DAILY GUIDE DEVOTIONAL: The Ark in The Temple

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Text: 1Kings 8:1-21

What is the significance of Today's reading? 

Solomon had carried out one of the greatest feats in the history of Israel as a nation. He has completed the building of the temple, a house for the  Lord God of Israel to dwell in. Throughout the ages from the wilderness wanderings to David's rule, God had always dwelt in a tent. Now a house had been built for him by the hand of Solomon. And the major reason for this was to house the ark of the covenant which denotes the presence of the lord.

Solomon was careful to do everything in the right way to avoid the incidence of Uzzah. Only priests were therefore allowed to go near the ark for the transfer from Zion the city of David to the temple. In  verse 6 "And the king brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place , even under the wings of the cherubim" verse 10 to 11 "and it came to pass when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the lord so that the priest could not minister for the glory of the lord has filled the house of the lord". This is the climax. The magnificent house built by Solomon would have remained and ordinary house if the lord did not visit it with his glory; The tangible evidence of the lord's presence. The ark was transferred into this new temple and God gave a supernatural proof to the worshippers that he is in their midst; His shekina glory filled the temple. What joy would fill their hearts...and O what joy would be Solomon's as he witnesses this glory of the lord. All his efforts would have been a wasted one if the lord did not come down in glory to inhabit the temple. 

What is the relevance to us today? We spend millions these days to build churches. Are all those churches inhabited by the presence of God physically and spiritually? Many persons bring gifts towards the building of God's temple but some of those gifts come from unwholesome sources. As believers in our different positions in our churches we must not turn a blind eye to such questionable offerings as it will make the the church building completely unhabitable for God. Secondly, our bodies are the temple of God. Where his presence dwells. Is God dwelling in your temple? The ark is the principal thing that contains the tangible covenant between God and his people. The spirit of God on the other hand is the evidence that we are in a covenant relationship with Jesus through his shed blood. If your temple is not inhabited by the holy spirit, then God is not present there and all your service might just be an empty noise. 

Father, grant that we understand what it means to be a tabernacle and a temple for you so that we will conduct our affairs in this body completely according to your directives.  That you may find us habitable temples for your spirit through Christ Jesus our lord Amen.