His Magnificent Temple

I’ve been reading in 1 Kings about the building of the Temple. King Solomon had it built of the finest materials, imported from out of town. It took him seven years to complete. Seven is the number of perfection. It must have been the perfect dwelling place for the LORD.

After Solomon builds the temple, he then spends thirteen years building his palace. When he’s finished with both, he has the ark brought to the temple, then dedicates it. But before he can dedicate it, the glory of the LORD fills it, preventing the priests from performing their service.

“When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled his temple.” - 1 Kings 8:10-11

Solomon then tells the Lord, “I have indeed built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever.”  So much hard, careful work was put into building the temple. Not only was the temple magnificent, but it was a most holy place. 1 Kings 6: 7 tells us that “no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built.” I can’t help but think the reason for this was because of the fact that it was a holy place.

Solomon intended for the LORD to dwell in that temple forever. But, as we know, nothing lasts forever. Eventually the temple was destroyed. The Lord, however, had another temple in mind where He would dwell.

In the New Testament, we find that we are now the temple of the Lord. Paul tells us in 1 Chronicles 6:19 that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit.

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?”

He then says, “You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies” (1 Chron. 6:19b-20).  In Colossians, Paul talks about a mystery; the mystery being “Christ in me, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27). The other temple God had in mind was us. He now dwells inside of you and me. We are now His magnificent temple!

Some of us don’t feel magnificent. We might not look magnificent on the outside, but to God, we are absolutely stunning. David declares this to the Lord in Psalm 139:13-14:

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful.”

Just as King Solomon took great care in building the temple of the Lord, God took great care in knitting us together. Where the Lord’s temple took seven years to build, you and I take nine months for God to craft into the magnificent temple He hopes to indwell. The temple was perfect, so why wouldn’t God want to dwell there? You and I are’t so perfect, yet God desires to dwell in us forever. Despite how we see ourselves, God sees us as His magnificent temple. (Wow!)

This should have some implication, then, on how we treat ourselves. For much of my life, I have held a low view of myself. I have not always treated my body with the respect and honor the temple of the Lord deserves. I also have not cared for it in a way that is worthy of the Lord’s dwelling place. My prayer today is for forgiveness for the way I’ve treated the Lord’s temple, my body. I also pray for His help to care for it, to honor it, and to be constantly aware that I am His temple: His magnificent temple.