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REFLECTION

Solomon builds the temple is the theme for our reflection. A temple is a building devoted to the worship of God. After several years of expectation, Solomon’s era saw the building of the temple. The temple was built meticulously with the best materials and modern architectural design at the time. (1 Kings 6:2-8). It is important to note that God gave a caveat to King Solomon when the building of the temple had reached an appreciable state. A caveat is a warning or a condition. The caveat was as important as the building of the temple, indeed, the caveat placed spiritual and covenant responsibility on King Solomon and the Israelites if their new temple will become useful or relevant.

The caveat is found in 1 Kings 6:12-13, “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.” Beloved in the Lord, God wants Solomon to understand that building a magnificent and expensive temple without godly worshippers is a useless venture. In other words, it is not the size or beauty of a temple that determines our spirituality and relationship with God but our obedience to His Word. We can build the biggest temple in the world but it will remain irrelevant or not fit for purpose if the worshippers do not have a personal relationship with God. It is for this reason Jesus told the Samaritan woman that “…the hour is coming, and is now here when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23-24) We must first render our bodies spiritually as temples of the Lord and worship Him in truth through the obedience of His Word. Paul reminds us that “do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Beloved in the Lord, the church building does not become a church until those who are the temples of God meet there to worship. In other words, the Spirit of God indwells a temple (phyiscal structure) where worshippers worship in spirit and truth and have kept their bodies as the temples of God, It is for this reason Stephen reminds us again that “But it was Solomon who built a house for him. Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says, “‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things?’” (Acts 7:47-50). Beloved in the Lord, if it must be done, then it must be done well, let us not be interested in building magnificent temples while our hearts and spiritual lives are empty. Without true worshippers, a temple remains a mere structure or an auditorium. True worshippers with a simple temple will experience the glory of God more than norminal worshippers who own an ultra-modern or a state-of-the-art temple.

The current president of Ghana promised to build a national Cathedral or temple for God when becomes president. In as much it is a loudable and highly commendable promise and project, the question remains whether we need a Cathedral in the 21st century or we need a nation of people who fear God and are obedient to Him to the extent that corruption in government and the destruction of the environment will stop. God is interested in a corruption-free country, He is interested in good governance that will protect and respect dignity of the poor and vulneral and seek justice for the defenseless. A Cathedral does not mean anyting to God if there is suffering and hardship as a result of corruption and mismanagement of state resources. This is exactly God’s message to King Solomon and I find very important to repeat it for the purpose of emphasis that “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.” (1 Kings 6:12-13). Shalom.

PRAYER

Almighty God, strengthen us to be obedient to Your Word. Help us to worship You in spirit and truth so that we shall continually experience Your glory in our temples and individual lives. Amen