I remember when I first moved to Japan from the States when I was 16 years old.
I was wondering if the God of the Bible I worshipped in the US still held power in the foreign land I was now residing in.
It was a real concern for me.
I remember praying about it.
If I recall correctly, God answered me and reassured me it didn’t matter if I was in a different nation…
He was still sovereign and held absolute authority no matter which land I traveled to.
It turns out there was nothing unique about my concern.
Israel’s gentile neighbors always built fancy temples for their gods.
Why?
Their hearts and minds told them gods needed a place to live.
I mean, you couldn’t expect gods and goddesses to sit out in the hot sun or rain, right?
They also brought food to these gods—because, well, everyone needs to eat.
Pagan priests carried idols of gods in fancy boxes during big parades, because, of course, gods couldn’t walk on their own!
Now, here’s what’s kind of sad.
David and his men thought the same way about the Lord.
They figured, “God needs a house to live in on earth, or how else could we fellowship with Him?”
And naturally, it had to be a house as grand as a king’s palace.
Anything less would surely offend God—right?
Now before we laugh at how primitive these ancient folks were…
Here’s something to chew on…
We modern folks kinda do the same thing.
Ever notice those massive churches and cathedrals?
The same impulse that drove the building of these lavish houses of worship was the same impulse that drove David to wanna build a magnificent Temple to the Lord.
Folks assume the fancier and pricier, the happier God will be.
Turns out no such thing.
The Lord already expressed his dismay toward this when he told Nathan:
“You are going to build me a house to live in? Since the day I brought the people of Israel out of Egypt until today, I never lived in a house; rather, I traveled in a tent and a tabernacle. Everywhere I traveled with all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word to any of the tribes of Israel, whom I ordered to shepherd my people Israel, asking, “Why haven’t you built me a cedar-wood house?”
You can almost feel the thick sarcasm emanating from the words of these verses.
Back in the day, poor people gave so much money—or had it taken from them—to build giant religious monuments that they sometimes couldn’t even afford to feed their families.
Ya think the Lord is happy about that?!
Hell to the no he isn’t!
Heck, even now, some folks won’t step foot in a church unless it’s lavishly decked out and loaded with all the comforts they expect.
What a despicable attitude!
God’s desire isn’t for us to pour tons of money and effort into building elaborate buildings.
That time and money should go toward helping people in need and sharing the Good News with those who haven’t heard it.
Ya feel me?
Sure, we need places to meet, but they don’t have to be flashy.
God was fine meeting Moses in a simple tent!
David and Nathan thought a fancy cedar temple would impress God!
They were dead WRONG.
The Lord wasn’t impressed one bit.
That’s your takeaway for today.
See ya all next time.
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