Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble, and I'm your host for the Bible Recap.

Today's reading had a lot of overlap in the story of dedicating the first temple, but there are still new things to notice and learn about God.

So let's get to it. There was one thing in chapter

six that we've seen a few times before, and it always catches my attention. It's when David

tells God that he wants to build the temple and God says no, but he also affirms David by saying,

you did well that it was in your heart. God says David has a good desire, but the answer is no. Sometimes even good desires

get a no. But when that no comes, it's at least comforting to know that our hearts aren't

completely off track. Good desires and God's no can coexist. David is proof. And we can rest assured

that when God does say no, it's his kindest possible

answer. Today we also saw more reminders that God isn't confined to the temple. In chapter 6 verses 26

through 27, Solomon says, if they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their

sin,

then hear in heaven and forgive.

Solomon says the people will pray to God toward the temple, and God will hear from heaven.

This also reinforces the fact that he's a different kind of God from all the other gods.

Those gods can only occupy one space, but God occupies all space. He invented

space. He's omnipresent, always present, everywhere. After Solomon wraps up the blessing on the

house and the people, he makes the giant offering we read about yesterday. But then we see something

today in 7-1 that wasn't mentioned in yesterday's

text. It says, as soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed

the burnt offering and the sacrifices. I have a weird confession. I love it when God throws lightning

around. Somehow we ended up with the image of God striking somebody down with

...