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From Splendor to Shadow

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Israel's Greatest Glory

Strengthened and cheered by the message from heaven, Solomon now entered the most glorious period of his reign. “All the kings of the earth” began to seek his presence, “to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart.” 2 Chronicles 9:23. Solomon taught them of God as the Creator, and they returned with clearer conceptions of the God of Israel and of His love for the human race. In nature they now beheld a revelation of His character, and many were led to worship Him as their God. SS 23.3

The humility of Solomon when he acknowledged before God, “I am but a little child” (1 Kings 3:7), his reverence for things divine, his distrust of self, and his exaltation of the infinite Creator—all these traits of character were revealed when during his dedicatory prayer he knelt as a humble petitioner. Christ's followers today should guard against the tendency to lose the spirit of reverence and godly fear. They should approach their Maker with awe, through a divine Mediator. The psalmist has declared: SS 23.4

O come, let us worship and bow down:
Let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker.
Psalm 95:6

Both in public and in private worship it is our privilege to bow on our knees when we offer our petitions to God. Jesus, our example, “kneeled down, and prayed.” Luke 22:41. His disciples, too, “kneeled down, and prayed.” Acts 9:40. Paul declared, “I bow my knees unto the Father.” Ephesians 3:14. Daniel “kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God.” Daniel 6:10. SS 24.1

True reverence for God is inspired by a sense of His infinite greatness and a realization of His presence. The hour and place of prayer are sacred, because God is there. “Holy and reverend is His name.” Psalm 111:9. Angels, when they speak that name, veil their faces. With what reverence, then, should we take it upon our lips! SS 24.2

Jacob, after beholding the vision of the angel, exclaimed, “The Lord is in this place; and I knew it not ... . This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” Genesis 28:16, 17. SS 24.3

In that which was said during the dedicatory services, Solomon sought to remove the superstition in regard to the Creator that had beclouded the minds of the heathen. The God of heaven is not confined to temples made with hands, yet He would meet with His people by His Spirit when they assembled at the house dedicated to His worship. SS 24.4

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
The people whom He hath chosen for His own
inheritance.

Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: ...
Thou art the God that doest wonders:
Thou hast declared Thy strength among the
people.
Psalm 33:12; 77:13, 14

God honors with His presence the assemblies of His people. He has promised that when they come together to acknowledge their sins and to pray for one another, He will meet with them by His Spirit. But unless those who assemble to worship put away every evil thing, their coming together will be of no avail. Those who worship God must worship Him “in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.” John 4:23. SS 25.1