Building a Temple for the Lord
Inspired by my father and the spiritual musings he’s spun throughout the past year, I have been trying to read through the Bible in one year. Right now I am in 2 Chronicles, which mirrors a lot of I Kings, recording the construction of the Temple. Since it’s so fresh in my mind, I found it interesting that my pastor preached on the construction of the Temple yesterday in church.
What my pastor said really struck me: David had a heart to build the temple, but God said NO. David had shed too much blood, but God honored his desire by saying that David’s son Solomon would build the temple for Him. My pastor made the point that there are times when we have a passion for God’s work, some noble, worthy task, but God still says NO. In His plan, in His timing, He has chosen a different person, different path, a different plan. David was righteous, even zealous for the Lord and His temple. David wrote one of my favorite psalms, “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple (27:4).” Why didn’t God allow David to build the temple? He was a “man after God’s own heart.” One would say he was even more righteous than Solomon turned out to be; after all Solomon’s 700 wives turned him from God to idolatry by the end of his life and reign. But God said NO. He allowed Solomon the privilege, even the blessing, of building the Temple. God blessed Solomon with much more as well, giving him the wisdom that Solomon requested, and the wealth that he didn’t.
But if you read the I Kings account of that time period, when Solomon is beginning his reign, the Temple was being planned, and David is dying, you will notice one more thing that is noteworthy: before Solomon started the building of the Temple (or got very far in his kingship), he removed all the negative influences leftover from his father’s reign. I Kings 2 records the deaths of Joab and Adonijah, the demotion of Abiathar from his priestly duties and the “house arrest” of Shimei, who was killed after breaking it. These men were all far from innocent, and Solomon’s punishments were carried out on God’s orders in the name of justice for their sins. These were men of opportunism, raw ambition, violence, deception, betrayal, manipulation, and expediency. They were also men well-connected, close to the ear of the king. God had Solomon rid himself of those influences before commencing the monumental task of the building a Temple for the Name of the Lord.
I give all that as background to two major points that I have been considering lately: however worthy, noble, or meritous the work of the Lord is—however zealous, passionate and desirous we may be to do it—God can still say NO and He is sovereign. He has His reasons, and we don’t always understand; in fact, we rarely understand, but He is sovereign. I am just starting out on my missionary journey, and there are things I cry out to God for: opportunities, results, chances to build Him a “temple” here in France, but the truth is I may never see that day. It doesn’t mean that He won’t build Himself that temple; it just means it may not be by MY hands. God will be glorified and I will glorify Him, but God may allow others to do the work that I have a heart for. I want to be humble as David was, and to accept that the work gets done, whether or not its within my moment of ministry.
The second point is another hard one for me: accomplishing that work has to be completely free from human pride, human ambition, human drive—those things that led Joab, Abiathar, and Adonijah to betray, murder, manipulate, and connive their way to positions of authority in the kingdom. I don’t see myself murdering anyone, but ambition is something I struggle with. Being smart enough to “work the angles” tempts me sometimes to do things my way, not God’s. But I can never build the temple that God is worthy of, if I am just using my own savvy and not His grace.
In other news: my friend Charles was able to get a passport a few days after his mother died, and he is in Gabon now until June 3rd with his family. Please continue to pray for him. He is the oldest child, which in Africa means heavy responsibilities, and the only Christian in his family. He is praying for opportunites to share Christ with his family, who are mostly animistic. Please pray with him that he is able to say what God would lead him to share with his family at this time.
What my pastor said really struck me: David had a heart to build the temple, but God said NO. David had shed too much blood, but God honored his desire by saying that David’s son Solomon would build the temple for Him. My pastor made the point that there are times when we have a passion for God’s work, some noble, worthy task, but God still says NO. In His plan, in His timing, He has chosen a different person, different path, a different plan. David was righteous, even zealous for the Lord and His temple. David wrote one of my favorite psalms, “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple (27:4).” Why didn’t God allow David to build the temple? He was a “man after God’s own heart.” One would say he was even more righteous than Solomon turned out to be; after all Solomon’s 700 wives turned him from God to idolatry by the end of his life and reign. But God said NO. He allowed Solomon the privilege, even the blessing, of building the Temple. God blessed Solomon with much more as well, giving him the wisdom that Solomon requested, and the wealth that he didn’t.
But if you read the I Kings account of that time period, when Solomon is beginning his reign, the Temple was being planned, and David is dying, you will notice one more thing that is noteworthy: before Solomon started the building of the Temple (or got very far in his kingship), he removed all the negative influences leftover from his father’s reign. I Kings 2 records the deaths of Joab and Adonijah, the demotion of Abiathar from his priestly duties and the “house arrest” of Shimei, who was killed after breaking it. These men were all far from innocent, and Solomon’s punishments were carried out on God’s orders in the name of justice for their sins. These were men of opportunism, raw ambition, violence, deception, betrayal, manipulation, and expediency. They were also men well-connected, close to the ear of the king. God had Solomon rid himself of those influences before commencing the monumental task of the building a Temple for the Name of the Lord.
I give all that as background to two major points that I have been considering lately: however worthy, noble, or meritous the work of the Lord is—however zealous, passionate and desirous we may be to do it—God can still say NO and He is sovereign. He has His reasons, and we don’t always understand; in fact, we rarely understand, but He is sovereign. I am just starting out on my missionary journey, and there are things I cry out to God for: opportunities, results, chances to build Him a “temple” here in France, but the truth is I may never see that day. It doesn’t mean that He won’t build Himself that temple; it just means it may not be by MY hands. God will be glorified and I will glorify Him, but God may allow others to do the work that I have a heart for. I want to be humble as David was, and to accept that the work gets done, whether or not its within my moment of ministry.
The second point is another hard one for me: accomplishing that work has to be completely free from human pride, human ambition, human drive—those things that led Joab, Abiathar, and Adonijah to betray, murder, manipulate, and connive their way to positions of authority in the kingdom. I don’t see myself murdering anyone, but ambition is something I struggle with. Being smart enough to “work the angles” tempts me sometimes to do things my way, not God’s. But I can never build the temple that God is worthy of, if I am just using my own savvy and not His grace.
In other news: my friend Charles was able to get a passport a few days after his mother died, and he is in Gabon now until June 3rd with his family. Please continue to pray for him. He is the oldest child, which in Africa means heavy responsibilities, and the only Christian in his family. He is praying for opportunites to share Christ with his family, who are mostly animistic. Please pray with him that he is able to say what God would lead him to share with his family at this time.
Comments
I know a guy who rebuilds temples. He's pretty fast too. When the temple was torn down, He rebuilt it in three days. I would stay close to that guy.
Psalm 127: 1-2
A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.
1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is vain for you to rise up early,
To sit up late,
To eat the bread of sorrows;
For so He gives His beloved sleep.
SRCLead,
Ben Rainey, Jr.
Lead Pastor
Severn River Church