I’ve been reading the book of 1 Kings and yesterday I reached Chapter 3. This is a chapter that tells the story of King Solomon, who has just taken on the daunting task of following his Father David on the throne. The chapter talks of Solomons gift of wisdom and the following chapters pay tribute to what an incredible reign he had – this was the high point of the Kings of Israel.

However, there was something in the first couple of verses that really caught me out.

The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the LORD. 3 Solomon showed his love for the LORD by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places. 1 Kings 3:2-3 (NIV)

There is a little confusion over the term high places as we read it today. Throughout Israelite history these high places were kind of ‘worship centres’ where people would gather to worship. Often in Israelite history they were places where people abandoned God and sacrificed to all sorts of gods. However, there were also times where they were used to sacrifice to Yahweh (God) because there was nowhere else to do it.

In this example it’s hard to tell whether Solomon and the people were not honouring God in these high places (the word ‘except’ in verse 3 might suggest this) or whether or not this was acceptable because a temple hadn’t yet been built (as verse 2 suggests) and the retelling of the same event in 2 Chronicles below seems to confirm.

and Solomon and the whole assembly went to the high place at Gibeon, for God’s tent of meeting was there, which Moses the LORD’s servant had made in the wilderness. 2 Chronicles 1:3 (NIV)

Either way, I found it interesting that people went to these places because no temple had been built. We must remember that these were the days before the Holy Spirit was available to all believers, the days before the temple curtain had been ripped in two and access to God was freely available. Back then they didn’t have a paradigm for worshipping God outside of a temple or a central place.

We live in a different time. If we are a follower of Jesus, we have the Holy Spirit with us, in us. Paul tells us about this in 1 Corinthians

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 1 Corinthians 6:19 (NIV)

The context here is about sexual immorality, but it’s still helpful.

I guess where I want to land is by asking this question;

Where’s the temple?

It’s us because the Holy Spirit dwells in us. That means that we are a centre of worship, a space where we can bring Him glory.

I know many of us have struggled because our corporate temples, our places of worship, haven’t been open in these days but let’s ensure we don’t go to the high places, the cultural places of worship which may abandon God.

We can worship God, everywhere, everyday because we are temples of the Holy Spirit.