We will read more about that tomorrow.
Solomon knew that because David had killed so many people, God had determined his son would build it. However, he had been king for over four years, and he still hadn’t started the temple.
We can relate to his frustration. Being on fire for the Lord, you want to get things finished.
Not to feel good about what you did. You want everyone who sees the result can say, look what God did.
Children can be very impatient. Our culture demands instant gratification. If we are not being entertained, we switch the channel. Even just during a commercial!
Solomon was only sixteen years old when he became king.
I remember being sixteen. The most important thing to me was getting my driver’s license. I had a job and made sure I worked as many hours as possible, because I wanted to buy a car.
It is inconceivable that a person of that age would be ruling a nation. God had given him wisdom, and he used it.
Now, at twenty years of age, he began building the temple.
Each brick had to be finished at the quarry. There were no metal tools used at the construction site (v6:7).
The entire complex was enormous, but the Temple was only about 90 feet by 30 feet wide. Compared to the size of some churches, this was not very large.
It took eleven years to complete the construction of the Temple.
There is a saying, “you can do it right, or you can do it fast”. The builder has pride in his work, wants to do it right. The people who want the job done want it fast.
This creates tension.
Today, you also need to factor in inflation. The longer a job takes, the more the job will cost. Keeping within your budget when a job lingers is a challenge.
Even though Solomons Palace, and the one he builds for his wife, are larger than the Temple (see chapter 7), God was still blessing them.
God’s presence
As parents, I know we always want our children to have more than we had. I don’t think God was unhappy at all that Solomon gave himself such lavish living quarters.
God is omnipresent (see Psalm 139:7-10). A building does not contain him (see Acts 7:48).
His dwelling place of choice is in our hearts (see Eph 3:17).
But He will not force Himself in. You must have faith and make room in your heart for Him to dwell.
God will not exist in a sinful environment. So you must repent, leaving your sinfulness behind and trusting Him to fill the space it opens.
When you do, you will see God manifest Himself in your life in undeniable ways.
I pray you do that today.
