Thurs.’s Devo - Heaven to Earth

Read: 2 Chronicles 4:1-6:11; Romans 7:1-13; Psalm 17:1-15; Proverbs 19:22-23 It is hard to imagine the greatness of the things in the Temple. The bronze altar where they burnt the sacrifices was 30 feet by 30 feet and 15 feet high. I wonder how they got animals in the center of the altar. I am imagining them throwing a bull off of a huge fork across the altar. They must have had some way to like a crane to get animals in the center of the altar. Who knows? Beside the altar was the Sea which was a huge basin to hold water for the priests to wash their hands in. It had a diameter of 15 feet and held 16,500 gallons of water. It resembled a huge little blossom held up by 12 oxen. Other basins were against the north and south wall for washing the utensils. Tables were placed along the north and south wall. When Solomon had all the furnishings and all that was needed for the service of the Temple done, he brought everything to his father, David and stored them in the Temple treasuries. He called all the elders of Israel to Jerusalem and all the heads of the tribes. The Ark was brought from Gibeon to Jerusalem on the Feast of Tabernacles. The community sacrificed offerings to the Lord then they put the Ark in the Temple along with all the other furnishings. They praised the Lord singing, “He is good, His faithful love endures forever!” Then a thick cloud of God’s glory filled the Temple. The priests had to stop what they were doing because of the cloud of God’s presence. Solomon turned and praised the Lord in front of the people and proclaimed God’s blessing on the Temple. During Solomon’s reign it was a small type of bringing heaven to earth. The people got to experience wealth like the nation had never seen and see a Temple built similar to God’s heavenly Temple. Everything was a type of heaven but it didn’t last long. It was like a snippet to keep us pressing forward to the end. In Romans, Paul explains the binding power of the law. It is only affective when a person is alive. He used the example of marriage. It is binding as long as both parties are alive. Once one of them dies, the living person is no longer married under the law. When a Jewish person who has bound themself to God’s law becomes a Christian, they die to their old nature so the law is no longer binding them. They are now free to live a new life by the law of the Spirit. The law was good in that it pointed out our sin. Then we had to fight the urge to do what it told us not to do. God had a better plan through Christ. Lord, thank you for the new covenant you gave given us through Jesus Christ.