The Worth Of Knowing

It’s not a new to me, but it’s still hit me hard: God doesn’t need people to serve him.

“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.” Acts‬ ‭17‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Ironically, a couple days after I read Acts 17 my family and I read how Solomon built a temple for God. I told my kids about the verses in Acts and asked my daughter, “Does God need people to build him a house?”

“No,” she said simply. I don’t know if she said this out of childlike faith or oblivion to the tension these two passages hold.

“Build me a house. Also, I don’t live in houses built by people.”

After Solomon built the temple the priests put the ark of the covenant into the Most Holy Place, “And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.” ‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭8‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

When it’s written in Acts that God doesn’t live in temples made by people it wasn’t because God couldn’t be inside a temple built by imperfect human. The priests were the ones who had to leave the temple because of God’s glorious presence.

God doesn’t live in temples made by people (at least in apart) because he is the one who gives humans life and ability and resources to build the temple.

Who was building the temple for whom?

Solomon also acknowledges the irony of building a home for God, “‘But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built! Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you this day, that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place. And listen to the plea of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen in heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.’” 1 Kings‬ ‭8‬:‭27‬-‭30‬ ‭ESV‬‬

God being in the temple (even just having his eyes open to it, as Solomon said) was a gracious, lavish gift to his people.

Who was the temple really for?

Acts 17 also says God is “not served by human hands, as though he needed anything.” Similarly, in Psalm‬ ‭50‬:‭12‬ God says, “‘If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine’” (ESV).

And yet how many times are we told in both the old and new testaments to “serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:14 and Romans 12:11 for example)?

Who is actually benefiting from this service?

It’s humbling to realize service to God might not be important because of what I accomplish, but what God accomplishes in and through me.

Maybe my service is a bit like a temple. It’s comical to think it actually benefits God. But it does benefit me. It’s one of the places that I can meet God as he offers me the will and strength to serve him.

May my service to God be communion with him and worship of him.