I Kings 9 The Lord comes to Solomon for a second time.  20 years have passed.  The temple has been completed and consecrated.. and the glory of the Lord had filled  it.  The promise that had been given to David is repeated to Solomon, " As for you, if you will live in my presence , as did David your father, in pureness of heart and uprightness, doing everything I have ordered you to do, and observing my laws and rulings; then I will establish the throne of your rulership over Israel forever, just as I promised David... " 

".. if you will live in my presence..."  The NASB translates it "if you will walk before Me.. "

Think about this - the divine Presence - God coming to dwell among His people.. 

We first learn of this manifest Presence of God in Genesis 3:8  "And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden."  From the beginning God desired to walk with His people.. but sin now blocked the way. 

The Lord appears in some way.. we are not told details.. to Noah and to Abraham.  But, it is much later that we read about His manifest Presence.. to Moses and to Israel.  He is there in the burning bush.  He is there on Mount Sinai.  He is there is the pillar of cloud and fire.  And He is there.. in the dedication of the tabernacle.  He came to dwell in the middle of the camp of Israel. 

Many years pass until Solomon builds this temple and God fills it with His Presence... this place where He has set His Name... and the promise is that He will continue there as long as His people live "in His Presence"... in pureness and uprightness. 

But, Israel did not continue to live in the Lord's Presence.  Ezekiel records his vision, while in exile.. "Then the glory of the Lord parted from the threshold of the temple.. " ( Ezekiel 10:18) The saddest day of all... until.. 

It is the birth of Jesus that brings the glory of the Lord back to earth, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." ( John 1:14)   

It is after the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ that God's manifest Presence come again fully to those who love Jesus and keep His word.. " and My Father will love him and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him.. "  Jesus tells them. ( John 14:23 )  The Holy Spirit comes - " And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each of them."

Each individual who believes and trusts in Jesus Christ receives the Holy Spirit.  " Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?" ( I Corinthians 6:19)

Just as the glory of the Lord filled Solomon's temple, His Spirit fills us who will live in His Presence.. who walk with Him in purity and uprightness.. in His love and holiness.  We who present our bodies as living sacrifices, "acceptable to God.. [our] spiritual service of worship" ( Romans 12:1) 

Father in heaven, thank You for this amazing truth.  You are ever Present in us, Your people, through the work of Your Son, who has redeemed us and brought down the barrier between us.  Your Spirit.. abides in us as we walk with You.. as we live in Your Presence day by day.  Help us to understand these truth more fully and to live our lives accordingly.  We ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ, the One who came and dwelt among us and the One whom we will see face to face one day soon. Amen.