1 Kings 8 (Part 1) Bible Study (Solomon Brings the Ark Into the Temple) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

First Kings chapter eight. Welcome to the dedication service of the temple. That is what chapter eight of first Kings is all about. We have studied the building of the temple. We've studied the details surrounding the beautifying of the temple, some of the artifacts and the articles within the temple.

But now we've reached the climax of this thing called the Temple Of Solomon, and that is primarily the entrance and the arrival of the ark of the covenant. Solomon decided to make an event out of this one central piece to the house of worship, and that is the ark. And it is no small deal for the ark to now find a permanent home in the house that Solomon built for the Lord. Like many chapters in first Kings, perhaps you already saw that this is a quite lengthy chapter. There is no way that we're gonna cover all of it in one setting.

But we will cover much and trust that as we glean through it, we will be edified. And so let's come to this chapter beginning in verse one and read a a few verses and then take our time to dissect what it is that the Holy Spirit has inscribed. In first Kings eight verse one, then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers' houses of the people of Israel, before King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion. And all the men of Israel assembled to King Solomon at the feast in the month of Ethanim, which is the seventh month. And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.

And they brought up the ark of the Lord, the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the tent. The priest and the Levites brought them up. And king Solomon and all the congregation of Israel who had assembled before him were with him before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. And the priest brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place in the inner sanctuary of the house and the most holy place underneath the wings of the cherubim. Father, this is your word.

We are your people. As we sang, oh, Lord, we desire to exalt you. As we come to the word, would you be exalted in our thoughts? Would you be exalted in our affections? Would you be exalted in our obedience?

We ask that you would energize this meeting by the power of the Holy Spirit and that it would be undeniable that you were in the midst tonight. We ask these things with great reverence and hope, believing that you hear us even now. We tremble at your word, and we rejoice at the same time. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Amen. Verse one tells us that Solomon makes a big event out of the arrival of the ark of the covenant. But more than just seeing the grandeur of it and the celebration around it, we were given the precise timing of it. You know by now how long it took to build the temple. How long did it take?

A total of how many years? Seven years. Correct. But look here with me and notice something. We are told here that in verse two, it was at the feast in the month of Ithanim, which is the seventh month.

So you know and I know how long it took to build the temple, But in the same scripture where we're told how long it took to build the temple, we're also told when it was completed. And if you do not remember when it was completed, just scroll back a couple chapters in chapter six and look here with me in verse 38. You will see the precise date and the precise months, specifically, where this all came to an end concerning this construction of the temple. And in the eleventh year, in the month of Baal, which is the eighth month, the house was finished and all its parts and according to all its specifications, he was seven years in building it. So in the eighth month of the eleventh year, this is when the temple was completed.

What month of the year did the ark of the covenant arrive? The seventh month. So how many months after the temple was completed did Solomon bring in the ark? Eleven months. Now some would say, no.

It wasn't eleven months later. It was probably many years later, and they take into consideration that perhaps Solomon brought the ark in after he completed his own house, which means many years passed before this took place. Irrespective of the year, the Holy Spirit underscores and sees it necessary for us to know which month out of the year Solomon brought in the ark. Why do you think the seventh month is important? Okay.

The number seven is important in the bible. That's true. But what took place on the seventh month according to the Jewish calendar? There the feast of tabernacles, was that the only feast in the seventh month? Okay.

Good. Let's do this. How many feast were commanded by the lord for Israel to observe? Seven. Another number number seven.

Correct? Four of them were in the spring, three of them were in the fall. Which ones were during the spring? Passover, number one. Next, unleavened bread.

True. Third, the feast of first fruits. By the way, all these feast point to Jesus Christ. Fourth, Pentecost or the feast of weeks. So you have Passover, unleavened bread, the feast of first fruits, the feast of weeks, feast of Pentecost.

Then there's a period, a break, and then you come to the fall season, and then there are three feasts, which are what? First, the feast of trumpets. Second, the day of atonement. Really good. Lastly, the feast of booths or the feast of tabernacles.

If you really it's a fascinating study. If you want to know more details about what these feasts mean, we have a whole bible study on the seven feasts feasts. Just look up the church YouTube account and look up the seven feasts of Israel, and your mind will be blown away if you don't understand the significance of those feasts. It's a prophetic timetable, really. Now we don't know exactly what feast in the seventh month this celebration coincides with.

Until you come to the end of this chapter, then you receive the clue that tells you which feast exactly. So So look at chapter eight verse 65. So Solomon held the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly from Lebo Hamath to the Brook Of Egypt before the lord our god, seven days. Out of those three feasts in the seventh month, there was only one of those feasts that were celebrated throughout a week time, and that was the Feast of Tabernacles. Very good.

The Feast of Tabernacles is a fascinating feast. One of the reasons why it's fascinating is because they were instructed once a year to build booths, kinda like tents, more decorative, and they were to live in these booths throughout the week. More than that, this feast was held at the end of the harvest season. And so there would be the ingathering of produce and vegetation and all these things, and they would dedicate these things to the Lord, and they would recognize God for his faithfulness and provision, his continual leadership and guidance in their lives. But more than just recognizing him for that year, it would ultimately be a time of commemoration of a specific period in Israel's history.

The time in which the people were delivered from slavery out of Egypt into freedom through the wilderness, and through the wilderness, they lived in what? They lived in tents. They lived in booths. And so as they would reflect on what God had done for them, they would do so in a very practical and and exciting way by actually living in booths at this particular time, and this is how they would recognize God's goodness. This This is how they would recognize his faithfulness to him.

But why coincide this feast with the ark coming into Jerusalem, into the city of David? Well, it's for no different reason than why we were told the exact time when Solomon began the project a couple chapters ago. The reason why the Holy Spirit the reason why we are told that Solomon said, this is the feast that we want to overlap with this entrance of the ark is because the ark is the ultimate fulfillment of the hope of these people, the goal of their redemption and their preservation. Not the ark itself, but what the ark symbolized. God's throne and his presence in close proximity to those that he delivered.

Exalted, honored, and enjoyed. And so why did the Lord bring them out of Egypt? Why did he preserve them through the wilderness? Why did he bring them into the promised land? For this very moment, that God and man can dwell as closely as possible to one another.

And you heard from a couple of Bible studies ago, the goal of our redemption in Christ Jesus is no different, that the Lord would bring us to God, Peter tells us, through the blood. And so there's supposed to be this overlap because they're supposed to recognize at the same time, this is what God ultimately provides us, not just the things that we enjoy, our protection, our livelihood, but his presence, his person. And you know what's so fascinating? During the millennial reign, this very feast will be one of the feasts. Not every feast is gonna be recognized when Jesus Christ returns and rules on the earth, but this feast, the Feast of Tabernacles, will be a global mandate.

All the nations must recognize the Feast of Boots, and they must come to Jerusalem as they did. This is a pilgrimage feast and recognize and honor the Lord. So this feast is even pointing to what's to come. That's why Peter got so excited on the Mount Of Transfiguration when he saw Jesus and his glory, Moses and Elijah. What did he say out of nowhere?

Let's build tents for you. Was he was he just groggy and he didn't know what he was saying? Some people say it say say that, and they teach it that way. No. Peter understood the Old Testament.

When Christ comes in his glory, we will celebrate the feast of tabernacles. Let's do it now. Let's do it right now. We can build booths for you and you and you. We could just stay right here.

And if you want the reference for that, that's in Zechariah fourteen sixteen where we are told that all the nations will gather and come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Boots. And if you didn't, there is punishment. There was punishment. So there's a prophetic hope in this that the one that the ark points to will one day enter and arrive, establish his throne, the glory of God, not on a chest, not on a treasure piece, but in the person of Jesus Christ. He will come, and he will rule and reign, and he will be in close proximity to his own, and we will celebrate that truth.

And we will realize this is the goal of our redemption, Christ himself. Christ himself. When you and I preach the gospel, we're not just preaching for people to get to heaven. We're preaching for people to get to Christ. We're preaching for people to know Christ, love Christ.

Christ is heaven. You don't have Christ in heaven, you don't have heaven. And so this is why this is taking place. And now we come here again in verse three. Let's be reminded what happens.

All the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark, and they brought up the ark of the Lord, the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the tent, the priests and the Levites brought them up. I see something of Solomon's wisdom here because his father had an opportunity to bring the ark into its rightful place at one time when it was returned from the Philistines. Did David do it right the first time? No. He blew it.

For some reason, he found the confidence to do it his own way, an easier way, the worldly way. He saw the Philistines bring the ark on a cart, and he thought, well, that's pretty convenient. Put it on a cart. Why put it on the shoulders of our men? Put it on a cart, on a new cart.

And they paid a high price for it. We pay a high price when we imitate the world when God's given us a blueprint for how you should be honored and worshiped. And so David made a mistake. He paid a high price. Somebody died.

He got afraid. He says, I don't wanna deal with this. And then he finds the grace to do it again, and he does it the right way by adhering to the biblical mandate. And I see Solomon here doing it right the first time. He didn't have to make the same mistake as his father.

Wisdom is not just gleaned by learning from your own mistakes. Wisdom is gleaned when you observe and study the mistakes of others and say, I can avoid this altogether. I thought about that, and I thought further. Isn't it sad that Solomon here learned from the mistake of his father in this area, but not in another area pertaining to marriage and woman? We can be very picky and choosy with sins in our lives.

There there are people who are very passionate about certain standards of righteousness and very, very, very loose in other standards. If you're gonna stand up for righteousness, stand up for righteousness in everything. If you're gonna stand up for the word of God, don't get passionate about one area. Get passionate for everything. No matter what the word of God demands, submit to it and preach it with equal passion and stand for it with equal conviction.

You know, Jesus says, whoever takes the least of these things and teaches others to do life likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. When I read that in the in the Sermon on the Mount, I said, lord, I don't want to make light of anything of your word because I don't wanna come to your kingdom at the end and say, you know, because you treated these things lightly and you taught others to do the same, you're gonna be called. God forbid. God forbid. What happens after Solomon is leading this procession with the priest?

They slaughter these animals without number. They didn't even count them. They now come to the goal. They come to the parking spot, so to speak, of the ark. And look at this in verse six.

Then the priest brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place in the inner sanctuary of the house, in the most holy place, underneath the weeks the wings of the cherubim. For the cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the ark, so that the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles. And it says here, and the poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the holy place before the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen from outside. We'll get to that in a moment. So remember, though the temple served the same person purpose as the tabernacle, it looked very different.

It had the same compartments, the same sections, but when you came into the most holy place, you saw two towering cherubim that stood on their feet. And if you read the measurement of these cherubim, we've read it in back in a few chapters ago. If you do the equivalency of the measurements today that we used through the through the feet, it it would be 15 feet high each. These are tall images. And their wingspan covered the length of the most holy place.

You had their outer wings outer wings touching the walls and then their inner wings kissing each other. So these wings just cover the whole span of the room, and then they placed the Ark of the Covenant in the center underneath the inner wings of the cherubim. Why are the cherubim placed in the most holy place? Why why out of all the imagery, out of all the creatures that you could have created, why did God ask for the cherubim to be placed? Is there any idea?

So one very strong case you can make is that it makes a reference to the Garden of Eden, that after men and women were expelled from paradise, God called for the cherubim to guard the tree of life. And so what you have here in a sense is, a reference to the garden and how man is still through sin kept from enjoying the fullness of the presence of God. Very good point. Yes. Worship.

They they, worship God. Very good. And so may I admit may you didn't say this, but I'm assuming you're gonna say this, that this is a picture of even the throne of God. Yes. Because whenever you and I get an honor to see a glimpse of the throne of God, the celestial throne of God in the scriptures, it is often characterized by these otherworldly beings that surround the throne, whether that be cherubim or whether that be seraphim, these amazing creatures that are giving glory to God that would frighten us, but in fact, they are the ones who can't even stand in the holiness of God without covering the face of at least the seraphim.

Any other ideas? Yes. Yes. So that's seraphim, more specifically, the burning ones. But you see the cherubim in Revelation, so they're there in Ezekiel as well.

So these creatures are there in the throne. So I make the case as much as you have the a strong case concerning the garden, especially what was woven into what the veil. The cherubim were woven onto the veil, which is very much a strong picture of, hey. Look. The presence of God is being guarded by these holy beings.

More than that is that the holy place is a reflection of the throne of God. And like you said, God's presence surrounded by these holy beings that worship him. With that being said, can I ask this question? At this point in Solomon's temple, how many cherubim were in the most holy place? Was it one?

Okay. So total, how many? More than that? You had four total. You had one in each side, and then you had two cherubim that were infused on what?

On the ark of covenant itself. And so let me show you the reference of this because this is quite amazing. When you consider the four cherubim and how they were positioned, they're different. So go to Exodus with me and look at the construction, the building of the ark of the covenant in verse 18 of chapter 25. Exodus chapter 25 verse 18.

Here's the instruction given to Moses concerning the cherubim on the lid of the ark of the covenant. What was the lid of the ark of the covenant called? Very good. The mercy seat. Here is the instruction.

And you shall make two cherubim of gold, of hammered work. Shall you make them on the end the two ends of the mercy seat? Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another, toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be.

So on both ends of this chest piece called the ark of the covenant, you had one cherub facing the other. Their wings are overshadowing the ark, and not only are they facing one another, but their faces are downward looking at the mercy seat. Now the two cherub that Solomon built, they are much bigger. They were not directly attached to the ark of the covenant. But based on the description here, where were they facing?

They were facing outward. They were facing toward what? Yeah. The most holy place. If we're looking at it from the view of the cherub, they're looking toward the holy place.

Are they not? If you want the reference for this, the exact reference is second Chronicles three thirteen, where we're told that they face the nave. They face outward. So let me paint this picture. You had two bigger cherub that were facing outward, and you had two smaller cherub that were facing downward and looking toward the mercy seat.

And this is really an exciting illustration. It's really a picture of something that you and I kind of read in the New Testament. In what sense? Well, Peter says something quite fascinating concerning the gospel. He says this mystery of the gospel, of human salvation, the mercy of God in this gospel is something that angels long to look into.

They long to study this. They long to try to understand redemptive history and why this holy God would redeem these rebels. They long to look into the mystery and the mercy of God. And yet at the same time, we're told by Paul in Ephesians chapter three that the church is really something of a spectacle and that through the church, the wisdom of God is made known to these authorities and to these beings from where? Heavenly places.

So you have these otherworldly beings that are also looking at this phenomenon called the church, and how God not only saves these sinners, but he is conforming them, and he is working in them and through them. And not to others, but even to a world unknown to us, at least how we perceive it humanly speaking, a world that we believe in, but a world that we can't immediately interact with. They are looking in, and they're saying, what is this thing called the church? Look at the wisdom of God in the church. Look at the grace of God in the church.

And these cherub, they were not looking at the mercy. See, two of them were, but these other two were looking out into the holy place where the priests were ministering. It's so fascinating to see how the old connects with the new. Here's another point. In one of the gospel accounts, we're told that when the woman came to the tomb and they and they looked in, One of the accounts tells us that on the bed that Jesus laid on, there was an angel on one end, and there was an angel on the other end.

Where do you think that is supposed to point back to? Well, who's in the middle? It would have been that precious, holy, sinless body of the Lord Jesus Christ who is ultimately the mercy seat. Isn't the Bible rich? Isn't the Bible fascinating?

It's because it's authored by an amazing god. And so they placed the Ark of the Covenant here. And speaking of priests serving, they would have seen something this might be a shocking statement they would have seen something of the Most Holy Place. Now that sounds illegal, because it is illegal. But notice verse eight with me of one Kings eight.

And the poles were so long, the poles of the ark of the covenant, that the ends of the poles were seen from the holy place before the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen from outside. You wanna talk about wrestling with a verse. Because we're told throughout the Old Testament, especially when the ark was introduced to the people, that they had no right to freely look upon the Ark of the Covenant. Even when it was transported, it was covered. It was a holy thing.

And yet here we're told that the poles, because the ark also had poles for the priests to put on their shoulders, Those poles, according to Exodus, were to never be removed. They were to always remain intact with the ark. But here, the Holy Spirit highlights that they were so long that the ends of the poles were sticking out, and that they could be seen from the holy place. How do we make sense of this? Trust me.

Many people have tried to give many explanations. And the most satisfactory explanation that I could agree with is that these ends of the poles did not actually stick out where you can see them clearly and get a glimpse of a piece of the ark, but they were being impressed upon the veil. And as they were being impressed on the the veil, there was almost two bulges against the curtain. And so it was known that these were the poles that were pressing against the screen, but they weren't completely protruding out. Why is this important for us to even know?

That's the question I always ask when it comes to an obscure verse like this. Why is it important for me to know that if that is the explanation of this verse, that these poles were elevating the screen, so to speak. And if you were serving there in the holy place, you would see it. You would see a dent, so to speak, into this thick curtain called the veil. Well, Well, this looks like Gorgiz has a question or answer.

Is it possible that this is a sign that there's something Yes. So in a practical sense, it would be a constant reminder that the ark is here. It'd be a constant reminder to the to the ministers that the presence of God is in the midst. But this is not dogmatic. This is not, definite, so to speak.

This is just working with what we have here. I just began to think about what the ark symbolized, what the veil symbolized, and how we're being told that it was seen by the priest. Right? This is important for them to register what was happening. The ark represents very simply the presence of God.

And and God dwelling in and through the ark, manifesting his glory through the ark, this is God's longing, the the constant thread throughout the Bible, God's longing to dwell with man. What does the veil symbolize? Why is there even a veil to begin with? Separate the presence of God from who? From man, from sinful man.

And, again, if you even look at what's woven on the veil, it's very clear in the tabernacle especially. The cherubim are there, which is supposed to be a constant reminder of the Garden of Eden, that the cherubim were raised up to block man's entrance into the presence of God. And so you have the ark of the covenant, which symbolizes the presence of God. You have the veil that speaks of the separation caused by sin, and then you have the poles that are pressing against the veil. And this is the thought that ran through my mind.

Disagree with me if you would like. That if this ark represents God's presence, wanting to dwell with man, this veil representing sin, here is God reaching out. Here is God reaching out. You know what James tells us? That this God yearns jealously for the spirits that he has made in us.

In a sense, even as redemptive history is progressing, what you're what you're seeing in the most holy place is that God is longing to touch man, redeem man, rescue man, be in closer proximity to man. And so you have the tabernacle where the ark was very comfortable in. You have the Temple Of Solomon where now the poles, the extension of the ark are pressing against the veil, and then you come to the New Testament where Jesus Christ comes in the flesh and he tabernacles among men. And then after Jesus Christ ascends into heaven, he sends his spirit, and what does he do? He dwells in you and I.

How much closer can you get than that? You are the temple of the Holy Spirit. And so here we have a God who first loved us, and we can love him because he first loved us. Here's a God that even in this small picture showing his longing and yearning to be with you and I. He doesn't need us, but he desires us.

This moved me when I saw this, and I wonder if it ran through the mind of the priests as they were serving there. There's the ark being pressed against the veil. What does that say about God's heart? And we read on, and what do we see? Something else concerning the ark.

This is the concluding thought concerning the ark. It's not so much about the ark itself, but the contents in the ark. If you were troubled by verse eight, at least puzzled, get ready for verse nine. There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone that Moses put there at Horeb where the Lord made a covenant with the people of Israel when they came out of the land of Egypt. Why is that puzzling?

Because there are two other articles that were supposed to be in the ark. And if you want a summation of this, it's actually in the New Testament. What book do you think I'm about to quote? Very good. You know your Bibles well.

Hebrews nine verse three and four. I want you to see this with your own eyes. Hebrews nine three and four, the author of Hebrews, who many believe to be Paul, masterfully makes a case for the supremacy of Christ, and he speaks about the very structure that we are referring to, though it's very likely he's actually speaking about the tabernacle more than the temple. So what does he say here? Says here in verse four, having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, an Aaron's staff that butted, and the tablets of the covenant.

There it is. You have three things, the golden urn of manna that was ordered in Exodus. You have Aaron's rod that butted that was ordered in number 17, and then you have the tablets, which is ordered back in Exodus to be placed in the ark of the covenant. Do we have a contradiction here? Because we're told in first Kings eight nine that there was nothing except for the tablets of stone.

No. One, because it could be that the author of Hebrews is speaking about the tabernacle. And others would even make the case that it was only the tablets of stone that were committed to be in the ark, and the golden urn of manna and Aaron's rod were to be placed around the ark. Where did they get that notion from? Well, if you look at the instructions about the golden urn and Aaron's rod, there's very specific language, and the language was this.

Place it before the ark of the covenant. And so they would make the case on top of that. Well, if you look at the author's point here, he adds another thing in the most holy place that's technically not supposed to be there. What is it? Look at verse four again.

What's out of place? What's not supposed to be be there? Somebody whispered it. Don't be shy. The first thing, having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the hold on.

There's no end in the in the most holy place. The only thing in the most holy place is the ark of the covenant. The one piece of furniture before you would enter into the most holy place was the altar of incense. That was the closest thing to the veil that would lead into the most holy place, which is a practical picture of what? That the closest place you can be in terms of knowing the presence of God is prayer.

The altar of incense symbolizes prayer, and that was the closest thing to the presence of God symbolizing the ark of the covenant. You wanna be close to the Lord? Get a prayer life. You wanna know his presence? Get a prayer life.

But more than that, it's a picture of the intercessory ministry of Jesus. It's amazing. So this altar of incense, why well, why where did you go? Why is the golden altar of incense in the most holy place? And here's the argument.

Well, in doesn't necessarily mean in. If it's true that the golden altar is not in the most holy place, then you can also say that the golden urn and the the but its staff is not in the ark of the covenant. Regardless, we can still ask the question. Based on first Kings eight nine, what happened to the golden urn of manna and to Aaron's staff? Because it's being explicitly stated.

There was nothing in the ark, as though the the Holy Spirit wants us to know nothing else was in this. The only thing that's important to know that was in the ark is the law. No explanation. You'd be hard pressed to find an answer to why. But what many would say, if you don't hold to this view that it's not necessarily in maybe before or around, that there was something significant that happened in the history of the ark of the covenant that could possibly explain what happened to these other articles.

I'm thinking something obviously in between Moses' time with the tabernacle and Solomon's time with the temple. Was there any significant episode that could explain the missing golden urn and Aaron's staff? The ark was captured. The ark was captured by who? The Philistines.

First Samuel four five and six. Because what people would say to this is, well, clearly, they were removed. Somehow, someway, they were removed. Well, how were they removed? Maybe during that seventh month period when it was stolen from the people of Israel, the Philistines found liberty to say, oh, look what's in here.

And so it could be that they either removed or took for whatever reason the golden urn of manna and Aaron's butted staff. And if that is true, if that is the explanation, I find it absolutely hilarious that they left the law in there. Like, what is this? It looks like commands. Keep it in there.

Give it back to them. We don't want that. And if that is true, then what a wonderful lesson of how the enemy works. You know how God wants you to see him in a relational way? And even through the commandments that you would see it as a delight because you love the person behind the commands.

You know how Satan would like you to view God? Through the law and the law alone. Dos and don'ts. Dos and don'ts. Dos and don'ts.

You know, so many people believe Christianity is just about dos and don'ts. Dos and don'ts. Can I do this? Can I not do this? Can I go there?

Can I not go there? Yes. Commands are important, but the law here, the tablets, do not symbolize the commands of God as a response of our love toward him. This is speaking about the condemnation of the law. The condemnation of law.

And if you purely view the God of this book through the lens of the law, you're doomed. You're doomed. You're hopeless. That's the point of the law, to make you feel hopeless, to show you that you cannot satisfy this righteous demand. And so if the the enemies of Israel did remove these two other things, which is significant, the rod symbolizes resurrection.

I won't get into the other details. Here's the law. That's the only thing that's left. You're saying, well, yeah, but the law is important. It is important, but for what purpose?

Be careful how you relate to the law. Even the law in the ark of the covenant, notice where it was placed. Are you with me? Notice where it was placed. The law on the tablets of stone were in the ark.

Correct? Yes. God's holiness. Yes. The code of his righteousness.

Yes. His standards for us to relate to him. But also, yes, impossible to keep. Impossible to observe. So it's in the ark as a memorial of his holiness, but what is on top of the law?

The mercy seat. The mercy seat shields the law. The mercy of God covers the demands of the law. And what was in between that mercy? What was in between those cherubim once a year?

The blood. Blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat, and it was the mercy that was hovering over the law. You can't keep this law. You need mercy. That's the message of the ark of the covenant and Jesus, the greater ark of the covenant.

And so what happens? Let's read verse 10. And when the priest came out of the holy place, a cloud filled the house of the Lord so that the priest could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord. So once the ark was placed, people stepped back, and a manifestation of the glory of God began to reveal itself. And this is not the first time that a cloud filled the house of the Lord.

In Exodus 40, we're told that at the completion of the tabernacle and the placement of all the ordered pieces, a cloud also came and filled the house of the Lord. Why did a cloud come in the tabernacle? Why did a cloud come in the temple? As a sign of divine approval of what just took place. And the people would have witnessed and recognized, God is pleased with this work.

He will dwell here. He does say yes, and he does accept this offering. But notice the language here in verse 10 and verse 11. A cloud filled the house of the Lord. And then you read on, and it says the same thing.

The glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord. I told you that's the same language used in Exodus, chapter 40 as well. It filled the tabernacle. Do you think God's desire is any less for the house of God today? Who am I speaking about?

This church building? No. I'm speaking about you and I. In the same way that the Lord filled the tabernacle, in the same way that that the Lord filled the temple, in the same way the Lord wants to fill you and I. Not partially, completely, not in sections of your life, in saturation of your entire life.

Paul commanded by the spirit in Ephesians five eighteen to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Filled, bubbling over, saturated, covered in the fragrance of the person and will and character of Jesus Christ. And that is something you and I should long for, that every part of who we are would be permeated by him, permeated by him. How ridiculous would it be if the glory of the Lord filled just a couple of the rooms in the house? What's this?

No. Everything was blanketed over, and the will of God in the person of the Holy Spirit is no different for you and I. He wants every corner of your life to be touched by him, to reflect him, to carry his glory, to carry his glory. How does that look? Does that look like you try really hard to look righteous and stoic?

That's not the glory of God. That's not. It's not you being legalistic and you looking like you're sour and you think that being holy means that you're not a enjoyable person. God forbid. It's just when you allow the Holy Spirit, as you surrender every part of your life, to take control of that and to guide you and lead you and to convict you and to conform you and to give you the wisdom to know how to respond to every situation, circumstance, scenario, person the way Jesus would.

That's what the glory of God looks like. And so yearn for that, to be filled with the Holy Spirit. By the way, that's not a suggestion. It's a command. Hey.

If you feel like it, be filled with the Holy Spirit. Is that how Paul spoke about the Holy Spirit? No. Be filled. And the verb tense there is continually filled, continually filled, continually filled.

So now the glory of God shows up to the degree that it was so thick in the house of God that the the priest couldn't even continue to minister. They had to excuse themselves, and this was a sight for all to see. And Solomon saw this. And as Solomon is witnessing the glory of God now perfuming this house, Because what's the house of God without the glory of God? What's the temple without the presence of God?

It's just a hollow museum. There are many religious facilities today that prize and praise of their artifacts and their art and all these different things and materials and the money they spent, and they're bankrupt of the presence of God because it's not for the glory of God and it doesn't host the truth of God. So Solomon now, for the rest of this chapter, is really gonna respond to this. He's gonna respond to what's taking place here, and the first thing he does is he says something to the Lord, and then he's gonna say something to the people. And that's what we're gonna cover the next few verses here, and then we will end.

Let's read here in verse 12. Then Solomon said, the Lord has said that he would dwell in thick darkness. I have indeed built you an exalted house, a place for you to dwell in forever. Where does God dwell according to Solomon? In what?

Thick darkness. Is that your imagination when it comes to the manifestation of the glory of God? Do you see a thick darkness or an unapproachable light according to first Timothy six sixteen? First John, we're told that God is light. God is light, first Timothy six.

He dwells in unapproachable light, Solomon, thick darkness. Which one is it? How can you have God as light? He dwells in unapproachable light, but he also dwells in thick darkness. Again, this is reminiscent of what happened on Mount Sinai.

When the Lord came, he also came to reveal himself in his glory in a thick, dark cloud, thunder, clapping, trumpet sounds. It was absolutely terrifying, and here's God coming again in thick darkness. Contradiction? No. A declaration of the mercy of God.

How so? Well, if he does dwell in unapproachable light, if his unfiltered presence is consuming, so beautiful I mean, if you have the glory of God causing them not to be able to minister, what would it look like if he removed every veil? He would absolutely overwhelm you. Dare I say, kill you. Lord, show us your glory.

Be careful. Because when even the closest followers and greatest servants of God were exposed to the glory of God, they couldn't stand on their own feet. You talk about Daniel who was called the beloved of the Lord. And when he had some glimpse of the glory, the messengers of God, he fainted. So thick darkness, I say the mercy of God.

Why? Because if that is what happens to those who see just a percentage of his power, what would it be like if it came in its complete form? And so God, I believe, in thick darkness cloaks himself. He provides this canopy, this pavilion, this way of shielding the brilliance of his holiness so that he could make himself known without making his subjects turn into fine powder. And so this thick darkness is really a screen so that the Lord can come and meet with his people.

And you know what? He does that in the new covenant in the person of Jesus Christ. He doesn't come in thick darkness. He comes in flesh, and he walks among us, and he eats with us, and he touches us. Oh, yeah, you come in the glory.

Oh, if God really wanted to reveal himself, let him reveal himself, and be careful. One, he does reveal himself. Two, he knows his nature better than yours, and in his mercy, he comes in the flesh for many reasons. For many reasons, and one of them is because he's merciful, and the glory of God shines through the sun. So he dwells in thick darkness, and then he says, I have indeed built you an exalted house, a place for you to dwell in forever.

Now look at this. Then the king, verse 14, turned around and blessed he blessed all the assembly of Israel while all the assembly of Israel stood. So as he's witnessing this, he's, glory of the Lord dwells in thick darkness. I have indeed built you a house, an exalted house that you may dwell in forever. And he's just overwhelmed by this, and then he turns around toward the people who are standing there witnessing the same thing, and he begins to bless them.

What a wonderful pattern. What a wonderful pattern for us to consider for our own lives that when you and I behold the glory of God, when we are visited by manifestations of his faithfulness, even his beauty in the word, in life, You know what should that do to us? It should cause us to do many things, worship him, adore him, yes, but also turn around and bless others. The closer you are to the Lord, the more the Lord shows you should make you of a greater blessing to other people. I know a lot of people who have a lot of biblical knowledge, but the way they treat people shows that I don't know if you really got what you got.

The more you know, the more you see. It will make an impression on you that will have you turning around and looking at others and blessing them. And he blesses them by speaking to them about the truth of God. Look at verse 15, and he said, blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who with his hand has fulfilled what he has promised with his mouth to David my father, saying, since the day that I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house that my name might be there, but I chose David to be over my people Israel. Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

But the Lord said to David my father, whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well in that it was in your heart. Do you sense the preciousness of that commentary? He's telling the people, you know, hey, look. My father originally had this desire to build what you see, and it was in his heart. And although it was in his heart, the Lord recognized that, and he praised that, and he goes on to explain how he didn't fulfill that through David, but through myself.

You know what's so precious about this? The Lord knows the desires of our hearts. That's what's so beautiful about this verse. The Lord sees, recognizes, and if it's the right desire, even praises the desires of our hearts. Think about that.

Think about how weighty that is. Yet this thing, this chamber that entertains so many things that meditates in dreams and hopes, God sees it all. And He saw it in David and He praised it. You did well. You know what He didn't say?

He didn't say you did well in that you built me a house. He says you did well that it was in your heart. The simple desire alone blessed God. The wish alone pleased God, and it was something that he was willing to commend. You know, you might have desires to serve God in a particular way, and you never saw it realized.

Do you realize that God is pleased with the desire alone? Perhaps you feel limited. Perhaps you're struggling with God's providence, maybe even with God's gifting in your life, and you don't understand, I have this desire. Lord, why aren't you allowing me to walk in these desires? They're for you, and that's wonderful.

We're about to find out how God does lead us in a moment. But be at rest with this truth, that the Lord sees that desire. And though it may never be realized the way you had hoped for, the desire alone blesses him. That moved my heart. That moved my heart.

But here's the other lesson. Look at verse 19. Nevertheless, you shall not build the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall build the house for my name. So the desire was there. It was strong.

You read the Psalms, it actually says that he did not sleep until he built the house for the Lord. David couldn't even sleep at night. Talk about desire. This man could not even put his eyes to rest because he could not fathom that he lived in a house and God lived in a tent. I must in my lifetime do something to contribute to the honor and glory of God.

He couldn't sleep. And yet as strong as those feelings were, as strong as that passion were passion was, the Lord says, you're not gonna build it. Here's the truth in that. Here's the lesson. Feelings, no matter how strong they are, do not determine the legitimacy of it being realized.

No matter how strong your passion is, no matter how strong your desire is, it's not always an indication that it's the will of God. Oh, this is so important, man, because our emotions can dictate so much. I really want to do this, even if it's for the Lord, but it doesn't mean it's from God. He can use desires to nudge you in a direction. He can use and even deposit things in you to lead you in a certain place in a certain course of action, but not always.

David is an example of that. He had this pass passion. He had this longing, and yet it was not in alignment with God's will. Too many people live by their emotions. Too many people live by what they feel.

Too many people interpret what they feel to be God's will. Again, this is a call for wisdom. At the same time, again, like in first Timothy three, he who desires the office of an overseer desires a noble thing. God can speak through your desires. But if you always think that everything you feel and long for is the will of God, you're in trouble.

So what do I do? Well, you take those desires, those plans, those dreams, those hopes, and you lay them at the feet of the Lord saying, lord, I desire this to you. Is this what you want? Is this you saying this is what you want me to do? If not, then, lord, make me sensitive enough to you to know that this is not from you.

It's as simple as that. You do your part and surrender to him in humility, and he'll do his part. He's a big god. He knows how to lead your life. He knows how to clear the air.

He knows how to subdue you in keeping you from making foolish mistakes even in the name of your feelings. Just surrender it to him. No matter how strong those feelings are, learn to bring them to the Lord and let him clarify if this is from him or not. You want further proof of this? Okay.

Fine. Let me give you a new testament, unless you beat me over the head and say, oh, you're old testament. Okay. New testament. Was there a man who desired to do something very noble, very righteous, very holy?

And the Lord said, no. Well, many examples. Let me give you one of the clearest ones. Go to Acts 16. Here's Paul, and what does Paul wanna do?

He wants to preach the gospel. He wants to fulfill the great commission, verse six of Acts 16. In Acts 16 verse six, we read, and they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. Isn't speaking the word a good thing? Amen.

Isn't preaching to the lost a wonderful thing? Amen. Isn't spreading the gospel to the nations the will of Christ, one of his final commands before he sent it to amen? And yet, here's Paul strategizing, a brilliant man, and realizing, okay. Where do we need to go next?

And he goes to this region and having been forbidden from the Holy Spirit. No. Okay. And so look at verse seven. And when they had come up to Masia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the spirit of Jesus did not allow them.

No. Talk about patience. Traveling wasn't easy back then, by the way. Can't call an Uber. You can't take a flight.

No. Very difficult. So they go here. No. How did the Lord make it known?

It's debated, but it was clear enough for them to say, the Lord doesn't want us here. Next door. No. Why? Because it wasn't the time for this region to receive the gospel, and there was a more pressing matter that needed to be attended to.

There was a call from Macedonia. So here's another example of a good thing, a noble thing, a passionate pursuit being redirected by God who is all knowing. And so this is a call for us to be prayerful, to be sensitive, to be seeking counsel, and to walk in the spirit and ask the Lord to work with our feelings and to sober us if those feelings are not in alignment with his desires for our lives. Additionally, may I add that notice in in both David and Paul's examples, the Lord guides us, not just through open doors, but closed doors. We're very simplistic in the way we view and even counsel people's leadership or God's leadership in people's lives.

God can lead you through hindrance. Oftentimes when we feel resistance, when we feel obstacles, we call it pray me. Okay. Satan is hindering us here. Let's pray.

What if it's God? What if it's God doing a very wonderful job keeping you from making a very foolish mistake in terms of timing, in terms of your resources, in terms of you getting in trouble if you go in that direction at this time? So how do we deal with this? Because Paul says to Thessalonians that he tried to go to them, but Satan hindered him. The place of prayer, the place of being with spirit filled believers, the place of seeking counsel from spirit filled people, that's where you and I are the safest.

And so be encouraged with this. You might have a strong desire and that desire will not be realized, maybe not realized at all, maybe not realized at this time. God is no less leading you there than he is if he gave you what you desired. You might be thinking the way God is gonna answer, he's gonna open this door. God can slam the door, shut in your face, and it's just as an act of mercy as though he had opened a door for you to walk through.

Open your mind. Expand the breath of your understanding how God leads and shepherds his sheep and realize that his no's are just as good as his yeses. And you know what's so fascinating? If I was Paul, at least we have no indication that Paul felt this way, but if I was Paul, I'd be very puzzled. I'd be puzzled by this.

Okay. Go here. Nope. Go here. Nope.

It's like, what's going on? And the leadership of God can be puzzling in our lives, but it's never void of purpose. He's never forgetful. He with all the millions of children that he has in the world, he's never overwhelmed. I get overwhelmed when I have so many emails to answer that week.

I get frank. Oh, I gotta do this. It just messes up with my routine. But God is not like me. He's not like you.

Thank God for that. He's not overwhelmed. He doesn't break out in a sweat when all these needs come to him at the same time, effortless. You know, he's writing a million stories right now, and it's just nothing to him. You know, he's providentially putting pieces in the lives of every single one of his children, and he's enjoying it.

This is the God you and I serve. So be careful. Bring that passion to the feet of Jesus. Say, Lord, is this your will? And be careful when you see circumstances that don't seem to fit with your timeline or your script.

Realize that God is a better story writer than you are. Let's come back and finish first Kings eight. Verse 20. Now the Lord has fulfilled his promise that he made, for I have risen in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel as the Lord promised. And I have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, and there I have provided a place for the ark, and which is the covenant of the Lord that he made with our fathers when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.

And for the rest of this chapter, Solomon is going to pray a very, very long prayer with several requests, and the subject of our study next week will be what these requests mean for us and some wonderful lessons about what we should do in prayer. Let's pray. It is indeed our delight, Lord, to be sanctified by the truth. Your word is truth. Thank you for manifesting your glory through this chapter.

Thank you for teaching and instructing us about who you are. Lord, may we be a people with a greater zeal and curiosity to look into the things of the mystery of the gospel and to realize that the church is no small thing but a trophy case of your grace. May not the angels and the creatures of another world outdo us in the pursuit of knowing your truth more and understanding your character and how you relate to us. Lord, every person here has a different background. Every person here is enduring or enjoying a season that's different than the other.

But, Lord, may we be reminded by the simple truth that you are in control and that your will takes priority over our desires and that, Lord, your leadership is greater than how we could conjure up a plan for our own lives. Lord, thank you that there's a day coming where the greater ark of the covenant will make his way to Jerusalem, and we will rule and reign with him, and we will know his presence forever. And you will fashion us with bodies. Unlike the priest who could not be in the same presence of that glory, we will be able to register, receive, enjoy, and drink every drop of your brilliance and holiness for ages unending. Glory be to the father.

Glory be to the son. Glory be to the holy spirit. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen.

Hey. If you were touched by this bible study and you feel that it is necessary for you to not stand but to just be in a place of quiet prayer and to talk to the Lord, you do that. You're not forced to stand. But if you wanna stand in honor of the Lord and sing to him, you can stand at this moment. All I ask is that you respond to the bible study in one way or another.

That could be by singing, or that can be by saying, Lord, thank you. You spoke to my heart. Or, Lord, throughout the whole Bible study, my heart was dry. I don't wanna leave here dry. Touch my heart.

You just commune with the God that you just heard about, and he will honor that. Whenever you're ready, please.