God’s Glory Makes the Difference
This mor
ning traveled to Denver to see grandson Riley play a football game. It was a two hour long event. I’m not sure about the players, but I was tired by the time it was over. Our guests Norm and Heather Edwards arrived. They will be with us this week as they work with Timberline Church on missions plans.
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “…I will fill this house with glory,” says the Lord of Hosts...“The final glory of this house will be greater than the first,” says the Lord of Hosts. “I will provide peace in this place”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts.“ Haggai 2:7-9 HCSB
Solomon’s temple was the fulfillment of the vision and plan in the heart of King David. The Temple itself was glorious, but at the dedication we see, “…the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled his temple.“ 1 Kings 8:11 NIV)
The structure was just a magnificent building, but when it was filled with presence and glory of the Lord, then it was the “temple of God.” Now hundreds of years later after generations of disobedience and rebellion against the Lord and the temple is in ruins.
Toward the end of the Jews seventy years of captivity in Babylon, the Lord moves on the heart of Cyrus, King of Persia to build a temple in Jerusalem. Opposition to the rebuilding of temple, put the plans on hold. In the mean time the people focused on building their own homes as they returned to Jerusalem.
Haggai is a complementary prophesy to the Book of Ezra. It is the Lord speaking through Haggai that the building of the temple is restarted and completed. However, in comparison to Solomon’s Temple, the new temple was view as inferior. The Lord spoke to the past generation, “Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Doesn’t it seem like nothing to you?” (Haggai 2:3 HCSB)
It is easy to look at the outward appearance and to make a decision about the Lord’s blessing and faithfulness. But what the Lord was getting ready to point out was that is was not the magnificence of the appearance of the building, but the glory of the Lord that made the difference.
So we see the Lord promising His glory to fill this new temple and the “final glory of this house will be greater than the first.” With the Lord’s glory and presence, there is peace. It is not the building that matters, it is the presence of the Lord. That is why the Lord was content for His Ark and the symbol of His presence among His people, to be in a tent. Whether a tent, a glorious temple, or a “not so glorious” temple; the structure doesn’t matter, what matters is the presence of the Lord.
When we consider the New Testament concept of believers and the Church being the “temple of the Lord” it is important to understand that it is not what we “look like.” It is not our appearance to others that matters. It is not about the circumstances our life, and how they appear. What matters is the glory of the Lord in our life, resting on our life. We can be “good” do the “right” things, go to church, serve our community. What matters is the presence of the Lord that brings peace to our lives and blessing in all that we do.
Prayer for today…Â Lord, Your presence makes the difference for our life. Help us to cultivate You presence through an open heart, through our obedience, through our worship, through the sacrifice of our life to You.