Scripture Menu—
1 Kings 6:11-13
Now the word of the LORD came to Solomon, “Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel.”
Matthew 28:20
“And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”
Cogitations—
The holy, royal architectural centerpiece of the world begins to take shape on the belly-button of the world! It is a massive undertaking. This sacred space that will provide a foot-stool for the Almighty— for no man-made structure could ever contain God in all his glory— will be a most majestic work of worship art. 90 feet long and 45 feet high of gold laden over costly Lebanon cedar. No more dusty desert flooring— dirt gives way to permanent wooden flooring now. Gold service utensils and implements, because no common materials will do. All measurements doubled over the mobile goat haired, ram skinned edifice that moved through the wilderness. Everything will be nailed to the floor, so to speak. God has come to rest in the Jerusalem Temple Solomon is privileged to build.
Wow. Exciting. Impressive.
Not so fast, my friend! There is a major literary bump on this road to glory. Plucked right down in the middle of this account is a “Debbie Downer” interruption. God shows up and shares his thoughts with the cocky king. (6:11-13)
“Concerning this house that you are building,
IF you walk in my statutes
and obey my rules,
and keep all my commandments,
and walk in them,
THEN I will establish my word with you,
which I spoke to David, your father.
And I will dwell among the children of Israel,
and will not forsake my people, Israel.”
The entire chapter is a walking tour of this new, incredible, soon-to-be-hallowed edifice. And then, in verses 11-13, there is this “Hoover Dam” clog amid this otherwise scenic “cruise.” I might say that it was a “God Dam,” but this is a family blog ;-).
I was somewhat surprised that one of the commentaries I was perusing in preparing for this lesson failed to even note these three dissonant notes in the passage. Alex Israel, the author, is Jewish and writing in the Maggid Studies in the Tanakh series. He waxes eloquent on the details and all it entails. But not one word on verses 11-13. Curious. Tragic. Missing it like King Solomon, perhaps?
God is not impressed with the building. The concerns of God are concerns of the heart. The Temple is beautiful, and God ordained, but if it does not lead to an obedient, God-shaped life, a place of devotion becomes an object of idolatry. God is blunt. IF you will obey me. IF you will walk in my ways. IF you keep to the good way— THEN, I will be with you. If not, I will not. Bottom line, at the end of the rope, is the curse of exile.
In all the excitement of this chapter, there is this sober caution. Of course, looking down the corridor of time, 400-some years of sons of David and Solomon. 21 kings in total —not including the usurper Athaliah— every last one of them, fall short of this mark. In 586 BC, the Babylonians will invade and destroy Jerusalem— burning Solomon’s glorious Temple to the ground.
Perhaps an applicatory note here is appropriate. We are blessed in modern times with lovely churches. Worship spaces that inspire awe in the God who is transcendent over all creation, and yet, condescended to put on humanity, and is ever present in the Holy Spirit. The art, the lay of the architecture, and in many traditions, the smell of incense that keeps the prayers of the Church ascending upwards to the Throne Room of heaven where they “stick to” God. Liturgically, these theological "accoutrements" are used to bring us into the presence of God. But these accoutrements are merely just that. They point to God – they are not the ends, but the means of worship. When we get off track here, we miss the boat and hit the wall.
In Solomon’s day, God placed a conditional “IF” before him: If you do this, then I will be with you. Today, considering the Cross and the Resurrection, Jesus has kept all of the requirements of the Solomonic “IF.” The Son of God has kept the Faith for all of us. The last words of the Gospel of Matthew are assuring of this comforting reality: “And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:18-20). No “Ifs” here!
Art: A stunning depiction of the temple of Solomon in old Jerusalem times, the Temple of Solomon Oil Painting on Jerusalem Stone is a truly unique piece of art. Painted by Avi Ohayon, an extraordinarily gifted painter from Jerusalem, Israel, this beautiful painting captures the essence of the ancient temple in all its glory. Ohayon’s prominent style is painting using oil paints on Jerusalem stone, a technique that he has perfected over many years.
