April 23, 2025 - 2 Chronicles 5-7

Solomon finished building the temple, and “the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, in the inner sanctuary of the house, in the Most Holy Place, underneath the wings of the cherubim” (5:7).  A song “was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the Lord:  “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever” (5:13).  Now, according to God’s mercy and love, a meeting place existed where Israel could meet with God.  In his prayer dedicating the temple and thanking God, Solomon asked in similar fashion, over and over:  “when they pray toward this place” and “stretching out his hands toward this place” and “when he comes and prays toward this house,” etc., thus signifying the centrality of the temple for Israel’s worship and prayers.  At the same time, Solomon declared, “Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built!” (6:18).  Some religions elevate physical locations to necessary places of homage and reverence.  And though biblical religion acknowledges the importance of history and places, the God of Scripture is available to his peoples’ prayers whenever and wherever we find ourselves.  Paul, in 1 Timothy 2:8, encouraged prayer “in every place,” thus acknowledging God’s ever presence and availability to his people.

Father of spirits, nature’s God,

Our inmost thoughts are known to thee;

Thou, Lord, canst hear each idle word,

And every private action see.

Could we, on morning’s swiftest wings,

Pursue our flight through trackless air,

Or dive beneath deep ocean’s springs,

Thy presence still would meet us there.   --Harriet Auber (1830)