“The Lord said that He would dwell in total darkness.” 1 Kings 8:12
These were the very first words of King Solomon, as he dedicated the Temple he had built for the Lord. As I read this, this morning, I was stunned by the force of that statement. We don’t often associate “total darkness” with God who is Light and created light. But Solomon did.
I flipped backwards a couple of chapters to the description of the Temple, and specifically of the Holy of Holies, and there it was, a massive inner chamber devoid of light. The entire Temple was constructed to house this inner sanctuary which was constructed to house the very Presence of God in the Ark. Inside the Holy of Holies were two massive Cherubim (15 feet tall), consuming the entire width of the room, wings spanning from wall to wall and touching one another in the center. Everything was overlaid in and dangling with gold. The sanctuary was entirely dark for most of the year. No windows. No candles. Only one priest was permitted to enter, and only once a year. The only light that would pierce through the darkness came on this singular day, when he opened the door and, I’m sure, brought a candle so he could see well enough to make his sacrifice.
What a terrifying sight!
A couple of years ago, I stood in a monastery on the Island of Patmos (where John wrote the book of Revelation). Inside was an inner sanctuary, ornate with gold, and darkness. I’m not sure how else to explain it. There was very little light dancing through, though there was some entering from the doorway and a small stained glass window (if I am remembering correctly). At first, I gasped. It felt a little, well, terrifying. I’m not quite sure why. But it bothered me, until I realized Solomon’s Temple, specifically the inner sanctuary, or the Holy of holies, would have been far more terrifyingly splendid than what I saw before me.
How horrifying the first glimpse must’ve been as the priest creased the door and caught sight of what had remained sanctioned off for the entire year. Until he stepped onto the golden floor with two enormous golden cherubim looming over him while he made the yearly sacrifice. The priest knew if he was not entirely purified upon entrance, he would die on the spot. They had tied a rope around his ankle, so if the Holy God saw injustice in him and smote him, the others would be able to remove the dead body without entrance upon the most sacred ground that ever was, and being smote themselves. They knew how Uzzah had died for touching the Ark (2 Samuel 6) and it would have bred a holy fear in their hearts and minds.
As I was pondering these things, this morning, I realized this is not how the Temple is portrayed in Jesus’ day. In His time, we see the focus far more on the gatherings of people, the (sinful) marketplace that the Temple courtyard had become, an ornate building to gather at, but not the very dwelling place of God. Where the focus does not lie is in the Holy of holies (that is, until the cross when the veil of the Temple was torn in two, and God’s Presence was suddenly no longer confined to a room- no matter how glorious the room!). And this thought broke my heart because I realized that’s what many churches today emulate. We, the Church, often gather like it’s a social club. We meet to enjoy one another, and are completely unaware that the holiest, most profoundly majestic Presence of all is among us!
In 1 Kings 8 (the trailhead of today’s Bible wanderings), I noticed some cross-references back to Exodus 20:21 and Deuteronomy 5:23. This statement that Solomon makes, and the darkness he references point us back to Moses meeting with God on Mount Sinai. It says that the people “heard the voice from the darkness and while the mountain was blazing with fire.” (Deut. 5:23) and that “the people remained standing at a distance as Moses approached the total darkness where God was.” (Exodus 20:21). The people who heard King Solomon’s dedication would have immediately thought of this. They knew their Bibles well. If I remember correctly, young men were taught to memorize the first 5 books (including Exodus and Deuteronomy) by the time they were 12 years old.
But we have the fortunate vantage point of both sides of the Cross and Resurrection. We can look backward and forward. We see a terrifying picture of Sinai where, if even a beast had touched the mountain it would have died. In this example, God shows us the immensity of His holiness. But we also see what Sinai points forward to. We have a gloriously terrifying memory, and a future that ought to make us tremble in awe even more than the memory of Sinai.
In Hebrews 12, it says “For you have not come to what could be touched, to a blazing fire, to darkness, to gloom and storm, to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words. Those who heard it begged that not another word be spoken to them, for they could not bear what was commanded: If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned. The appearance was so terrifying that Moses said, ‘I am trembling with fear.’ instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God (the heavenly Jerusalem), to myriads of angels, a festive gathering, to the assembly of the firstborn whose names have been written in heaven, to a Judge, who is God of all, to the spirits of righteous people made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which says better things than the blood of Abel. See to it that you do not reject the one who speaks. For if they did not escape when they rejected Him who warned them on earth, even less will we if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven. His voice shook the earth at that time, but now He has promised, yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens. This expression, ‘Yet once more’ indicates the removal of what can be shaken- that is, created things- so that what is not shaken might remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”
Amen. May our worship reflect His worth!
