“Solomon’s Temple” 1 Kings 5:1-5; 8:1-13

 In some ways it may seem like we have made a hard pivot from the last few weeks as we are journeying together through the Hebrew Scriptures. The last two weeks in particular we have been talking about the call of some of the giants of the faith - Solomon and David - and now…. Now we we are talking about building a temple? What is the connection?

David was a King of Israel who was known of seeking the heart of God. But that does not mean that David or those around them were always right. David was still human and still made mistakes. And even the priest, Nathan, who was one of his trusted advisors and who spoke the Word of God to him when it was needed most, still made mistakes.

One of the big mistakes that we hear about Nathan making occurs when David looks around and decides that it is unfair that he lives in a beautiful palace but that God doesn’t have a place to live. So David decided he was going to build a beautiful temple for God. And Nathan essentially said, do whatever you want to do. Sounds like a good idea. And God needs to intervene and remind both Nathan and David that this wasn’t what God was asking for. This wasn’t the will of God.

But God does promise David in that moment that his throne would last forever. 

And later God promised that one of David’s own lineage would build him a temple. 

Now the time has come. After some of David’s sons behaving in less than desirable ways as they jockeyed for the throne, David has named Solomon as his successor. And Solomon has proved himself to be one who seeks after the heart and ways of God as well. In fact, when he was first finding himself on the throne, what was the one thing he asked God for? Wisdom. Wisdom because in all humility he realized that he could not live into this appointment without God leading him. 

Enter today’s scripture passage. Solomon went to this other King and said, my dad, King David, really wanted to give a gift to God by building him a temple. But now is the time is live into that desire and vision. God has given me a season of peace, a season to build. 

And when the construction of the temple was completed, Solomon brought in the ark of the covenant - that which physically represented the presence of God with the people of Israel and placed it into this new dwelling place. As the people of Israel celebrated the construction of the temple, all of the holy items were brought in from far and wide to reside in the temple as well. 

And the glory of God filled that place, just as the glory of God had led the Israelites before. 

As I’ve been sitting in this passage this week, what came to my mind was homecoming. I believe I’ve shared before that I did not grow up with homecoming services in the same way that they are held in this parish. But we did celebrate Heritage Sundays and anniversary years. In fact, my home church is in the midst of preparing for a large anniversary year right now.

But what is the point of all of those special celebrations? Homecoming, Heritage Sundays, anniversary years, building projects like that which Solomon has undertook? One interpretation is that it’s about looking back. It’s about remembering how God has been faithful to us over the years. It’s about celebrating who we are in this community. 

But if that is where those special occasions stop, then I think we are missing the most important part - for its those special celebrations where we remember God’s faithfulness that we renew our trust in God to move forward to whatever new thing God is calling us to do.

Friends, no one before had built a temple for God. There was a tent for worship that the Israelites took with them from place to place and the ark of the covenant that contained the most important reminders for the people of what God had done of their behalf. If Solomon was focused on going back to how things once were, he would break out that tent again. Or maybe he would even take the people back into the wilderness to remember where they come from. 

But going back is not the point. It is moving forward while standing upon the foundation of what God has done before. 

It would be really easy to think that this passage of scripture is about a building - a physical place to go. But I think really its not about the building - that’s just an outward sign. It’s about Solomon being faithful to the timing and ways of God which invited him to complete what David once wished to undertake. It’s about reminding the people that sometimes the ways of God take time - not our time, but God’s timing. It’s about being so heart to the close of God that we obedient to the call of God in our lives to do big, unimaginable things. 

To remember so we can move forward with God.

Unfortunately, the people of God will need calls to remember again. Think to the scriptures surrounding Jesus’s final week on this earth. How Jesus entered into the temple and was heartbroken by how it had been changed from a place of worshiping our Holy God to a den of robbers and theives. Why did Jesus say that? Because the temple had now become a place about buying the right animal for the right ritual or sacrifice instead of a place where hearts are turned to God.

Jesus called them to remember. To stop the man made ways and turn again to God.

Brothers and sisters, what if this was our moment to remember? What story would we tell of God’s faithfulness in our lives? In this church? In this community? But what would that communal remembering lead us to do now for God?

I’ll give you a couple hints: calls like Solomon are usually 1.) something new - not something that has been done before and 2.) It is so unbelievably big that we cannot do it without God.

If we think that our times of celebration are about moving back, friends, that is more about our comfort most of the time than about listening to God. And if it is something that we can plan and accomplish apart from God, that is a whole lot more about us wanting to feel a sense of accomplishment than raising high the name of God.

We may not be called to build buildings, but we are called to be obedient. To listen to God. And to respond. So what is God stirring amongst us for such a time as this? And will be we willing to look forward and move with God? Amen.