A Place For God To Dwell Series

A woman told of going to her Bible study at church and telling her 3-year-old son, Chad, they were going to God’s house. Each time they walked through the quiet sanctuary on their way to the nursery, Chad looked around in awe. It was a beautiful building. One day however, the child asked, “Mommy, if this is God’s house, how come He’s never home?” (Karen Ketzler, Fort Wayne, IN. Today’s Christian Woman, “Heart to Heart.”)

In our text today, Solomon is about to build the first Temple in Jerusalem. It was a beautiful and imposing structure. The Jewish historian Josephus reported that the Temple of his day was “covered on all sides with massive plates of gold,” and when the sun struck it, “it radiated so fiery a flash that persons straining to look at it were compelled to avert their eyes, as from solar rays.” It was a showpiece. A place of wonder and majesty; a place where people felt as if they were in the very presence of God.

Now, there’s an interesting observation that Solomon made: “The house that I am to build will be great - for our God is greater than all gods. But who is able to build him a house - since heaven, even highest heaven, cannot contain him? Who am I to build a house for him, except as a place to make offerings before him?” II Chronicles 2:5-6

God was too big to dwell in a house made by human hands. Even the highest heaven could not contain our God! And yet, this Temple was spoken of as the place where God dwelt.

Now, centuries before Solomon built this temple - Israel had worshipped at a tent-like structure that was called the Tabernacle. The tabernacle was NOT nearly as huge and as impressive as the Temple. And yet, God told Moses: “(The Israelites) are to make a sanctuary for me (the Tabernacle) so that I may dwell among them” Exodus 25:8

Essentially God was saying “I don’t need a place to dwell”. But you… you need for me to dwell WITH you. God said: I want a place where I can DWELL with you … and the tabernacle & the temple were built to serve that purpose.

What’s intriguing is that when the Tabernacle was dedicated we’re told that “The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.” Exodus 40:34-35

And later, when the Temple was dedicated it says that “The glory of the LORD filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD’s house.” II Chronicles 7:1-2

God filled the Tabernacle and the Temple so He could DWELL with His people.

But WHY would that be important - for GOD to dwell with us? Well, because that was God’s way of saying that we’re important to Him. I mean… if somebody doesn’t like you they’re not going to want you to come over to their house; they’re not going to want to hang out with you.

But the Tabernacle & Temple were God’s way of saying – I like you. I want to be around you. You’re important to me. You matter to me. I want to be where you are!

Now David understood that concept. That’s why he wrote the famous words “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.” David understood that God loved him and that God would guide and protect him, and that God would never abandon him. “I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

David was so committed to that truth that God said of him ‘I have found in David … a man after my own heart - who will do all my will.’ (Acts 13:22). David lived his life as a man who knew that God loved him, and that drove him to do God’s will wherever he could!

So, when GOD said “I want to dwell among (my people)” He was saying – I love them, and I want to live close to them so that I can watch over them and protect them.

But there was a problem. A problem that made it so that God couldn’t get TOO close to His people. You see, God wanted to be WITH His people, but those people weren’t allowed to get too close to Him. In the tabernacle and Temple – God was INSIDE & the people were OUTSIDE! In fact, God was inside, the INSIDE of the Temple. The Temple was composed of two rooms… and there was a huge curtain inside the Temple. And behind that curtain was where God dwelt! God was in the back room. Everybody but the high priest was forbidden to go into that back room. GOD WAS INSIDE… AND EVERYONE ELSE WAS OUTSIDE