“The temple I am going to build will be great, because our God is greater than all other gods. But who is able to build a temple for him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him? Who then am I to build a temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before him?”
The temple was the center of all Jewish livelihood. It was the place where everyone went to sacrifice and pray to the God. Passover, among other Jewish festivals, were times where everyone would journey to the temple to celebrate and sacrifice for the forgiveness of their sins. Solomon was charged with building this great temple. Our verse comes from a letter he wrote to the king of Tyre. Reading it carefully, you will notice even Solomon understood the nature of God, “but who is able to build a temple for him”, he writes to the king of Tyre, “even the highest heavens cannot contain him.” “Who then am I to build a temple for him”? Good question asked by one who was the wisest man who ever lived.
After Jesus rose from the dead He appeared to His disciples and gave them the great commission. When He was speaking to them He says in John 20:21 “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity. Jesus said that when He left, He would send a helper and that with the power of the Holy Spirit we would do greater works than Jesus did.
The temple, built by Solomon, was still standing at this point and it was a huge part of Jewish culture. It would be later demolished by the Romans 70 years later. If you are Jewish believer then you would be horrified at this point because there would be not place to worship and sacrifice to God. The very place built to house the glory of God on earth was gone. Or was it?
Jesus told the disciples to wait in the upper room until the Holy Spirit came in Acts chapter one. He says “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) The Holy Spirt came down and rested upon the disciples and they received power, the power to add over 3000 souls to the Kingdom of God in one day. The power to heal the sick and lame. The power to spread the gospel across the rest of the world. They did it without a car, without the internet, without broadcast news stations and with 120 men and women who stayed in the upper room until the Holy Spirit came upon them.
Paul would later write in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
The temple that was so dearly loved and respected by the Jewish people had now been shifted to another place after Jesus rose from the dead, your heart. Your heart now houses the glory of God. He rests in the hearts of men doing His will and spreading the gospel just like he told his disciples in Acts 1:8.
Who can build a place to house glory of God? He already did just look in the mirror.
Let It Go 
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