Cannot Improve on God

“And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the LORD: the altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the shewbread was,” (1Ki 7:48 AV)

Solomon remade the temple furniture other than the Ark of the covenant.  These pieces of furniture were generally made of wood and overlaid with gold with the exception of the brazen altar which would have caught on fire if it contained a wooden interior.  The Ark was not remade because to do so would require that which resided inside the Ark be transferred which would have required someone(s) to open the Ark. This they were not allowed to do.  The motive is clear.  Solomon’s temple was the most elaborate temple ever built by man.  The Oracle (holy of holies) was plated with solid gold.  The priest who entered this room stood on golden floors.  He saw golden walls and a golden ceiling.  The gold-plated furniture that came with Israel from the wilderness simply wouldn’t do for such an elaborate temple.  One has to wonder if all this was necessary.  There is another question that arises.  What happened to the original furniture?  It has significant historical value.  Where did it go and what did they do with it?

Sometimes what we do is more about us than it is about the LORD.  When David wanted to build this house, God told him no.  When Solomon built the house, God reminded him that the heaven of heavens could not contain the LORD, much less this house.  God has created all things and nothing mankind could ever do would match His glory.  The LORD also warned Solomon and all the rest of Israel that if they ever left the law of God, no matter how wonderful the temple was, God would dismantle it and send it off to Israel’s enemies.  Which He did.  One has to wonder how different Israel would have treated the things of God if the kept with the original tabernacle.  Maybe it would have made a difference.  Maybe it wouldn’t have.  But one thing is for sure.  The LORD never told Solomon to replace what God had provided in the wilderness.

It reminds me of all that churches today are trying in and attempt at reaching others for Christ.  A bigger and better VBS than the church over in the next holler.  Guns give always.  Open houses with carnival rides.  A modern facility with the best of electronic media.  And the worst of all is to assume a new translation of the Bible is a better translation of the Bible!  With all the man-made glorification, Jesus Himself is becoming less impressive.  The Ark lay as a gold-platted wooden article.  Now the altar, table, laver, and candlesticks are of solid gold and contain no wood.  The vessels of the temple are of greater value than the piece of furniture that contained the word of God.  How prophetic.