2 Chronicles 2

After Solomon became king, the first thing he set out to do was build a temple for God. As you might remember from the story in 1 Kings, Solomon enlisted the help of Hiram king of Tyre for building materials and skilled craftsmen. He wanted the temple to be the most glorious, most elaborate sanctuary ever built for a god on the face of the Earth—and indeed it was.

Tyre was a heathen nation. They worshiped Baal, but were apparently willing to help Solomon build his temple anyway. I found Solomon’s word to King Hiram interesting: "Now I am about to build a temple for the Name of the Lord my God... 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?” (vs 4-6)

Solomon’s belief that even the highest heavens couldn’t contain his God would have probably been a shocking statement to Hiram. The belief among most heathen nations was that the temple(s) that were built for their gods actually contained their gods, perhaps even confined them.

But Solomon didn’t stop there. He even went so far as to say that this grand, glorious building (that was going to take him seven years to complete and be the most opulent temple on the face of the Earth) was only going to be a temple for the name of his God. For his God could not be contained or confined, and His name alone would require such an extravagant dwelling place.

All of this was Solomon’s way of affirming that God is, indeed, the greatest. And He is. There is no other like Him in the entire universe. There is no one so kind, no one so good, no one so upstanding and just. Unlike heathen gods who are fickle, temperamental, and arbitrary, the one true God is constant, holy, and righteous. Though He cannot be contained within His creation, He has humbled Himself to even become one with His creation, in order to redeem and save us. Indeed, He is the greatest!