It's About Obedience; Not The Building.
In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites came out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel . . . he began to build the temple of the LORD.
. . . The word of the LORD came to Solomon: "As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, observe my laws and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father. And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel."
So Solomon built the temple and completed it . . . The inside of the temple was cedar, carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar, no stone was to be seen . . .
Solomon covered the inside of the temple with pure gold . . . he overlaid the whole interior with pure gold. He also overlaid with gold the altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary.
. . . On the walls all around the temple, in both the inner and outer rooms, he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers. He also covered the floors of both the inner and outer rooms of the temple with gold.
. . . In the eleventh year in the month of Bul, the eighth month, the temple was finished in all its details according to its specifications. He had spent seven years building it. I Kings 6:1-38.
. . . The word of the LORD came to Solomon: "As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, observe my laws and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father. And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel."
So Solomon built the temple and completed it . . . The inside of the temple was cedar, carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar, no stone was to be seen . . .
Solomon covered the inside of the temple with pure gold . . . he overlaid the whole interior with pure gold. He also overlaid with gold the altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary.
. . . On the walls all around the temple, in both the inner and outer rooms, he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers. He also covered the floors of both the inner and outer rooms of the temple with gold.
. . . In the eleventh year in the month of Bul, the eighth month, the temple was finished in all its details according to its specifications. He had spent seven years building it. I Kings 6:1-38.
The temple Solomon built for God was very opulent. The inside was panelled with very expensive wood and intricate decorative carvings all around. The inside of the temple was also covered in pure gold. Solomon also covered the floors of the temple with pure gold. It took him seven years to complete the temple. By all accounts, this was a very impressive building. The Creator of the universe, who had chosen Israel to receive His blessings and be called His people, deserved the very best temple on earth.
But, as impressive as the physical temple was, God made it clear to Solomon that what impresses Him most is not so much an opulent place of worship, but rather a yielded and obedient heart. So God said to Solomon: "As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, observe my laws and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill the promise I gave to David your father. And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel."
God's message to Solomon was clear: I am not as impressed with cedar and gold as I am with a heart that loves me enough to obey me. My promises will be fulfilled and my Presence will always be with my people if they love me enough to obey my word. Was God happy with the building? Yes, He was! But was the building an acceptable substitute to keeping the statutes of God? No, absolutely not! Obedience is always better than sacrifice!
It is easy to substitute obedience, which is the mark of true worship, with many external things that do not impress God whatsoever. We can give all kinds of material things to God but without living our daily lives to keep His word and do the things that bring true pleasure to His heart, all the things we do are meaningless. Our love for God is eloquently portrayed by our obedience.
The word of God to Samuel, when He rejected the physically impressive Eliab from being anointed as king, was: "...The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7b)
God will certainly call us to "build" things for Him. He certainly requires us to build for Him with our Time, Talents and Treasures. But beyond what we build for Him is how we live for Him. It's more about obedience rather than the Building.
But, as impressive as the physical temple was, God made it clear to Solomon that what impresses Him most is not so much an opulent place of worship, but rather a yielded and obedient heart. So God said to Solomon: "As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, observe my laws and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill the promise I gave to David your father. And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel."
God's message to Solomon was clear: I am not as impressed with cedar and gold as I am with a heart that loves me enough to obey me. My promises will be fulfilled and my Presence will always be with my people if they love me enough to obey my word. Was God happy with the building? Yes, He was! But was the building an acceptable substitute to keeping the statutes of God? No, absolutely not! Obedience is always better than sacrifice!
It is easy to substitute obedience, which is the mark of true worship, with many external things that do not impress God whatsoever. We can give all kinds of material things to God but without living our daily lives to keep His word and do the things that bring true pleasure to His heart, all the things we do are meaningless. Our love for God is eloquently portrayed by our obedience.
The word of God to Samuel, when He rejected the physically impressive Eliab from being anointed as king, was: "...The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7b)
God will certainly call us to "build" things for Him. He certainly requires us to build for Him with our Time, Talents and Treasures. But beyond what we build for Him is how we live for Him. It's more about obedience rather than the Building.
Prayer: Father, thank you for the reminder that what impresses you most is the depth of my obedience to you. Please help me to worship you in Spirit and in truth by obeying your word. Amen.