…so all the work that King Solomon had
done for the house of the
Lord was finished…
…and it came to pass that when the
priests came out of the holy place,
that the cloud filled the house of the Lord…

…then Solomon spoke:

“The Lord said He would dwell in the dark cloud.
I have surely built You an exalted house.
And a place for You to dwell in forever.”

– I Kings 7:51; 8:10-13

This was the crowning achievement of  the world’s wisest, richest
most successful king:  Building a house for God.

God never asked for a house (I Ch 17:4).
But David, and later Solomon, were determined that He should have one.

The whole idea is a bit ridiculous.

God made you — and you are going to make a house for him?
Can the ocean be contained in a paper cup?

Yes — you can fill your cup up with the water of the ocean –
but you never can contain it.

It will not be contained.
It will not be tamed.

Neither will God.

The thing that is wonderful though is this:
God blessed Solomon — even in his
ridiculous effort.

It’s a bit like when my daughter makes me
a mud cake:

“Ooh. Delicious. Thank you.”
I say — delighted in her, not the cake.

Ultimately God’s plan was so much
better than Solomon’s.

God would not be contained in a temple –
but in human hearts.

And his fullest expression would not be
a mysterious cloud –But a man — Jesus.

What’s the big idea?

We do ridiculous things in the name of the
Lord — and go to great lengths to make
sure we have done these things “right”.

But we can’t contain Him.

And so often — the way that we think
we have God pegged, is so inferior
to what He actually wants to do
or will do anyways.

But He loves us just the same.

And in His goodness, kindness
and grace says:

“Ooh. Delicious. Thank you.”

God is infinite.
And He loves infinitely.

O praise the One
who paid my debt
And raised this Life
Up from the Dead.
Our glorious infinite God!

Praise the Father.
Praise the Son.
Praise the Spirit –
Three in One.