The Temple of God

2 Chronicles 6:18 “But will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built!"

Solomon acknowledges on the one hand, the utterly preposterous notion that God will dwell in an earthly structure. For what can contain Him? I'm reminded of that line from the movie Aladdin: "ULTIMATE COSMIC POWER - ittie bittie living space!" The notion is foolish. Yet God in His mercy condescends. We are frail, finite. He is infinitely powerful. Yet we are valuable to Him, created in His image. We were created for fellowship with Him, to "glorify God and enjoy Him forever" as the Catechism states. So in spite of their sinfulness, He promised to dwell with His people, if they would be careful to follow his ways and live in humble repentence before Him. Yet we ultimately see in the Scriptures that the people could not live up to God's holiness. Finally, the "ichabod" occured…the glory of God departed from the temple.

The temple of Solomon is no longer. Yet the promise of God in verse 7:16 is not broken. For the temple is a picture of the spiritual dwelling place of God with His people through Christ. That dwelling place is found in the hearts of those who are "called by His name" through the power of the Holy Spirit. God came to earth in the person of His Son. He condescended to our weakness. He fulfilled all the righteous demands of his Holiness in Christ for us, and He bore the penalty of our sin in Him. And he has given us His Spirit, dwelling within us, as a deposit that guarantees our ultimate fellowship with Him in glory. Indeed, God dwells with man on earth, through Christ Jesus our Lord!