GOD’S TEMPLE
“The Ark of the Covenant was one of the most instrumental symbols of faith and God’s presence. The contents of which included the tables of the Mosaic law, a pot of manna, and the rod of Aaron. The Ark’s origin stemmed from Exodus 25:10 when Moses was commanded by God to “make an ark of acacia wood.
Unlike the statutes of gods idolized by many of the Israelites, the Ark of the Covenant served as a religious symbol where the people could meet with God. He hovered over the Ark when the priests were present. If the priests were absent, the presence of the law tablets reflected God’s presence. Thus, the Ark of the Covenant was aptly named because of the commandments written on the tablets.” (What Was the Ark of The Covenant? Its Meaning and Significance by Chad Napier; Christianity.com/Crosswalk Contributing writer)
Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst? I Corinthians 3:16 (NIV)
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19 (NIV)
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. Ephesians 2:19-21 (NIV)
Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:19-22 (NIV)
“The breaking of Jesus’ body at the crucifixion is the unprecedented means by which believers have access to the presence of God.” (Professor Daniel M. Gurtner)
The Ark of the Covenant contained the presence of God. Moses was told by God to build it. It contained the Ten Commandments. It was a reminder to the people of God’s presence. King Solomon, who was David’s son, built the first Temple.
The First Temple was totally destroyed in the Siege of Jerusalem by the Neo-Babylonian Empire in 586 BC. The Romans destroyed the Second Temple in 70 AD. According to most theologians, a Third Temple will be built during the Tribulation when the anti-christ will declare himself as God.
We are God’s Temple. It is He who lives in the Body of Christ. Remember when God said to Moses, This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Hebrews 8:10 (NIV)
I believe that it was God’s intent all of the time to manifest His presence by showing the people first through the building of the Ark of the Covenant. It was a visible sign. Then when Jesus died, we received the full inheritance of Christ as children of God through the Salvation of Jesus on the cross of Calvary. The renting of the curtain at the Temple when Jesus died signified that there was no longer a division between man and God because Jesus became the Mediator between man and God Almighty.
A Temple is a place where God dwells. When we ask Jesus into our heart, He comes in and dwells in our body and spirit. We are made in the image and likeness of God. When we speak God’s Word, He is speaking through us. When we are compassionate and reach out to others, it is God Himself, through our actions, touching other people’s lives. St. Theresa of Avila once said, “Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes with which Christ looks out his compassion to the world. Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good. Yours are the hands with which he is to bless us now.”
It is overwhelming to me that God would choose, through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, to dwell in such an imperfect body in which who we are is manifested in our soul which consists of our mind, will and emotions. So many times our soul can be in conflict with God’s will but that is why the Holy Spirit is there to counsel, help and comfort us. We are not alone.
“But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female. ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.] So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Mark 10:6-9 (NIV) We are no longer alone when we ask Jesus into our hearts and lives. We become one in Him through the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. His true Presence abides in us.
The following is a quote from Brother Lawrence who was a lay brother and was born in 1614 and wrote the book, “The Practice of The Presence of God.”
“He does not ask much of us, merely a
thought of Him from time to time, a little act of adoration, sometimes to ask
for His grace, sometimes to offer Him your sufferings, at other times to thank
Him for the graces, past and present, He has bestowed on you, in the midst of
your troubles to take solace in Him as often as you can. Lift up your heart to
Him during your meals and in company; the least little remembrance will always
be the most pleasing to Him. One need not cry out very loudly; He is nearer to us
than we think.”
― Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God
Yes, God is “nearer to us than we think.” He is so near that He lives inside us. We are His Temple so His presence living in us is solace in times of trial but also a joy to know that the God of all creation dwells in us!! So next time you hear that quiet inner voice, listen because He is speaking to His beloved--------------YOU!!
SALVATION PRAYER
Thank You Jesus for dying on the cross to cleanse me from all my sins.
Forgive me of all my sins as I forgive those who have offended me.
Come into my heart. Dwell in me. I surrender my life to You.
Thank you Jesus!!
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