TEACHING

Daryl Wood

(Daryl is a fivefold teacher on the Kingdomquest apostolic team.)

WHO WILL BUILD GOD’S HOUSE?

"And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever (1 Chron. 17:11, 12)."

King David had it in his heart to build a house for God. While he lived in a fine house of cedar, the ark of the covenant was housed in a tent. David felt bad about that (v. 1).

Initially, Nathan the prophet gave David the "green light" for the temple’s construction. Then, upon hearing the word of the Lord, he had to rescind that encouragement (v.2- 4). (It is generally a good thing to exhort a faithful man that God’s grace is with him to do all that is in his heart. This case was an exception.) Why? Certainly David’s motive was not at issue. (See 1 Kings 6:8.)

Just what was going on here? The full answer appears to be rather complex.

For starters, God didn’t really seem to be into the "house" thing, at least not in the way that David was thinking. In fact, there has not been any point in history when He has been.

A plethora of verses evidence this fact:

"Go and tell My servant David, ‘Thus ways the Lord: "You shall not build Me a house to dwell in. For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought up Israel, even to this day, but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another. Wherever I have moved about with all Israel, have I ever spoken a word to any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar? (1 Chron. 17:4-6)’"’"

God’s choice was to be mobile, not static. Hence, the rhetorical question, "Have I ever asked this of you?"

"Thus says the Lord: ‘Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist,’ says the Lord. ‘But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word (Is. 66:1, 2).’"

What can man possibly build for God to inhabit? His choice for a dwelling place is to tabernacle with tenderhearted people who fear Him, with those who place the highest premium on His Word!

It is interesting that Stephen addresses this matter right before His execution. Directly prior to transitioning into a rebuke for the Pharisees who would kill him, Stephen reminds them of David’s desire to build a house for God, and Solomon’s follow-through on that desire (Acts 7:45-47). "However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says . . . (v.48). The word "however" is huge! Stephen then quotes Isaiah 66:1, 2 (v.49). It is fun to consider what Stephen might have said next had he continued with this line of reasoning, though it was not for this people at this time.

Paul brings the identical case to Ephesus: "God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands (Acts 17:24)."

Jesus reinforced this truth throughout His earthly ministry. Laid in an animal trough at birth, He later exclaimed, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head (Luke 9:58)."

The heavenly ministry will be no different in this respect. Note the cry as the heavenly bride is adorned for her husband: "And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God (Rev. 21:3).’" And exactly where will God dwell with men? Together in a celestial box? Nope.

"But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple (Rev. 21:22)."

The concern, effort, and expense that David concentrated into building this physical "house for God" were considerable—even after learning that he himself would not be permitted to build it. (See 1 Chron. 22:1-5.) He insisted that it be "magnificent, famous, and glorious." Clearly, this was a major priority to David, though there is absolutely no indication in the Scriptures that the Lord shared his passion for this. (Upon its erection it was chosen by God as a "house of sacrifice", but it was never established as "God’s house" in the sense of a unique dwelling place for Him. See 2 Chron. 7:12)

The contemporary parallels are striking. Today, the emphasis attached to a material structure, which serves as an assembly point for a local body of believers, is often as profound as it is misplaced. Somewhere during the course of history the very definition of "church" drifted from its true biblical meaning, so as to apply equally to an edifice made of wood, stones, and carpet fabric, not to mention more ornate and expensive construction materials. In all this I can hear the Lord’s question, "Where is the house that you will build for Me?"

David quite obviously embraced the physical temple, which was eventually built by his son, Solomon, as the fulfillment of God’s promise to him through Nathan the prophet. But was it?

"And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. And I will establish him in My house and in My kingdom forever; and his throne shall be established forever (1 Chron. 17:11-14)."

Sounds like a work of permanence, right? Problem is, this doesn’t match up well with what Solomon actually performed.