The Presence of God (1 Kings 8:1-21)
1 Kings 8:1-21
As we have studied Solomon thus far,
We can very easily make an observation about his life,
And that is that he was passionate about having God’s presence.
• It was Solomon who searched God out at Gibeon
• It was Solomon who actually built a place for His name to dwell.
Solomon understood the importance
Of having the presence of God in the midst of his people.
And why wouldn’t he be?
Throughout Scripture the presence of God is the difference maker.
Moses knew it.
When God was offended and about to leave,
And send and angel ahead of the people into the Promised Land.
Moses said:
Exodus 33:15 “Then he said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here.”
GOD’S PRESENCE WAS A MUST
In fact, the only advantage Israel often had was the presence of God,
And time after time it proved to be the only advantage they needed.
Waters parted before the presence of God…
Armies scattered before the presence of God…
THE PRESENCE OF GOD IS IMPORTANT.
Solomon also knew it, and that is why he built the temple.
BUT WHAT GOOD IS THE TEMPLE IF GOD DOESN’T SHOW UP?
Ask Ezekiel. He saw God leave.
Ezekiel 11:22-23 “Then the cherubim lifted up their wings with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them. The glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and stood over the mountain which is east of the city.”
Ezekiel revealed to the people that
When God leaves, the temple is useless.
That is why chapters 40-48 of Ezekiel
Are consumed with rebuilding the temple.
The final statement
Ezekiel 48:35 “The city shall be 18,000 cubits round about; and the name of the city from that day shall be, ‘The LORD is there.'”
The presence of God is the difference maker.
And this morning we see God show up.
I hesitate to call this the climax of the book,
But it is indeed a major focal point.
In fact, the bookends of the 1 & 2 Kings is the presence of God.
God’s presence shows up under the first King – Solomon
God’s presence departs under the final King – Zedekiah
And this morning we study the beginning of it.
We will actually see God move into His temple.
And let us never under appreciate the presence of God.
1 John 4:4 “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”
Without the presence of God in our lives, we are literally powerless.
We need God’s presence, just as Solomon did.
And so this morning, as we see God move in, I just want to give you 5 words to help better understand the passage, and see what it means to have the presence of God.
#1 PRIORITY
1 Kings 8:1-2
Now you will notice what Solomon does here
As he prepares to bring the ark of the covenant into the temple.
“Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel,”
In Israel, it was “the elders” who were in charge of teaching the word of God to the entire family. They were literally “the leaders” of Israel.
And Solomon has called them all in.
You will then notice in verse 2, “All the men of Israel assembled themselves to King Solomon at the feast, in the month of Ethanim, which is the seventh month.”
It is our September-October, and there are three great feasts in that month.
1) The Feast of Trumpets
Leviticus 23:23-25 “Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘ In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. ‘You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD.'”
Symbolizing God’s intervention and to formally call all Israel to attention.
2) The Day of Atonement
Leviticus 23:26-27 “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the LORD.”
Of course to atone for sin.
3) The Feast of Booths
Leviticus 23:33-34 “Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to the LORD.”
These last two feasts were required of every man to attend.
The point is that Solomon chose this event
During the most populated time that Jerusalem would know.
He wanted all Israel to be a part of what was happening here.
He was setting a priority in regard to the presence of God.
• All Israel needed to be here.
• All Israel needed to be involved.
And that is a great place to start talking about the presence of God.
HOW MUCH OF A PRIORITY IS IT?
Amy Tagle responded, “Because God was there and I missed it.”
I could only wish everyone I knew
Had that kind of passion to run in to God.
HOW MUCH DOES IT MATTER TO YOU TO ENCOUNTER GOD?
IS HIS PRESENCE IMPORTANT?
DOES IT MATTER TO YOU IF HE SHOWS UP?
I can promise, if His presence doesn’t matter to you,
You will never experience it.
Jeremiah was clear:
Jeremiah 29:13 “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”
Solomon and the people of Israel were here setting a priority.
If God was going to show up, they were not going to miss it.
Priority
#2 PURITY
1 Kings 8:3-5
What we see occurring here is very important.
First, in regard to the way they are handling the ark of God.
“Then all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.”
They had learned from a mistake David made.
We all remember the story of Uzza.
1 Chronicles 13:9-12 “When they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark, because the oxen nearly upset it. The anger of the LORD burned against Uzza, so He struck him down because he put out his hand to the ark; and he died there before God. Then David became angry because of the LORD’S outburst against Uzza; and he called that place Perez-uzza to this day. David was afraid of God that day, saying, “How can I bring the ark of God home to me?”
It is obvious that Solomon is not about to make that mistake.
They are doing it correctly.
But that is not all.
As the priest brought up the ark of God to the temple,
Look at what was happening.
(5) “King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who were assembled to him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and oxen they could not be counted or numbered.”
WHAT DO YOU MEAN COULD NOT BE COUNTED?
Well, we don’t know exactly how many,
But look at a verse at the end of chapter 8.
1 Kings 8:63 “Solomon offered for the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to the LORD, 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the sons of Israel dedicated the house of the LORD.”
Whatever the number sacrificed here, it must have dwarfed that number,
For the royal accountants gave up the count.
“they could not be counted OR NUMBERED”
Which means that not only could they not count them,
BUT THE NUMBER WAS TOO BIG TO EVEN GIVE AN EDUCATED GUESS.
This was a massive sacrifice.
And Solomon was doing it before the ark.
Picture the scene.
As the ark was ascending up to the temple mount,
Gallons of blood were flowing down the mountain.
WHY?
Hebrews 9:22 “And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
They sought to cleanse the place before God showed up.
Gold wouldn’t do it…
Silver wouldn’t do it…
Cedar wouldn’t do it…
Blood was the only thing
That could make a place ready for God’s presence.
There is no possible way for mankind to stand in the presence of God without the shedding of blood.
IF YOU WANT GOD’S PRESENCE,
YOU MUST FIRST BE WASHED IN THE BLOOD OF CHRIST.
Money won’t do it.
Going to Church won’t do it.
BLOOD IS THE ONLY THING!
Psalms 49:7-8 “No man can by any means redeem his brother Or give to God a ransom for him — For the redemption of his soul is costly, And he should cease trying forever”
It was the blood of Jesus that appeased the wrath of a Holy God,
And if you don’t take that blood, you will never enter God’s presence.
Romans 5:9 “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.”
Ephesians 1:7 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace”
Colossians 1:19-20 “For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.”
That blood that Solomon spilled
Was but a foreshadow of the blood of God’s Son.
You cannot get the presence of God any other way.
Priority, Purity
#3 PLACEMENT
1 Kings 8:6-9
I also like what we learn here
About Solomon’s METICULOUS PLANNING for the presence of God.
Solomon was not giving God any old place to dwell.
Solomon had a specific location for the placement of God’s throne.
Do you see it in verse 6?
“The priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place; into the inner sanctuary of the house to the most holy place, under the wings of the cherubim. For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim made a covering over the ark and its poles from above.”
There was a specific location for the ark of God.
It was to set in the most holy place.
It was to set under the cherubim.
AND SO IT IS WITH US AS WELL.
There is a specific place where God longs to dwell,
And not just any old place will do.
God desires the throne of your heart.
1 Corinthians 6:19 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?”
He doesn’t want to dwell in your car…
He doesn’t want to dwell in your closet…
He doesn’t want to be left at church…
God wants and deserves the very throne of your life.
DO YOU WANT GOD’S PRESENCE BAD ENOUGH TO GIVE HIM SUCH A PLACE?
Are you willing to let God have full control of your life?
Are you willing to let God call the shots?
Are you willing to surrender all to Him?
Solomon gave God the spot God required.
And you can even see how important it was to Solomon
To know God was there.
(8) But the poles were so long that the ends of the poles could be seen from the holy place before the inner sanctuary”
Trust me, in all the meticulous planning, Solomon didn’t fail to see how long the poles were and build the Holy of Holies too small.
Those poles stuck out on purpose.
Those poles were a visual reminder that God was behind the veil.
Just like fruit in the life of a believer,
It was possible to look and see that God was present.
There is one more fact that is also given to us:
(9) “There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb”
WHY INCLUDE THIS INFORMATION?
The ark was no treasure chest.
The value was not what it contained, but what it represented.
The presence of God was a reminder of God’s faithfulness
To keep His covenant with His people.
AND SO IT IS WITH US TODAY.
God’s presence is a reminder of God’s faithfulness to us.
Ephesians 1:13-14 “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation — having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”
When we give God the place He longs to dwell,
• He moves in,
• His presence is evident from the outside,
• His presence is a tremendous source of assurance.
Give God the place He longs to dwell.
Give Him your heart.
Priority, Purity, Placement
#4 POWER
1 Kings 8:10-13
verse 10, “the cloud filled the house of the LORD,”
God showed up, and consumed that place.
Look at the result.
(11) “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.”
When God showed up, the priests hit the floor
And had to evacuate immediately.
And just to make sure the people didn’t get terrified,
Solomon steps to the forefront and explains the situation to the people.
(12-13) “The Solomon said, “The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud. I have surely built You a lofty house, a place for Your dwelling forever.”
Solomon reminded the people that this was God’s presence.
God had moved in, and that is why the priests had to move out.
And certainly you understand the point here.
WHEN GOD SHOWS UP IMPURITY MUST LEAVE
The blood brought the Presence,
But the Presence demands a change.
When God shows up, everything impure feels the weight and has to leave.
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN YOUR LIFE?
That is simple.
IS SIN ALLOWED TO LINGER?
I can most assuredly and confidently say to you,
If sin is tolerated in your life than God is not there.
That is why we find such harsh passages in Scripture like these:
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.”
Galatians 5:19-21 “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
God does not allow them to remain,
And if they have been allowed to remain, He is not there.
Friend you cannot live in sin and enjoy it
When the presence of God fills your life.
2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”
When God shows up, changes take place.
We do not instantly transform into perfection,
But the line is clearly drawn in the sand.
My body is His temple, and when God’s presence
Enters the temple impurity has to leave.
If you are living in persistent sin, or habitual sin,
And you are not miserable over it.
There is no way the presence of God is in your life.
He does not leave His temple unchanged.
That is evident here, as God’s holiness cleared the temple.
Priority, Purity, Placement, Power
#5 PRAISE
1 Kings 8:14-21
When Solomon stood to speak, did you catch what he did?
(15) “He said, ‘Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel who spoke with His mouth to my father David and has fulfilled it with His hand”
When God showed up, Solomon began to praise God.
WHY?
Because God was faithful.
See it again in verse 20, “Now the LORD has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for I have risen in place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built the house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.”
God had done what He had said, and Solomon praised Him for it.
Solomon was grateful to God for His presence.
ARE YOU GRATEFUL FOR THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN YOUR LIFE?
When God starts making changes, are you grateful?
When God leads in a different direction than you want to go, are you grateful?
Solomon was.
THIS IS PART OF THE LORD’S SUPPER
1 Corinthians 11:24-25 “and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
He shed His blood.
So that we might be able to get to God.
When the blood was shed, the veil was torn,
And the presence of God was a reality in our lives.
WE PRAISE JESUS FOR MAKING GOD’S PRESENCE POSSIBLE
BUT THERE ARE MORE REASONS FOR THE LORD’S SUPPER
The other purpose is for a time of self-evaluation.
1 Corinthians 11:27-29 “Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.”
WE COME FOR SELF-EXAMINATION
DOES THE PRESENCE OF GOD DWELL WITHIN ME?
• Have I ever made God a priority and sought Him with all my heart?
• Have I entered through the blood of Jesus?
• Have I given to God the only place He deserves to reside – my heart?
• Is God’s presence evident by the fact that He is making me holy?
• Am I grateful for the changes He is making?
WHAT HAVE I DONE WITH THE PRESENCE OF GOD?
This morning if you have never surrendered your life to Jesus,
I am going to ask you to do that – right now.
This morning if you are saved, I want to ask you to examine your life
And see if you are allowing God to do all that He desires to do in your life.
And for that, we are going to have a time of preparation.
It is a time for you to get alone with God and find His will for your life.
Pray
