Great Rivers, Great Challenges 2007
Queen Madeline of Dandelion (our grand daughter) photo by Jerry Higbee
Text to consider: 1 Kings 6:9-13
The Dwelling Place by D. F. Higbee
The photo of our grand daughter above may not seem as if it has anything to do with God at all. But in the grand scheme of things, there is a huge connection. We are all royalty when we grow into the place where we can be called an "heir of Christ." Maddy loves to tell stories from her rich imagination about her "Princess Grandma Faye" and her "Prince Grandpa", and her "Princess Grandma Evelyn." They are wonderful stories about winning over the bad guys, and occupying the castle. God wants to occupy our castle for eternity. Here's how I got there:
1. Why was Solomon’s Temple so opulent? God is a God of representation. His nature is seen in created things. (Romans 1).
2. Why did it have so many levels and chambers, with beveled windows and doors and wood paneling. The outer building was made of stone finished at the quarry so that there would be no noise inside the temple. The wooden beams and panels were of one piece so that they were hewn outside of the building and simply placed inside. Think of it- without modern laser leveling tools, no special saws and only crude measuring devices, cedar beams, carved wood panels the size of city gates, precious stones 8 to 15 ft in height were moved into place and fit without the sound of pounding or chipping.
The answer to these questions: the temple’s many levels remind us that there are many levels of relationship to God. We can stay in the outer court and have church, or we can move into the Holy of Holies and become a friend and lover of Jesus. That place has only God’s Presence in residence.
Cedar --beams, panels, doors: Cedar is a fragrant wood, resistant to insect infestation, easy to use, and represents God’s Glory and the glory of His people, as well as strength and might. (Numbers 24:6, Ezek 17:22-23,Psalm 92:12, Amos 2:9). The cedar showed that the temple of God would one day be built in relationship that would be simple and glorious, strong and powerful yet easy to obtain.
Gold-the overlays: Representative of redemption, purification of faith and character, the Word of God, the royal Kingship of Christ. (Job 23:10, 2 Timothy 2:20, 1 Peter 1:7, Rev 3:18. All of the items that were overlaid with gold showed that even the altar itself, the place of sacrifice, pointed to the redemption and purification of the saints.
Cypress- the floor: an extremely hard wood that resists easy destruction. It was often used by idolmakers. Isaiah 44:14-17
Palm and flowers-- carvings: Flowers are fragrant reminders to the world of the fragrance of God- Palm is figurative of righteousness, beauty, and victory. Ps 92:12, Song of Solomon 7:7, John 12:13. They pointed to the Presence of God. His fragrance, His beauty, His victory over all things.
Olive- the angels: The olive tree is one of the most productive trees in the Middle East- from it came fruit, oil, furniture. It is used figuratively of peace in Genesis 8:11, Kingship in Judges 9:8-9, the nation of Israel Jeremiah 11:16, the righteous in Psalm 52;8, and a faithful remnant or the true church in Isaiah 17;6 and Romans 11:17-24. They are used in Zecharaiah 4:3,11,12 as the place of anointing and those who are anointed in the last days.
If God uses representation as a pointer to His ways and attributes, then there are several things we need to hear in the Temple built by Solomon.
1. All of the honor Solomon gave God in the temple was meant to give God a place of habitation, not visitation. He created an opulent place because God is the creator of the universe and deserves the perfection as near as it can be produced. But all of the outward beauty did not change the heart of Solomon to follow the fullness of God. He still kept portions of his heart in the ways of the world.
In Hebrews 10:4, it says that the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sins. Under the Old covenant, time after time, sacrifice had to be made to continually sanctify (that means set apart for holy purpose) the people to God. Jesus was the only sacrifice that can actually cleanse sin- fix it permanently. Why?
Because God wants a dwelling place, not a place of sacrifice. He wants relationship, not religion.
So Solomon’s temple was made up of representational items that pointed towards the new covenant: the redemption, the cleansing, the glory, the peace, the anointing, those things which we as habitations of God should reveal.
2. The outside versus the inside:
The outside we portray is important- the way we look, the way we act, the way we treat others is how we can relate to those God seeks to touch and bless. If someone doesn’t take care of themselves (i.e., clean clothes, combed hair, etc), they speak of heart issues that need God’s love and care. But if the inside is corrupt, the outside will simply be a nice tomb even if it is opulent in the way Solomon’s temple was. As Jesus put it, the whitewashed tomb. God wants us to portray Him properly, but He seeks the inside to be filled with His Presence. That’s why Jesus took the whip and chased out the moneychangers. The “temple” was not a habitation of God during the time of Herod, but a habitation of worldly enterprise- marketing, sin, self. What are we?
When the Queen of England is home at Windsor castle, a special family flag is flown from the flag pole. When that flag is up, tourists are out.
Is the flag that is flown over you a welcoming one, or one of self-absorption?
God desires not a place where He can come and go, but a place where He can stay. Jesus told us that if we accepted Him and opened the door, the Father and the Holy Spirit would all join Him and make their HOME in us. Most of the time it’s a come and go situation. He wants full reign in His palace, and we are the palace.
We cry out for visitation, but God doesn’t want to visit, He wants to live here. Your outward representation should reflect who He is, and be an inviting warm place of safety. Jesus was warm and inviting and healing to those sinners who sought after Him. He did not keep company with the religious crowd. We must hear His voice and go where He sends us. But our inward part needs to be cleansed enough that He has free reign to do as He pleases. No more, no less. Anointing will not come in the power that He has promised until all manner of personal garbage has fallen away. It’s not about us, it’s about Him.