Solomon's Question: Can God Really Dwell on Earth?
1 Kings 8:22-23, 27-30 - Tuesday, February 6, 2024
Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs
In today's reading from the book of First Kings, Solomon stands before the altar of the Lord in the newly built temple in Jerusalem. His prayer expresses the biblical faith in the uniqueness of the God of Israel, proclaiming, "There is no God like You" (1 Kings 8:23). However, it also raises a theological problem: "Can God really dwell on earth?" (1 Kings 8:27).
Biblical faith in the uniqueness of the God of Israel evolved from acknowledging the presence of other gods to rejecting their existence, except for the One True God who revealed Himself to the Jewish ancestors. Solomon states, "LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth below, who keeps a gracious covenant with Your servants when they walk before You in wholehearted devotion" (1 Kings 8:23). This prayer acknowledges the existence of other gods. However, in the Book of Isaiah, the Lord declares, "There is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me" (Isaiah 45:21). This reflects the firm belief of the Catholic Church that proclaims, "God is unique; there is only one God" (CCC, 200, see also 1 Corinthians 8:4).
Behind Solomon's question, "Can God really dwell on earth?", there lies a theological debate about the nature of God. On one hand, we affirm that God is transcendent, meaning that He is beyond and independent of the created world. On the other hand, we also acknowledge that God is immanent, present and active within creation, intimately involved in the world and the lives of individuals. The temple built by Solomon for the Lord symbolized God's closeness to His people. However, the king is also aware that no physical structure can contain the greatness of the Lord.
From the Christian faith perspective, Solomon's question receives an answer that continues to surprise the world: Yes, He can. The Gospel of John begins with an introduction to the eternal Word of God, that became flesh in Jesus of Nazareth. John declares to us that the eternal Word pitched His tent and dwelled among us (John 1:14). The accounts of Jesus' life narrated in the Gospels describe how God lived among us in first-century Palestine. This presence of God among us divided the history of humanity into what was before Christ (BC) and after Christ. Today, we live in "Anno Domini 2024" or the Year of Our Lord 2024.
The Church also proclaims that the Lord continues to dwell on earth. Every Catholic who attends Sunday Eucharist hears the words, "The Lord be with you." In English, it may sound like a wish, "Let the Lord be with you," but this statement should be understood as "The Lord is with you." It signifies the presence of the risen Christ among His followers. Furthermore, when the priest presents the broken Body of Christ to the faithful, he declares, "This is the Lamb of God." Then, after receiving the Body and Blood of Christ, the faithful Catholic becomes a living tabernacle of the Lord. The Lord dwells on earth in His people.