Reading
SAA Notes
It is always salutatory to reread Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17 together with this prayer. What stood out to you in this prayer?
SJA Notes
* Almighty God, thank You that we are not cast away into exile from You, but that through Jesus You came down to us, met with us, brought us from darkness into light – Thank You!
“But will God indeed dwell with man on earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built!”
Solomon here shows an understanding of the reality of who God is and who we are (and the creation around us) in relation to our God.
How wonderful and sweet are these words when we read them, remembering Jesus, whose body is the temple rebuilt in three days (John 2:21).
Remembering that we are His people, living stones being built up as a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5).
When we remember that our bodies are little tabernacles where the Holy Spirit dwells (1 Corinthians 6:19).
And will God dwell with man, with us, here on earth?
In Ezekiel 37:27 we read God’s words,
“My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
In 2 Corinthians 6 we read,
“For we are the temple of the living God; as God says, ‘I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.'”
This is for us today!
Even deeper, even more, we can joyfully and wholeheartedly read and rejoice in Revelation 21,
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.'”
We have both a wonderful immediate reality as God’s people now and a rock-solid steady and energising hope for the future – Hallelujah, what a loving God we have!
* Loving God,
Thank You for the hope we see in this passage, and throughout Your word, for our life now and for what we away with eager expectation in the not yet.
Please Lord, show us Jesus today!
Amen.