God’s Great House

God’s Great House

Shelby G. Floyd

June 11, 2010

David, the second king of Israel was greatly blessed by the God of Israel. David for the most part always tried to obey God’s word. It was in his heart to build a great house for the Lord in Jerusalem. But God said no, because he had been a man who had shed much blood as a mighty warrior.

God promised David that his son Solomon would build this house where God would be worshipped and record his name. Both David and Solomon prepared gold, silver, precious stones, bronze, iron, all kinds of timber and fabric for building this great temple. When it was finished, thousands of animals were offered up as sacrifices. This demonstrates that sacrifice for sin is very costly as a propitiation for sin.

The people of Israel gave liberally to make this great house for the Lord happen. Solomon reminded the people that what we give to the Lord is really his own. It is his on loan to us as Solomon stated in his prayer: "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand” (1 Chronicles 29:14). God gives bread to the eater and seed to the sower!

We are not principally building a physical house, but a spiritual house made up of living stones (Christians), built on the one foundation—Jesus Christ: “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). The great house that we are building is the extension of the church throughout the entire world. Peter continues the idea that we are building a spiritual house: “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:4-5). This great house is the church of the living God (1 Timothy 3:14-16).