1 Kings 8:1-11: a reflection

1Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel with all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers’ households of the children of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD’s covenant out of David’s city, which is Zion. 2All the men of Israel assembled themselves to King Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month. 3All the elders of Israel came, and the priests picked up the ark. 4They brought up the LORD’s ark, the Tent of Meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent. The priests and the Levites brought these up. 5King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who were assembled to him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and cattle that could not be counted or numbered for multitude. 6The priests brought in the ark of the LORD’s covenant to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, even under the cherubim’s wings. 7For the cherubim spread their wings out over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles above. 8The poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the holy place before the inner sanctuary, but they were not seen outside. They are there to this day. 9There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. 10It came to pass, when the priests had come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the LORD’s house, 11so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for the LORD’s glory filled the LORD’s house.

When the ark is brought into the newly built temple, the glory of the LORD fills the house so fully that the priests cannot stand to minister, a picture of the awesome coming of God's presence into his dwelling. When the priests came out of the holy place, the account says, the cloud filled the LORD's house, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the LORD's house. The temple had been built with great care and cost, to be the house of God. And when the ark was brought in and the priests withdrew, God's presence came, filling the house so completely, in a cloud of glory, that the priests could not even stand to perform their service. The awesome glory of God's presence filled his dwelling. This shows the awesome coming of God's presence, filling his dwelling with glory. God's presence is awesome, filling his dwelling with glory. Stand in reverence before the glory of God's presence. God is not to be approached casually; his glory is awesome. God, whose glory filled the temple, now dwells with his people in Christ.

Notice what happened when God's presence came into the temple. The house had been built with immense care and cost, prepared as God's dwelling. The ark was brought in, and the priests withdrew from the holy place. And then God's presence came, not gently or subtly, but in overwhelming glory: a cloud filled the house so completely that the priests could not stand to minister; the glory of the LORD filled his house. It was an awesome, overwhelming manifestation of God's presence, before which even the priests could not carry on their service. This reveals something of the awesomeness of God's presence and glory. God is not a small or manageable presence, to be approached casually or lightly; his glory is awesome, overwhelming, filling his dwelling so that mortals can hardly stand before it. This calls us to reverence in approaching God. We who come to God do well to remember whose presence we come into: the presence of the God whose glory filled the temple so that the priests could not stand, the awesome and holy God. And yet, wonderfully, this same God, whose glory is so awesome, has drawn near to us in Christ, and by his Spirit dwells with and in his people, so that we, who could not have stood before the glory in the temple, are brought near. This should fill us with both reverence and wonder: reverence before so awesome a God, and wonder that he has drawn near to dwell with us. We do well to approach God with reverence and wonder, mindful of the awesome glory of his presence, and grateful that he has drawn near to dwell with his people. Approach God with reverence, mindful of the awesome glory of his presence. God is not to be approached casually; his glory filled the temple. Wonder that the God of such glory has drawn near to dwell with his people. Hold both reverence before God's glory and wonder at his nearness in Christ.

That is worth taking to heart, for God's presence is awesome, filling his dwelling with glory, and we do well to approach him with reverence and wonder, as the glory filled the temple so the priests could not stand. We can approach God casually; but his glory filled the temple so overwhelmingly that the priests could not stand to minister. Approach with reverence. Do not come to God lightly or casually; approach him with reverence before the awesome glory of his presence, and with wonder that so glorious a God has drawn near to dwell with his people. Approach God with reverence before the awesome glory of his presence, and with wonder that so glorious a God has drawn near to dwell with his people in Christ, as when the ark was brought into the newly built temple the glory of the LORD filled the house so fully that the priests could not stand to minister, a picture of the awesome coming of God's presence, since the cloud filled the LORD's house so that the priests could not stand because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled his house; for the temple had been built with great care and cost to be God's house, and when the ark was brought in and the priests withdrew God's presence came, filling the house so completely in a cloud of glory that the priests could not even stand to perform their service, the awesome glory of God's presence filling his dwelling, which reveals something of the awesomeness of God's presence and glory, that God is not a small or manageable presence to be approached casually but his glory is awesome and overwhelming, filling his dwelling so that mortals can hardly stand before it, which calls us to reverence in approaching God and to remember whose presence we come into, yet wonderfully this same God whose glory is so awesome has drawn near to us in Christ and by his Spirit dwells with and in his people, so that we who could not have stood before the glory in the temple are brought near, which should fill us with both reverence before so awesome a God and wonder that he has drawn near to dwell with us, so that we do well to approach God with reverence and wonder.

Lord, when the ark is brought into the newly built temple, the glory of the LORD fills the house so fully that the priests cannot stand to minister, a picture of the awesome coming of your presence into your dwelling. When the priests came out of the holy place, the account says, the cloud filled the LORD's house, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the LORD's house. The temple had been built with great care and cost, to be your house. And when the ark was brought in and the priests withdrew, your presence came, filling the house so completely, in a cloud of glory, that the priests could not even stand to perform their service. The awesome glory of your presence filled your dwelling. Show me what happened when your presence came into the temple. The house had been prepared as your dwelling. The ark was brought in, and the priests withdrew. And then your presence came, not gently, but in overwhelming glory: a cloud filled the house so completely that the priests could not stand to minister; your glory filled your house. It was an awesome manifestation of your presence, before which even the priests could not carry on their service. This reveals something of the awesomeness of your presence and glory. You are not a small or manageable presence, to be approached casually or lightly; your glory is awesome, overwhelming, filling your dwelling so that mortals can hardly stand before it. This calls me to reverence in approaching you. I who come to you do well to remember whose presence I come into: the presence of the God whose glory filled the temple, the awesome and holy God. And yet, wonderfully, this same God, whose glory is so awesome, has drawn near to me in Christ, and by your Spirit dwells with and in your people, so that I, who could not have stood before the glory in the temple, am brought near. This fills me with both reverence and wonder. Take that to my heart. Keep me from coming to you lightly or casually; help me approach you, Lord, with reverence before the awesome glory of your presence, and with wonder that so glorious a God has drawn near to dwell with your people in Christ, holding both reverence before your glory and wonder at your nearness.