2 Chronicles 3-5:1

Read 2 Chronicles 3-5:1 

Verses for meditation: The whole passage

Reflect

Read the passage in its entirety and pay special attention to what it's saying. Imagine a visual tour, if you will.

Open your hearts and minds to what's behind the details and descriptions.

Ask what you can learn about Solomon? About the temple? About worship then, now, and in the future? Most of all, ask what you can learn about being the temple yourself, and with Christ as the gold standard (pun intended)?  

Relate

This is not the first time we're encountering a passage that's wholly dedicated to the building of the temple, with its attendant details and graphic descriptions. It's not even surprising that some of the things we read should fly over our heads. Or that we should have no clue as to what the cubit measurement talk is all about.

If that’s the case, what about treating this reading as a visual or mental tour by trying to imagine the gold, the cherubim, the pillars, the altars, the separation of the courts, the basins, the pomegranates and even the choral singing? Would any of these begin to speak in a more vivid way? As they say a picture paints a thousand words, albeit a mental one.

I don't know about you, but I found it useful. It helped me realise the genius of Solomon and his painstaking devotion to the project. And that whatever he was doing, he was not building a monument to be remembered by. Instead, he was building a temple for God and posterity’s sake. Therefore, all he wanted was for God to be pleased and for others to know God through their time spent in the temple.

One can only suppose then that the temple was one of the grandest buildings on the face of the earth in Solomon’s time. Perhaps, more beautiful even than his own kingly palace, with a grandeur as inspiring and solemn as those befitting the awesome standing of the Most High.

It behoves us then to ask ourselves honestly: How are we with our motives and commitments? Whose interests are we really serving? And whose wisdom are we actually tapping on?

Incidentally, the temple was built on Mt. Moriah, the same place where Abraham was stopped by an angel as he was about to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Years later, the Cross of Christ would stand on one of its hills as the ultimate sacrifice. The running theme from Isaac to the temple, and to the Cross is undeniably 'sacrifice'. In the same way, sacrifice should be at the top of our list of service and commitment vocabulary. As such, in what way has our service or commitment borne the mark of sacrifice? 

In front of the temple stood two impressive pillars with the given names Jachin and Boaz meaning 'He shall establish' and 'In His strength' respectively. Being reminded of this, how will it set us in the right frame of mind each time we serve and worship the Lord in the building we call church?  How can it also be made known to the community that they can likewise 'come here and get established' as well as 'come here and receive the strength of God'?

Looking at the separation of the courts in the temple, note how far we've come since the days when only priests could enter the Holy of Holies on our behalf. Now, we can have direct access to the Most Holy place because of the Lord’s sacrifice since the temple veil was torn once and for all by his death on the Cross. This is no doubt the greatest privilege of worship today.

Stationed in various parts of the temple were also cherubim, life - sized figures of winged angelic beings associated with the worship and praise of God. Together with the choir of singers singing praises 24/7, it provides us with a glimpse of what worship would be like in heaven where praise is continuous, thanksgiving is habitual, prayer is unceasing and love is unchanging. Perhaps, this is the direction that worship should be heading.

But the greatest lesson of them all has to come from the observation that the temple was nondescript in appearance from the outside, but splendorous with all the gold inlays on the inside.

‘Such was Christ’s inside (Colossians 2: 9); in his outside was no such desirable beauty (Isaiah 53: 2); so the Church's glory is inward (Psalm 45: 13), in the hidden men of the heart (1 Peter 3: 4).’ (Trapp) 

How nice would that be!

Rest

Lord, create in me a pure heart. Renew a steadfast spirit within me. Continue the work of your hand on my inner man. For my sacrifice is a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, Lord, you will not despise.

Naville Chia