"Living Next Door to God"


BIBLE READING: 1 Kings 7, 2 Chronicles 4
                After the Temple was completed, Solomon completed the work on his palace.  As was the case with the Temple, the palace was also made of some very costly materials.  It contained the same cedars from Lebanon that the Temple was constructed of, as well as some of the same precious stones that were used in the construction of the Temple.  There was, however, one major difference; one home was built for the King of Israel, while the other was built for the King of Kings.  While Solomon lived within the palace, the Temple contained the very presence of God within the Ark of the Covenant.  As you look at all the artist renderings of the two structures, one interesting thing stands out; the palace seems to be located right next to the Temple.  Some even suggest that it was located on the Temple Mount, with only a staircase separating the two structures.  What does that tell us?  Maybe it tells us that Solomon wanted to get his home as close as he could to the home of God. In John 14, we read of Jesus’ comments to His Disciples before He must go to the cross.  He reminds them, in the Father’s house there are “many mansions”.  We even sing the song at church, “I’ve Got A Mansion, Just Over The Hill Top”.  A more accurate translation of the phrase “in my Fathers’ House are many mansions”, is “in my Father’s House are many rooms”.  Jesus tells us that there is enough room in the Father’s house for us to all live with Him. It must have been nice for Solomon to be able to say that his neighbor was God; but which would you rather have, a home next to God or a room in His house.  Solomon could have very well been envious of the opportunity that we have.  Even though Solomon had a palace close to God, our opportunity trumps Solomon’s, in that we get to live with Him…making God’s House, my house.
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