“He built the Most Holy Place . . . He overlaid the inside with 600 talents of fine gold.” 2 Chronicles 3:8 NIV
The book of Second Chronicles describes the construction of Solomon’s Temple, the first permanent temple built by the Jews to God. You can read about it in the second and third chapters, which describe the size and ornateness of the structure. Oftentimes when we read the Bible, we see terms like “talents”, “cubits”, “shekels”, and “baths” without understanding what they are.
I’m just going to briefly describe only one feature. The Most Holy Place, which contained the Ark of the Covenant, measured thirty feet by thirty feet. Pure gold lined the walls–in fact, 23 tons of it! At today’s gold price, the value is more than $901 million dollars. That’s right! Just a little less than a billion dollars on the walls!
The opulence doesn’t stop here. Read about the rest of the temple and it’ll blow your mind! How do you build a house for God? King David did the basic legwork for the design of the Temple and the acquisition of many materials, but the construction responsibility fell to his son, King Solomon. In their era, such a building merited being the best ever, and today–over three thousand years later–nothing comparable or better has ever been built. From an engineering and architectural perspective, that’s simply amazing!
However, Jesus Christ changed everything! God’s Temple is contained within every believer. Shortly after Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, the Holy Spirit arrived to guide mankind, and He resides in us. We’re far more valuable in God’s view than King Solomon’s incredibly opulent Temple!
Many of us–me included–don’t maintain our temples like we should. I think God-honoring upkeep requires us to be the very best in our spiritual, mental, and physical condition. Such effort should be a daily practice.
What are you doing to maintain your temple?
Prayer: Thank you, God, for living in us! We praise You for your amazing love. Amen.