II Chronicles 6:12-42
Dear RTB’ers,
But will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house that I have built! And now arise, O Lord God, and go to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your might. (vv. 18, 41a) Solomon is here speaking to the Lord in real human terms. He had heard from his father, David that the Lord had indeed appeared to him. (See 2 Samuel 24:17, II Chronicles 3:1.) So it seems that Solomon truly believed that the Lord would come to dwell in His temple. And our first verse tomorrow says that Solomon’s prayer was immediately answered: As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. (v. 7:1)
All that, God’s wonder and might in powerful display! But back to the first line quoted above – But will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? Solomon would never know that God could indeed dwell with man on the earth. The thought of a Messiah was not yet well founded in Jewish thought – that came about more clearly during the Exile. But Solomon could not have imagined Jesus, born as a baby and living with man on earth for 30+ years. Yes, God did indeed dwell with man on the earth. And today we reap the benefits of that Incarnation. Glory!
Blessings!
Fred