THE KI NG ’ S BUSINESS “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness; God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” (John 1:14) “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (2 Cor. 3:18) “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” Yes, indeed, He does dwell with and in men (2 Cor. 6 :16): “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols ? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Was not the Shekinah glory, manifest in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, the visible presence of the Holy Spirit of God? PRACTICAL POINTS (1) What David prepared for, Solomon perfected. (2) He plead the promises of God. So should we. (3) Confession of sin is a condition of forgiveness. (4) What we dedicate to God He will consecrate. (5) The duty of every believer is to dedicate his body, soul and spirit to the Lord. ( 6 ) The tabernacle and temple were types of Christ. (7) When room is given God’s glorious Spirit will fill with His presence. ( 8 ) By the silent forces of the Spirit we are being changed into His image from glory to glory. (9) There was praise for God’s bless ing; prayer for God’s temple; peti tion for God’s people. (10) Solomon poured out his soul in prayer and God poured in the glory of His presence. (11) We are God’s building, founded upon a Rock, fitly framed, growing through grace into a holy temple. (Eph. 2:20-22.)
862 present need, and God’s purposes and plan for them in the ages to come. Confining ourselves to Verses 22-30, we suggest the following: Solomon ascribed to God all honor, as the only true covenant-keeping God. He gave praise to God for the fullness of His blessing to Israel (vs. 22-23). He prayed for God’s blessing upon the temple (vs. 24-29), based upon the sac rifice upon the altar (v. 5) and the promise of God (vs. 24-26). It is a prayer of faith in the promises of God (vs. 24-25) and a prayer of deep con sciousness of unworthiness. A prayer of humility (vs. 26-30). (5) THE PRESENCE OF GOD’S GLORY. 2 Chron. 7:1-3. The ark had been brought to the temple and placed in the Holy of holies between the cherubim, and the staves of the ark removed. It was to abide forever. Then the glory of the Lord filled the house. It is remarkable to note that the same significant presence of the glory was manifested when the taber nacle was dedicated (Ex. 40:34-35) and the same significant presence when the Lord appeared at Mount Sinai (Ex. 24:16-18). “And the glory of the Lord abode upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days; and the seventh day He called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. “And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel. “And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount; and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights The counterpart of this is seen in Acts 2:2 when the Holy Spirit came to set apart the believers as the temple of God. The significance of this was the testi mony of God of His acceptance of the temple as His abiding place, and finds its correspondence in the coming and abiding of the Spirit of God in the lives of believers, (v. 18) “ But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth?” Yes. (1 Tim. 3 :16 ):
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