As I've been studying 1 Kings there are two stories of building projects that take place in chapters six and seven. The first account is the building of the Temple, the house of God where His people would worship Him. The second project is Solomon's palace, the home of the king. Both projects take years, both are for royalty, but there is a key difference that can be seen in Scripture.
Chapter six talks about all of the splendor that goes into the Temple construction project. There are windows with artistic frames, cut stone, beams and planks of cedar wood. The walls were built of cedar and the floor was covered with cypress wood. The cedar was carved in the shape of gourds and open flowers. Two massive cherubim and the doors were made of olive wood. There were palm trees, cherubim, and open flowers carved on the walls and the doors. And then it says that all of it was overlaid with pure gold.
The stone was hand cut in a quarry and brought to the Temple mount. Much of the wood was brought in from Lebanon. The wood was placed over the stone, and then hours and days were spent carving and engraving it. But before they were done it was all covered with pure gold.
Chapter seven tells of pillars of bronze being constructed for the entrance, and many other items made for the Temple out of bronze. Other items and utensils were made of gold. So much wealth went into the house of God. In the movie Jurassic Park John Hammond, the owner of the new theme park featuring live dinosaurs, says over and over, "Spared no expense." That's how the Temple was. No expense was spared because this was the house of God. The very best was given.
Solomon's second building project was his own palace. According to the years given in 1 Kings 6, 7, and 9, it appears that he built the Temple first and then his own palace. The beginning of chapter seven gives the account of the palace.
Like the temple the widows had artistic frames, and cedar was brought from Lebanon for its construction. There were costly stones used in its construction, but the Bible makes no mention of anything being covered with gold in Solomon's palace. Solomon's palace was bigger than the Temple, but the Temple appears to have been far more elaborate than Solomon's home.
God's house took priority in construction, and was fully covered in the most precious and costly thing on earth. God was given the best, and Solomon kept none for himself. It makes me wonder, is my house nicer than God's? Am I keeping my best from God by focusing on nice things for myself?
I'm not saying its wrong to have nice things. I'm not saying to become poverty stricken and give everything to the Church (If God tells you to do that then you better do that though). What I am saying is that we need to give God our first priority. Before we focus on taking a vacation, or buying a car, we need to tithe and give joyfully to God. Before we do an unnecessary remodel on our home we need to see if God's house needs any updates to be more effective for ministry.
I remember a few years ago helping my grandpa build some cupboards at church to hide some poorly done electric work. I remember his saying, "No one would ever have done a job like that in their own house. Why would they do it in God's?" It's something to got me thinking. If I invest so much time, energy, and money into a house that I live in for just a short time, why don't I put just as much into the house of God that will be there to minister to countless people long after I'm gone? Which house get's priority?
I understand that God doesn't need a church building, I realize that there are churches that have put so much money into their building and neglected helping the community around them. I was in several different churches during college to observe and compare the different worship styles. One of them had a seven million dollar solid marble altar. When I was in Flint, Michigan, one of the poorest cities in America, I was in a church where one of the ministers was proudly telling me about the twenty-five thousand dollar communion table they just bought.
It's easy to justify things like that in some cases because it's God's house. I'm in no way advocating that. What I am saying is let's not neglect the house of God with the attitude of "anything will work." Let's give God the best we can. For an island nation it might be some freshly picked flowers on a simple wooden altar each Sunday morning. It might be that way for a church in downtown Cleveland as well.
What is the best you can give to God? Do you neglect God by focusing on your own best? Are you focused with comfort and luxury over the worship of God? Am I? This can go a lot farther than I have the mental capacity for in one sitting, and this has gone in a direction I wasn't initially planning.
God must be given our best, and God must be our priority. Don't do a better job on your house than on God's. Don't fill your house with treasures while the house of God falls apart.
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
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