God’s temple was a peculiar building from start to finish. It was the Lord’s own house, planned, directed, and modeled by him. King Solomon built this first earthly building for God, totally dedicated and devoted to his honor. Which granted it a special sort of beauty.
“Solomon’s temple is the most wonderful and interesting building in the world’s history. It was ‘the mysterious centre of Israel.’ It was far more to Israel than the Vatican is to Rome. It was, so long as it stood, God’s only earthly palace and temple. The Pyramids of Egypt were old when it was built, and they show no signs of decay. Solomon’s temple utterly perished after four centuries. Greek and Roman artists have given the laws of beautiful and stately architecture to the world, but no one has ever dreamed of copying, in any respect, the sacred building at Jerusalem. Brunelleschi’s dome at Florence, St. Peter’s at Rome, the Milan Cathedral are almost miracles of daring genius and patient toil. The temple was in comparison a homely and plain building in its style. Its size was, as compared with these, small and insignificant. Yet God in a peculiar sense was its architect. He filled it with His glory. His eyes and His heart were there.” – Biblical Illustrator by Monday Club Sermons.
God’s presence there was palpable and tangible. It was as though his heart and his eyes were looking into and out of it.
Erected in silence
Yet the temple was erected in silence, and that silence speaks loudly.
Harsh and violent sounds were out-of-place in this divine building, says Matthew Henry in his commentary, so the workers formed each piece at separate preparation sites. Yet when they were brought together at the building site, each one fit with perfect precision. A feat unparalleled in architectural history, and completed in silence.
God often works in holy silence
He often works his wonders and marvels in holy silence. He created the heavens, the earth, and all that is in them without a lot of noise and clamor. And He still works, in nature and in the Spirit, so silently that we sometimes scarcely realize He is working.
Enemies eventually destroyed the temple with axes, hammers, and a roar (Psalm 74:4-6). But they could not stop God or keep Him from working. He is still at work today, often building in quiet, holy silence.
God comes to us softly
He is still building in quiet stillness today. He comes softly into our lives, changing us quietly on the inside. So that, as with the temple, others may sense His presence. And so that we can let His glory and goodness can shine out from our lives.
God comes softly into our hearts. He changes us quietly on the inside – until others sense His presence in our lives and see His light shining out through us.
Signora Sheila
And this we can do without a lot of noise and clamor. Without shouting, “Look at me! I’m a Christian!” For it will show by the way we treat others, our attitude toward money and possessions. And in the words we say or don’t say. If He dwells within us it will show.
Can others sense God’s quiet presence in us? Do they see Him in our lives?
When the house was built, it was with stone prepared at the quarry, so that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was being built.
1 Kings 6:7
📷 Image credits: temple by www.LumoProject.com; seashell from Canva.
Signora Sheila 