Psalm 148, 149, 150; 1 Kings 8:22-40; 1 Tim. 4:7b-16; John 8:47-59
Solomon’s prayer of dedication is based very simply on the faithfulness of God to covenant promises. Covenant matters completely to Yahweh. The prayer begins by saying that there is no one like Him who keeps covenant with His people and that there is a covenant with David that did not end with David’s death. The covenant is an everlasting covenant that David will not lack an heir to sit on his throne so long as they are faithful to God, that they walk before Him and keep His ways. In the midst of this prayer, it seems that Solomon suddenly realizes that the idea of a dwelling place for God is sublimely ridiculous. The heavens cannot contain Him, but there is a presumption that He will indeed dwell in this temple in the midst of the people. How can such things be? How amazed would Solomon be to behold Him in the flesh in the form of a baby? Are our prayers, like Solomon’s, based in the covenant promises of God towards us, and the desire to walk before Him?
Indeed, what Jesus says of Himself sounds ludicrous. He claims to have pre-existed Abraham, that Abraham saw Jesus’ day and rejoiced, that if you keep His words you will never taste death. These things are impossible to believe. Without the Holy Spirit bearing witness that these things are indeed true, we cannot believe. The Jews with whom He argues here are very rationally arguing the points, their silly statement, "Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?" aside. As Solomon has noted in his prayer, the things of God are a bit silly to our rational minds, but as Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Rationalism has its limits but rationalism denies limits because reason is its god. What lies outside reason is deemed to be superstition or folly. That is the reason that Scripture, tradition and reason, the presumed “three-legged stool” of Anglicanism is a fallacy, faith stands outside of reason and, we would argue, above it. Reason itself must be redeemed to be of true value, it must, paradoxically, understand its own limitations.
Paul tells his young protégé Timothy to pursue godliness. What is godliness? The pursuit of godliness must begin with knowing God, knowing His character. If we are to become like God then we must know what God is like. Solomon begins his prayer by affirming God’s character is faithful covenant keeping. He recognizes also that God keeps covenant with those who are like Him, keeping covenant by obeying the terms of the covenant. Would we enter into a human covenant with someone if we knew that ultimately they had no value for faithfulness, truth or integrity? If we are to be the people with whom God can remain in covenant, we must pursue godliness, to be like the one who made the covenant, and in Jesus the Lord has revealed the character we should have. Have we made a commitment to character development to be like Jesus? He has given us the example and also the Holy Spirit to empower that transformation, what keeps us from the pursuit?
I love Thy kingdom, Lord,
The house of Thine abode,
The church our blessed Redeemer saved
With His own precious blood.
I love Thy church, O God.
Her walls before Thee stand,
Dear as the apple of Thine eye,
And written on Thy hand.
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