The Silent Sanctuary

“And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.” —I Kings 6:7

It is interesting to note that while Solomon built the temple of God in Jerusalem, there was no noise from tools to be heard. It was so perfectly prepared upon arrival that it could be assembled without ax, hammer, or chisel.

No doubt the men putting the pieces together were mindful of the unusual silence. Could it be that God wanted those who worked on the building to think about the God of the house without distraction and to recognize the perfection of God? Noise distracts, but silence is conducive to meditation.

Throughout the Scriptures, we find men and women getting alone to hear from God. Genesis 32:24 says, “And Jacob was left alone…” It was here that Jacob would hear from God in a life-changing way.

In I Kings 19:12, we read the following: “And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.” Elijah needed the quietness to hear from God, and so do we. Often God speaks to us in a still small voice. Those who want to hear from Him listen for Him.

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” Oh, how we need to get alone and hear from God.

We, as God’s children working in God’s house, need quiet time. The carnal Christian struggles with this solitude because he is fleshly, and fleshly people don’t mind the noise of the world. Quiet time would expose the carnality within them. Romans 8:6 says that “to be carnally minded is death.” How dreadful for them!

Yet, the spiritual man knows his need of the silent sanctuary and humbly submits to the still small voice of God. Do you have a silent sanctuary?

Read: I Kings 19