Sun.’s Devo - Completing the Temple

Read: 2 Chronicles 4:1-6:11; Romans 7:1-13; Psalm 17:1-15; Provers 19:22-23
Everything in the temple was to represent heavenly perfection. The furniture in the tent of meeting represented God’s glory on earth, but the temple represented God’s glory in heaven. So everything was magnificent and larger than life. The bronze altar which had been 7 1/2’ x 7 1/2’was now 35’ x 35’. The first one was 4’ tall where the new one was 17’ tall. The sea,now big enough for the priests to bathe in, had been the basin in the tabernacle which had only been large enough to wash their hands and feet. It had to be small enough to carry through the wilderness, but in the temple it was 17 1/2 feet wide and supported on the backs of 12 bronze oxen. Ten smaller basins were made to go on either side of the temple.
The Temple was lit by 10 menorahs instead of the one. The altar of incense, table of shewbread and all the utensils were made by Hunam. All the doors were overplayed with gold. The Temple shone the glory of God. The ark was brought out of the tent and placed in the Holy of Holies and the angels were placed on top of the ark of the covenant. On that day it was a huge celebration. Every priest presided and praised and worshipped the Lord. All Israel came to Jerusalem for it was the Feast of Tabernacles. Solomon stood and told the people once again their history and God’s purpose for them being on the earth. They were to be an earthly picture of God’s kingdom in heaven so all the world could understand who God was and his ways.
In Romans, Paul explains that when we were born we were born under the law and it was like a marriage contract. We were bound to it till death. But if the law dies, then we are released from it just like a wife would be released from a marriage contract if her husband was to die. Once we put the law to death in our hearts and we are free to receive the grace of Jesus. The law was not bad, it was good in that it showed man that he needed grace. It was God’s perfect plan.
Lord, help us to embrace the freedom to walk in righteousness without guilt or bondage.