Herein, King Solomon had just finished building an [earthly] house for the Lord -- "a house of habitation for Thee and a place for Thy dwelling forever" -- and the king turned his face and blessed the whole congregation of Israel; and all the congregation of Israel stood listening. Solomon told how the Lord God had said to David his father (who desired in his heart too to build an house for the Name of the Lord God of Israel), "but the Lord said to David, my father, "For as much as it was in thine heart to build an house for My Name, thou didst well in that it was in thine heart. Notwithstanding thou shalt not build the house, but thy son which shall come forth out of thy loins; he shall build the house for My Name." The Lord therefore hath performed His Word that He hath spoken; for I am risen up in the room of David my father, and am set on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised and have built the house for the Name of the Lord God of Israel ..." (II Chronicles 6:1-42)
At one point in Solomon's prayer, he questions the Lord, saying: "Now then, O Lord God of Israel, let Thy Word be verified, which Thou hast spoken unto Thy servant David. But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee, how much less this house which I have built!" (II Chronicles 6:17-18)
It appears that Solomon struggled with the idea that the same Lord God who filled the heaven of heavens with His glory would/could come forth as a mighty man to bring salvation to the people He has chosen as His bride. (Isaiah 42:13; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:10-11, 14; I Timothy 3:16; Matthew 1:21-23)
What Solomon did not comprehend herein (when referring to his father David's conversation with the Lord) is that the Lord Himself had purposed to come into this world as a Son -- a lowly servant -- to bring us His free gift of salvation. It is He that is the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the ending. (Revelation 1:8, 11)
Sadly, we find the same confusion within the modern day religious traditions of men, who find it easier to refer to a tri-une God (God in three persons ideology) than accept that the fact that the Lord God Himself loved His creation so much that after His kindness and love, He willingly became our Saviour. (Titus 3:4-7) This very same Lord God who created the earth and all that is within the earth in the beginning, loved us enough to dwell on the earth in the form of a man, robing Himself in a sin-prone flesh, and yet without sin.
"For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." (Hebrews 12:3)
"He was in the world and the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own and His own received Him not." (John 1:10-11)
Solomon referred to this "stranger" when he said, "Moreover, concerning the stranger, which is not of Thy people Israel, but is come from a far country for Thy great Name's sake, and Thy mighty hand, and Thy stretched out arm; if they come and pray in this house. Then hear Thou from the heavens; [even] from Thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to Thee for; that all people of the earth may know Thy Name, and fear Thee, as doth Thy people Israel, and may know that this house which I have built is called by Thy Name." (II Chronicles 6:32-33; Deuteronomy 9:29; Psalm 89:13)
That stranger (literally translated as foreigner) in the land was Jesus. (Matthew 25:35-43) God manifest in the flesh. (I Timothy 3:16) "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His Name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." (Matthew 1:21-23)
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)
"Wherefore when He comes into the world, He saith, "Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, "Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me;) to do Thy will, O God ... By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (Hebrews 10:5-10; Psalm 40:6-8; John 17:9; Hebrews 9:12)
Again, "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all ... but this man, after He had offered one sacrifice for ever sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth, expecting till His enemies be made His footstool. For by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that He had said before: "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days," saith the Lord, "I will put My laws into their hearts and in their minds will I write them; and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." (Hebrews 10:12-17; Colossians 3:1; Psalm 110:1; Ephesians 2:18; Hebrews 9:8, 12; John 14:6; Hebrews 7:19; Hebrews 10:1)
"And for this cause, He is the Mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." (Hebrews 9:15)
One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism. (Ephesians 4:5-6) One God and Father of all who loved us so much that He offered Himself and purged our conscience from dead works to serve Him -- the living God. (Hebrews 9:14)
"I, even I, am the Lord; and beside Me there is no Saviour." (Isaiah 43:11)
"Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside Me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside Me." (Isaiah 45:21)
"Yet I am the Lord thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but Me: for there is no Saviour beside Me." (Hosea 13:4)
And in this current dispensation of grace, the time in which we live, His Name is Jesus. He is the Light of the world, who lighteth every man and woman who is born. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. (John 14:6) Jesus said, "I and My Father are One." (John 10:30) This is why we look for the one and only Him -- Jesus -- when He shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:28)
This is why we adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things ... "for the grace of God that brings salvation hath appeared to all men." (Titus 2:11)
"Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we being dead to sins should live unto righteousness, by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls." (I Peter 2:24-25; Hebrews 9:28; Romans 7:6; Isaiah 53:5-6; Isaiah 40:11)
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is ONE Lord." (Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12:28-34) And as Peter (standing with the eleven) declared on the day of Pentecost, "This same Jesus whom ye have crucified is BOTH Lord and Christ." (Acts 2:36-38)
His Name is Jesus! The only Name under heaven whereby ye must be saved. (Acts 4:12)
Step away from the confusion of Solomon and instead stand in the offering plate with our Lord God and Saviour, Jesus the Christ.
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