God Go Really Live for Earth?

One king stand for di front of big crowd, im hands stretch up to di sky. Behind am, one brand-new temple dey shine, gold cover am. And di king ask one question wey almost sound like say breath catch am. But God go really live for earth?

E take seven years to build. King Solomon, David son, don finish di house wey im papa bin wan build for di Lord, on top one hill for Jerusalem. Inside, dem line di walls with cedar wood and cover dem with gold. Cherubim wey dem carve, palm trees and flowers cover di doors. Now, for di seventh month, for di time of di big feast wey dey come after harvest, all di leaders of Israel don gather. Di priests carry di ark of di covenant, di box wey gold cover, wey hold di stone tablets of di law, enter di innermost room. And as dem dey comot, one cloud fill di house. Di glory of di Lord bright so tey di priests no fit stay do dia work.

Then Solomon stand for di front of di altar of di Lord, for di front of di whole assembly of Israel, and e spread im hands go heaven. E begin pray. Lord God of Israel, no God dey like you, for heaven up or for earth down. You dey keep your covenant and you dey show love wey no dey finish to your servants wey dey waka for your front with all dia heart. Then e remember im papa. You don keep wetin you promise David. You talk am with your mouth, and with your hand you don do am today. Now, Lord, keep di rest of your promise: say David no go ever lack person wey go siddon for di throne of Israel, if im children waka for your front with faithfulness.

And then, for di middle of all dat glory, Solomon stop and ask di big question. But God go really live for earth? Look, di heaven and di heaven of heavens no fit contain you; how much more dis house wey I build? Think am well. Solomon just finish di finest building wey Israel don ever see. And e talk: e too small. Di whole sky no fit hold you. How house go take hold you? E no dey pretend say e humble. Na wonder dey catch am. How di God of di whole universe go take come near people like us?

But Solomon continue to pray, because God don promise say e go put im name for dis place. So e ask: hear di prayer of your servant. Make your eyes dey open look dis house day and night, di place wey you talk say, my name go dey there. When your people pray face dis place, hear from heaven, di place wey you dey live. And when you hear, forgive. Solomon continue to imagine every kind trouble: no rain, hunger, enemies, even foreigners from far countries wey go come pray. For every one, im request na di same. Hear, forgive, and act. Di temple no be box to hold God. Na meeting place, where heaven and earth touch.

With all im gold, Solomon temple no too big. Di book of First Kings give di main building as sixty cubits long, twenty wide and thirty high. One cubit na about di length of person forearm, from elbow reach finger, so e be about thirty metres long and ten metres wide, small pass plenty church buildings today. Im fineness dey for di work wey dem do, no be for im size. And Solomon imself talk say even dis one too small for God.

Solomon prayer dey First Kings chapter eight, verse twenty-two reach thirty. Almost one thousand years after, John Gospel answer im question for one way wey nobody expect. Di Word become flesh, and e live among us. God really come live for earth, no be for gold house, but as baby inside manger. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. If heaven no fit contain God, wetin e dey tell you about im love, say e choose to come near reach like dis?