July 20 -The Foundations of the Temple
In choosing the site for the temple, King Solomon was careful to recount all the history of the Ark, from its captivity during the time of the Judges to King David bringing it back to Jerusalem from Kiriath-jearim with the two episodes of Uzza and Obed-edom in between. Eventually, it was Mount Moriah that was to be the site for the temple and it came with much history of how God had dealt with David.
When Eli was serving in the temple with Samuel as a young boy, the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines. God’s power was demonstrated in the land of the Philistines, striking down idols and bringing disasters to the captors so they had to return the Ark to the Israelites. The journey of the Ark’s return was nothing short of miraculous as it reached Kiriath-jearim where it stayed for twenty years until King David decided to bring it back to Jerusalem.
God’s holiness was revealed when some inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim were struck dead by the Lord because they looked into the Ark with curiosity. Later, when the Ark was brought to Jerusalem, the priest Uzza tried to stabilize the Ark by stretching out his hand. He too, was struck dead. God did not need any help and He is able to do everything on His own. We go before Him not with curiosity by in total submission and worship.
As David was confused and did not want to bring the Ark into Jerusalem, he put it in the house of Obed-edom for a while. During that time, the household of Obed-edom was greatly blessed by the presence of the Lord. Later, he and his descendants were gatekeepers for the temple. This shows that if we have God with us, blessings will come. God is ready and willing to bless His children.
The exact site of the temple was on Mount Moriah where David had built an altar for the Lord to atone his own sin of numbering the Israelites. He bought the threshing floor of Ornan with a price for he would not want to offer anything that cost him nothing. God was pleased with his sacrifice for fire from heaven consumed it and the plague stopped. God’s mercy and grace are there to forgive our sins.
After all these, King David built a tabernacle for the Ark according to the model of the tabernacle of Moses. Amos prophesied that in the last days, the tabernacle of David is to be rebuilt (Amos 9:11). The Ark was the presence of God, a covenant made between God and His people. Later, it was moved to the Holy of Holies inside the Solomon temple. When you worship God, be mindful of these foundations: God’s power, holiness, blessings, mercy, atonement, covenant and our sacrificial worship that would really cost us.
Ps 76:10-12 2 Chron 1:1-3:17 Rom 6:1-23 Prov 19:20-21