2nd Chronicles 2 FOR THE NAME Why would a building be made for the name of the Lord when the "heaven of heavens" can't contain Him? Before Solomon was born it was in the heart of David to build a house for the Lord - a temple. A place for "The Name" is so that those who know and love the Lord would come together to that place in perpetual worship and praise to the Lord. In that unique place sacrifices would be made to the Lord. As each sacrifice was brought by individuals to that place, it would be joined with the sacrifices of others as a united whole. God is not limited in location to "temples made with hands, neither is worshipped with men's hands as though He needed anything, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath and all things." It was for the sake of the people the temple was built so that there would be a visible, unifying center.
"Gather My saints together unto Me" is still a desire of the Lord for His people. However, now we do not need a magnificent edifice to represent God's presence among us. Now the people of the Lord are members of His body. He is the Head; we are parts that comprise the body of which every child of God is a unique piece. Because the dispensational church is presently scattered over the 21 centuries since the day it began at the feast of Pentecost, and in different parts of earth and heaven, local assemblies are a testimony to the reality of the body of Christ to the world, angels and men.
When God's people come together following the scriptural pattern our Lord has given, every person in that local fellowship has a role to fill and a responsibility to assume. "We are members one of another," and we are "body of Christ" in character and composition that can be seen visibly. We are in that fellowship all the time whether we are meeting together or are apart fulfilling the tasks of daily living. Everything I do individually is a reflection on the testimony of that body of believers, and the One to whom we gather. As the gathering center we meet with Jesus in our midst.
The temple is not a type of Christ here like the tabernacle was. It is rather a testimony to the name of the Lord now and in particular, in the millennium when we gather to Him in person. The point of the temple in Israel was to be the place where the worship of God was to be carried on continually. The magnificence of the structure was to impress the Lord's people and all strangers who would look at it that our Great God is worthy of all honor and glory that could ever be ascribed to Him by mere mortal man. The visible extravagance of the material, and the glory of the building could not begin to display the actual glory of God. It could only show that those who know Him, love Him and serve Him, know He deserves the very best that we can have and can give. At best, our best is only a shadow compared to the reality of His divine glory and holiness.
The desire of David became the desire and duty of his son Solomon. The temple in its magnificence because of who the Lord is, was to be a solid and permanent testimony to God along with the best possible material that could be found with which to build it. That material by its nature and composition would last a long time. Carefully cut stones, well crafted wood known for its durability, skilled craftsmen guided by the expertise of one gifted man, all made an impressive edifice that cannot be described in words. One person said when she saw it and all the pomp surrounding it said, "The half hath not been told."
Those of us who are part of a scripturally gathered assembly of saints may not realize the impact of doing God's work according to His will, in His way and according to His word, has on spiritual observers. Angels who have seen the glories of heaven look on and see in the divine order of headship, the purpose of God and remember that many angels lost their position because of being lifted up in pride. Even believers who look on as observers can see the value and power of divine order in comparison to a man-made hierarchy. The most impressive garments religious leaders wear, the most ornate grandeur of man-made buildings and man-made traditions does not have the spiritual impact on the soul and spirit of a spiritual believer that spiritual simplicity has on their heart. "This is of God," one said. "Now I know what Jesus meant when He said, 'Remember Me,'" another observer said.
The cost of the temple was measured in the sense in thousands of tons of food and thousands of gallons of drink. This would help to sustain the thousands of laborers who spent thousands of hours preparing material for the temple so it could be built in a measure of silence without the sound of tools. But to put the cost of the temple all together and the cost of all the labor added, it pales into insignificance compared to the cost of that "which He hath purchased with His own blood." Believers in the assembly at Corinth were reminded that they were not their own, they "were bought with a price." Because of that fact they were to "glorify God" in their bodies and spirits which were His at an infinite cost. That truth is the same for us as it was in the past.
An onlooker from a different country recognized from what he saw and knew of David and Solomon, that God loved His people Israel. He knew God had raised up Solomon to be the king of Israel and he also knew Solomon was a wise man. The house of God today is His people who gather to His name, and He loves them. In His wisdom He "raises up" those who He makes capable to leading and guiding the people of God. He gives them wisdom and understanding to establish and maintain His house according to His plans for His purposes. God's work can move ahead when those who are older prepare the way for those who are younger and will soon carry on the work of the Lord.
It is up to us to take what God has given and make it a reality. The buildings in which we meet are only structures to use and help us to maintain our focus on God. The place we meet is only that, no matter how impressive or simple it may be. The foreigners who worked for Solomon only knew one small part of the whole project in which they we participating. Spiritual discernment is not common among many of God's people. Most believers of this age will never see or understand the moral and spiritual value and beauty of "the house of God." They only know they are part of a great work that will someday be completed. However, they miss the joy of personal participation in the testimony of a scripturally gathered assembly in this church age.