BUILDING ON THE PAST-2
March 4, 2019 | 2 Chronicles 6:1–21
This Month’s Issue
In Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll indicates that Alice’s understanding of her world has matured beyond those around her by increasing her physical size, depicting her as uncontainable by her environs. In the last scenes of Alice’s dream, Carroll says, “[Alice] had grown so large in the last few minutes that she wasn’t a bit afraid of interrupting [the king] . . . ‘Who cares for you?’ said Alice, (she had grown to her full size by this time). ‘You’re nothing but a pack of cards!’” The cards, realizing their precarious position, then proceed to attack Alice, awakening her from her dream.
The Lord has kept the promise he made.
2 CHRONICLES 6:10
Solomon understood the paradox of trying to build a dwelling for an uncontainable God. He had built a temple for a God whose only dwelling is behind dark clouds—whom even the heavens cannot contain (vv. 1, 18; Acts 7:47–50)! How could Solomon expect the temple to magnify the greatness of such a God? How can we expect our houses of worship to exalt this same great God?
We must always keep in mind that God is greater than His house and is shrouded in mystery, hiding the fullness of His glory from us until in perfection we can embrace it all. This God is the One who must grow our ministries and memberships, deepening us spiritually, just as the Lord was faithful to build the temple He promised to David.
Moreover, God will exalt His name among us as we keep the Lord central to the identity and activities of our churches. The temple served as a place for God’s people to turn to the Lord for mercy from sin and salvation from judgment. The Lord, who is greater than all He has made, will answer prayers of repentance, for His merciful eyes always are upon His house.
APPLY THE WORD
Are you seeking for your own agenda to be implemented? Are you too dismissive of the spiritual legacy of those who came before you? Pray for the Lord to give you the wisdom that characterized Solomon to know how to proceed in ministry in a way that honors God’s calling and is gracious to others around you.