Key Verse: 1 Kings 8:11
…so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.
Solomon’s Temple was undoubtedly one of the wonders of the world. It was to stand for 500 years until its destruction by the Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar. The glory of this magnificent building faded into insignificance when the people were confronted by the One Who is worthy of all glory, honour and power. The Presence of God so filled this place that those in the building collapsed to the floor, unable to stand.
The Ark of the Covenant was brought to the Temple from the place where it had been housed in a tent in David’s city, located on the southern slope of Mt. Moriah, the hill where (Jeru) Salem, the city of Melchisedek, was located (Genesis 14:18-20). It is also where Abraham brought his son, Isaac (Genesis 22:1-14). What a glorious celebration! Let us celebrate today that God, Himself, is present with us. While it would’ve been an amazing experience to be in Jerusalem on the occasion of the dedication of the Temple, it’s so very much greater to be in God’s presence right here, right now!
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, I bow in Your holy presence. I ask that You will reveal Your glory to me in whatever way You think is best. I know that You are revealed in all Your fullness in Jesus. Of Him, John wrote, “We beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” Dear Jesus, be Lord of my life now and forever. Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
My friend, Rod Hembree of Orangeville, Ontario, was our senior producer for the 100 Huntley Street telecast for several years. His dad, Rev. Ron Hembree, who has gone ahead of us to Heaven, often hosted 100 Huntley Street in my absence. Check out Rod’s video teaching series, Quick Study here. I find it interesting that Rod has a replica of the “Ark” pictured above.
Crossroads played a major role in famine relief in Ethiopia back in the 1980’s. The Ethiopian Orthodox Churches all have a replica of the Ark of the Covenant behind the altar. They have a tradition that the original Ark is hidden in their country. They confirm that the only items in the Ark are the tablets of stone on which the Ten Commandments are written. Our reading today also confirms that the Ark no longer contains the pot of manna and Aaron’s wooden rod that budded. Stephen Mengesha, heir to the throne of Halle Selassie of Ethiopia, (all other male members of the ruling family were executed in a communist coup – Stephen was studying in Toronto at the time) says that only one priest and the reigning Emperor are allowed to see the Ark. There’s more about Crossroads’ exciting and challenging involvement in my book, This Far By Faith. It contains my heart on many subjects. To order a copy of the book click HERE.
Yours for the ongoing presence of God,
David