Today’s passage: 1 Kings 8:1-21
Helpful thoughts:
- The dedication of the Temple was scheduled for the Feast of Tabernacles. Israel would gather in Jerusalem to celebrate their time living in tents, and then celebrate the transition of God’s tent (The Tabernacle) to this new “permanent” temple.
- The cloud that filled the Temple was the same as had filled the Tabernacle and led Israel through the wilderness (Exodus 40:33-38). When Israel saw the cloud enter the Temple, they knew glory of the Lord had come in this special way to dwell with His people.
- The departure of the glory of the Lord is depicted in Ezekiel 10, at the time of the Babylonian conquest.
- The next time Israel would see a divine darkness would be at the cross of Christ in judgment (Mark 15:33-38). By the time that darkness lifted, the curtain in the Temple that had separated God’s people from His presence was torn in two from top to bottom.
Questions to consider:
- If you had been working at the Temple that day, and had to stop your work because you couldn’t see anything, being surrounded by the glory of God, how do you think you would feel? What would you be thinking? How might your reverence for God and thankfulness for His mercy and grace have expanded?
- How does the fact that darkness came over the land when Christ was on the cross add insight for the previous question?
- The Temple had been built magnificently. Everything about it was beautiful. What was the most amazing thing the nation of Israel and their king saw on this day when the presence of God came down?