September 15, Reading 1 – 1 Kings 8:1-30

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

This was a very important day when Solomon had the Ark of the Covenant brought into the Temple by the Aaronic priests. The theme of this passage is: they did it God’s way! The cloud of His presence filled the Temple as it did the Tabernacle in the wilderness hundreds of years before.

SJA Notes

* Lord God Above, You the LORD reign; let the peoples tremble! You sit enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!

“And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.”

What an experience this must have been!

To be in the presence of the glory of the LORD – a presence so great that all other activity was whited-out.

What of us today though, are we less because we were not there?

It is sometimes a temptation to wish for big dramatic experiences to cement and hammer in our faith.

But we today are born again of the Holy Spirit (John 3:8), and He dwells within us (1 Corinthians 3:16), that we are living stones being built up into a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5).

God hears our fumbling and often inaccurate and limits prayers, and Himself intercedes for us (in the Person of the Spirit) with groanings too deep for words (Romans 8:26).

When we struggle with pain and loss and sadness, He helps and comforts us (God the Son refers to God the Spirit as the Helper, Comforter, Advocate – John 14).

Praise God that today we have God’s Spirit coming and dwelling in us, little tabernacles, a temple not made with hands!

* Father God,

Thank You for dwelling in us, You the Spirit comforting, helping, interceding.

Please help us to reflect You and Your glory, to point people around us to You.

More of You. Less of us.

Amen.

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