The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
1 Kings 7-8, Psalm 11
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 5: Kings and Prophets: God shapes a kingdom people
Background Information: 1 Kings 7-8, Psalm 11
The people of Israel got what they wanted: a king like other nations had. Solomon built an impressive palace complex for himself along with the temple. Where did all the manpower and resources for this building project come from? Just as Samuel had told them when they demanded a king… a king will conscript your kids and take your stuff for his own use (1 Samuel 8:10-18). Israel demanded a human king because they had rejected God as their king (1 Samuel 8:7). God’s sovereignty will include a monarchy in Israel, but Israel’s reasons for wanting a king were wrong. They wanted to be like other nations, rather than being a light to the nations.
The official transition from tabernacle to temple is described in chapter 8. Just as when the tabernacle was complete, the glory of God descended on the temple, and no humans could enter because of God’s holy presence. The celebration that marked the completion of the temple was unprecedented. Tens of thousands of animals were sacrificed. The massive celebration went on for two weeks. It is important to understand that God’s presence was never localized. God is transcendent; he is Spirit. He does not live in buildings built by human hands (Acts 17:24). The temple was the place where God’s people encountered God’s presence; it could not contain God any more than the entire cosmos could. Years in the future, Jeremiah would tell the people that judgment was coming because they had rejected God, and they showed how far their hearts had drifted. Their confidence was not in God, for they had come to trust in the temple itself. The place where they were to meet God in restored relationship had become a substitution for God. They were safe, why? Because they had a temple, not because they trusted God.
Jeremiah warned them, “Do not trust deceitful words, chanting, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.”
Jeremiah 7:4
Christians must never want to be like the world, for we are to be a light to the world. We must never put our confidence in what we have made for ourselves; our confidence must be in the Lord. Buildings, ministries, human efforts… all these are good and appropriate, but these things must never become ends in themselves. Our confidence must never be in what we do or own, but only in the Lord our God.
“You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
1 Peter 9
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Summer Challenge started last night and there are also six students doing the Summer Intensive. Pray that students would continue to walk with the Lord and stay connected to community over the summer, not reverting to old, unhealthy patterns.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.