1 Kings 5:1-5, 8:1-13
The building and dedication of the first Temple
John 2:19-21
Jesus naming his body as the new Temple
The Rev. Rod Sprange, St. Andrew’s, October 26, 2025
May the words of my mouth, the meditations of all our hearts and the actions in our lives be now and always acceptable in your sight, O God our strength and our redeemer. Amen
We continue with the Narrative Lectionary, today moving from the kingship of David, to the reign of David and Bathsheba’s son Solomon.
If you think the family plotting and fighting in the Young and the Restless is extreme, you should read all the David and Solomon stories in Samuel and Kings.
Before we get to today’s reading we should fill in a couple of gaps.
Last week we left the story with David strong and successful. He had united the kingdoms of Israel and the land was finally at peace. But David grew old and frail and became incapable of ruling over the people. Because of David’s deterioration; intrigue and a struggle for the throne began. Solomon’s half brother Adonijah, without King David’s knowledge raised himself up saying “I will be king”. He put together a parade of chariots and horsemen and runners. He plotted with David’s nephew Joab and the priest Abiathar, both long time supporters of David from Judah. He held a huge sacrifice inviting his brothers, the king’s sons, and the royal officials of Judah. The event was like a coronation. Adonijah did not invite his brother Solomon.
But Nathan, prophet and advisor to David, went to Bathsheba (Solomon’s mother) and told her what Adonijah was doing. He said he had a plan. Bathsheba was to go into the king and say to him don’t you remember swearing to me that my son Solomon would succeed you as king. Then why is it that Adonijah is now king without the Kings’s knowledge. Then Nathan was to go in and confirm all this with David. They carried out their plan. It is not clear if David had ever made such a promise to Bathsheba or if they were using an old man’s failing memory. However, their plan worked and David made Solomon King. After David’s death Solomon secured his position by having many of his potential enemies killed. He made a number of alliances with surrounding nations which secured his borders. But in doing so he went against the law in the book of Deuteronomy by making an alliance with Egypt and taking Pharaoh’s daughter in marriage. Deuteronomy forbade intermarriage with foreigners. This would later lead to apostasy as Pharaoh’s daughter worshipped foreign gods, idols.
Later Solomon was confronted by God in a dream. God asked Solomon “What should I give you”. Solomon gave a fairly lengthy answer, recalling how his father, King David, had always loved the Lord and the Lord loved David because he had “walked before God in faithfulness, in righteousness and in uprightness of heart toward God”. He thanked God for making him, Solomon, King but said he had no experience in ruling over such a vast people. He asked God for “an understanding mind to govern God’s people, able to discern between good and evil”. God was so pleased with Solomon’s answer that God said: Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or for the life of your enemies but you have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, I now do according to your word, indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honour all your life; no other King shall compare with you. If you walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life.” After this Solomon became known throughout the world for his wisdom.
This leads us to today’s reading where we read that Solomon, having secured peace on all Israel’s borders intends to focus on building a house for the name of the Lord, as God had promised David. We then skip over the construction, which is a fascinating read, and go to chapter 8 with the dedication of the temple and the placement of the Ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies.
The Ark contained only the two tablets of stone that Moses had brought down from the mountain. The ten instructions or Ten Commandments. After the priests had placed the Ark in the most holy part of the new temple and they came out of the holy place, it was filled with a great cloud, like the cloud on Mount Sinai where Moses spoke with God. The priests, like Moses, were unable to stand to minister because of the Glory of God. The cloud showing the presence of God. This was a sign that all that Solomon had done had God’s blessing.
There are several significant points for us to understand about the temple. Firstly, the temple was to be the dwelling place of God’s Name, not God’s physical presence. Solomon knew that God could not be physically contained in the temple, or even the highest heaven. God is transcendent. But the Jewish belief was that God was both transcendent and imminent (here with us) and this was shown by God’s Glory filling the temple. As Anglicans we teach the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
God was now accessible to people, through the priests.
The second thing we can note is that God’s Covenant promise has been kept. God had promised David that his son would build a house for God’s Name. The point is, God keeps his promises.
Thirdly the temple became Israel’s centre for prayer, worship, sacrifice, atonement, and forgiveness. However, all this was dependant on the people keeping their side of the covenant, all would be well as long as the people remained obedient to God’s law. The fourth point is that this house of prayer is for all people, it is a universal house of prayer. Solomon prayed that even the prayers of foreigners would be heard in heaven. Lastly, the Divine presence in the temple is shown by the filing of the temple with God’s Glory. The cloud showing the continuation from Exodus, the tabernacle to the permanent temple.
So summarizing:
God keeps his promises;
God is now accessible to the people through the priests as mediators;
The Temple is Israel’s centre for worship and prayer;
The Temple makes God accessible to everyone, not just the Jews;
God is present in the Temple
The short excerpt from John that was appointed for today carries forward the idea of Temple and God’s presence and accessibility.
In John, shortly after Jesus began his ministry, he went to Jerusalem for the passover. Jesus was very angry when he saw the money changers and the people selling doves and other animals for sacrifice. He drove them all out and upset the tables with the money. He said “Take these things out of here. Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.” He basically shut down the temple activities for that day. The Jewish religious leaders asked him “What sign can you show us for doing this”. In other words, where did you get the authority to come into the temple and close it down? That’s when Jesus replied “Destroy this temple and I will raise it up in three days”. The Jewish leaders challenged him by saying “This temple has been under construction for 46 years, and will you raise it up in three days?” John goes on to clarify that Jesus was talking about the temple of his body not the structure they were standing in. Jesus was clearly referring to his crucifixion and resurrection.
But how does this answer the question about under what authority he cleared out the temple.
The temple was God’s house. God was the ultimate authority over the temple. And, Only God can resurrect the dead. Jesus saying he will will raise up his body in three days, is declaring his divinity. The sign the leaders were asking for would be given when this came to pass at that first Easter.
This simple short statement Jesus gave them, has great significance beyond answering the leaders question.
Jesus is declaring that his body is the new temple. His body is the true dwelling place of God on earth. God is truly revealed in him. This means that Jesus replaces the old temple and worship practices. He is now the focal point for worship, atonement and forgiveness. In him is revealed the true nature of God. And crucially, everyone has access to God in the Risen Christ. Worship is no longer limited to one place. Earth and Heaven meet in him. Worship is no longer about place, but spirit and truth. The people no longer have to go through the priest to be heard by God - we have direct access through Jesus the Christ.
With the ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost the followers of Christ became his Body. Paul is very clear about the new church being the Body of Christ. We are the Body of Christ here in St. Andrew’s. Therefore we are the temple, not our church building, but us, the gathered people of Christ. It is an awesome responsibility we have been given. As the church of Christ, the body of Christ, our community, through Christ, is to be the presence of God to all people. Let me repeat myself, As the church of Christ, the Body of Christ, our community, through Christ, is to be the presence of God to all people.
As we struggle to discern the future of this parish and the Anglican communion, we need to get excited about and committed to living out our calling to be the Body of Christ, the new temple and the revelation of God to the people of the world. What would that look like?
Gracious and loving God, give us, we pray, the Wisdom of Solomon as we discern your will for us and may we share worship that is full of joy and gratitude, AMEN
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