"Building God's temple ... a preview of things to come!"

Day #88


Scripture Reading:  I Chronicles 20 - 24 ...

Studying history is like learning a foreign language to most people.  We tend to live in the present, as though there was no connection with the past or the future.  Young people and older people alike see little, if any, importance in studying the Old Testament, but in God's timetable there is a direct line from all that we read in the Old Testament to our day today and then to the future that lies before us.  Such is the case with the building of the temple - a house for God.  

Up until the days of David God had not had a "house" to dwell in.  In fact, as the Apostle Paul would write a thousand years later, "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands" (Acts 17:24).  Why then did God instruct Moses to build the tabernacle, and why did He give David and Solomon instructions for the temple?  It was for Israel ... to show them that He was there, that He was with them.  The nations around them had their "gods," but they were just statues and superstitions.  Israel's God was different.

God is the Creator of Israel, the God of Israel, the Leader of Israel, the King of Israel and the HOPE of Israel.  God was Israel's God, not because Israel chose Him, but because HE chose Israel!  And He wanted them to know HIM ... thus, the temple.  David and Israel needed to learn to depend upon God and not on the number of soldiers in their army.

So what about the temple?  What is God teaching US, today, through the building of the temple?  Since the time of the Judges, the tabernacle of the LORD that Moses had made in the desert was being kept at Gibeon.  David had made Jerusalem the capital city of Israel and it was now called "the city of David."  David was King of a growing political power among the nations of the world, with an army of more than a million soldiers.  He realized now, however, that God would deal with HIM, just as He did with the nations, if David did not remember that he needed God's presence and power, as did the whole nation of Israel.

David began to make preparations to build the temple, but God told David that he was not the one who would build God's house because he had shed too much blood in wars.  God's temple was to be a place of peace.  David's son, Solomon, would build the temple, and God would place His Name there.  David said, "The house to be built for the LORD should be of great magnificence and fame and splendor in the sight of all the nations" (22:5).  When David was counting his army he was trying to make a name for himself; when he was preparing the materials for the temple he desired to make a name for GOD!!  God promised that Solomon would build God's house and God would grant peace and quiet during his reign (22:9).

Again, God reveals His wisdom and His plan as He speaks to David about Solomon ... and in so doing speaks of David's "greater Son," who would build the spiritual temple:  the Church!  "He is the one who will build a house for my Name.  He will be my son, and I will be his father.  And I will establish the throne of HIS kingdom over Israel FOREVER" (22:10).  David instructed Solomon:  "Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the LORD your God.  Begin to build the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the sacred articles belonging to God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the LORD" (22:19).  God's Name would dwell among His people and all the world would know that HE is God!!

The building of the temple enabled the people to focus on the truth that their God was alive, that He was present with them, that He was holy and that the only way to approach Him was to bring a sacrifice, an offering.  Their sin separated them from their God and only through the Levites and the priests could they come to worship and draw near to God.  And even then, they were separated from God, for only the High Priest could enter into the Most Holy Place ... and that only once a year, on the Day of Atonement.  Payment must be made for sin and no one can do it for themselves.  Even the priests had to bring an offering for themselves, confessing their own sin.

At the present time there is no temple in Jerusalem.  That is because God is fulfilling His promise to build a spiritual temple, a house in which God dwells by His Spirit ... the Church.  The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 2 that Jews and Gentiles have been made ONE together in Christ (Ephesians 2:13-16).  To the Gentiles he says, "You are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's 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. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit" (Ephesians 2:19-22).

What a glorious message ... the realization that the God of Israel not only lives among us, but within us.  Those who know Jesus Christ, who have been born again by His Spirit, are united to Christ and part of His eternal kingdom.  God will again, in the future, have a temple in Jerusalem for a time, but its purpose will be different.  Jesus will reign in Jerusalem and the nations will bring Him tribute.

  

The building of God's temple was a preview of things to come, when the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel, will be known all over the world and all will know that He alone is God, there is no other.  Until then, it is the calling of the Church, the temple of the Spirit, to make Him known, to declare His Name to the nations and to exalt the Name of Jesus, God's true Son, the Son of David.  May we be about our Father's business and live to worship and praise and serve Him every day, for HIS glory!!

"O LORD, our God, You alone are worthy of praise and worship.  Your Name alone is to be exalted, for You alone are God, our Creator.  As You revealed Your wisdom and power through Israel in the days of David, so empower us today to declare Your glory to the nations, that those who are bound in the darkness may come to Your light and be saved, joining us in thanksgiving for Your grace and mercy.  In Jesus' name, Amen"

"The everlasting God chose Israel ... and all who believe in Israel's God!"

Day #87


Scripture Reading:  I Chronicles 15-19 ...

It seems unfair, it seems impossible, it seems far-fetched, but it's true:  the God of Israel is the one true God and only those whom He has chosen and who put their trust in Him through faith in Jesus Christ, the Seed of Abraham, the Son of David, will inherit eternal life.  All that we read in the Old Testament, the Gospels and the rest of the New Testament confirm this truth.  No other book explains the plan of God to redeem for Himself a people from the entire human race to be His own.  Remarkably, God revealed all of this to David, and through him to others whom God chose to hear and believe.  If you are reading this and believe in Jesus, it is because God has chosen YOU and you are one of His people, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.  That is God's way ...

Having moved the capital of Israel to Jerusalem, David determined to bring the Ark of the Covenant there.  The Ark was the symbol of God's presence and was placed in the tabernacle in the Most Holy Place.  David had attempted to bring the Ark back before, but those in charge did not have the priests carry it and God's anger burned against them.  This time David said, "No one but the Levites may carry the Ark of God, because the LORD chose THEM to carry the Ark of the LORD and to minister before Him forever" (15:2).  Then he instructed them to "consecrate yourselves and bring up the Ark of the LORD, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it.  It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the LORD our God broke out in anger against us.  We did not inquire of Him about how to do it in the prescribed way" (15:12-13).

Partial obedience is never obedience.  God calls His people to worship and to do it according His instructions.  Why?  Because He is God ... and He is ISRAEL's God.  An important part of worship, then and now, is MUSIC!  Look at those who were chosen to lead God’s people in worship ... They had instruments and a large choir of people to lead the people in singing God's praises.  "So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouts, with the sounding of rams' horns and trumpets, and of cymbals; and the playing of lyres and harps" (15:28).  How glorious it must have been and how glorious is the worship of God's people today as we offer it to the Lord, our God, the God of Israel!!

David’s psalm of praise in Chapter 16 is so full, so heartfelt, so informative of God's plan to gather for Himself a people.  As David and all of Jerusalem celebrated the return of the Ark, David broke out into song. Reading through Chapter 16 is like entering into David's heart - a heart overflowing with love, thankfulness and praise for God, but not just any God, the God of Israel, the God who "remembers His covenant forever ... the covenant He made with Abraham, the oath He swore to Isaac, and confirmed to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant:  'To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit'" (16:15-18).  To those today who would seek to eliminate this people from the land of Israel, it will not happen, for you are not only fighting against Israel, but against Israel's God.

At the present time most in Israel do not know the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  The world is ignorant of the great "I AM" who revealed Himself to Moses and the people in Egypt and at Mt. Sinai.  Most people want to believe that you can worship “God” in any way you choose.  They are convinced that any belief in any god is the same.  But the calling of those who know Him, to whom He has revealed Himself by His Word and Spirit, is to "sing to the LORD ... to proclaim His salvation day after day.  Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples.  For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise!" (16:23-25).  There IS no other God!  It is Israel's God who sent His Son, the descendant of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, David ... to be the perfect sacrifice for sin.  There IS no other God, no other Mediator between God and man, no other Savior!

As God promised David that his "house" would continue before Him forever, it would be easy to think that God was talking about Solomon and others who would follow, but He was pointing to Jesus.  "I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom.  He is the one who will build a house for me and I will establish his throne forever" (17:11-12).  God was pointing to David's "greater Son," to the One who would be born of a virgin, who would be "Immanuel, God with us."  He was pointing to Jesus, the Christ, the Anointed One, the KING of kings and the LORD of lords!!

David confessed what we who believe today know to be true:  "There is no one like You, O LORD, and there is no God but You ... And who is like Your people Israel - the one nation on earth whose God went out to redeem a people for himself, and to make a name for Yourself ..." (17:20-21).  "You made Your people Israel Your very own forever, and You, O LORD, have become their God" (17:22).

Through Jesus Christ, the Seed of Abraham, the Son of David, God has sent a message out into the world, delivered by His Spirit into the hearts and minds of those whom He has chosen from the nations, bringing forgiveness and life to those who repent and believe, who receive His grace through faith in Jesus.  God knows those who are His and not one shall be lost.  If you have believed in Jesus you can KNOW that you were "chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4) and that "nothing can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:29).

Join with David in giving thanks and praise to the God who chose Israel and all who believe in Israel’s God!  Worship the Son of David, who is also the Son of God, the Messiah, the Christ, the only King ... whose name is Jesus! 

"My Father in heaven, as You chose Israel to be Yours, so You have chosen me to be one of Your children and have given me Your Spirit and moved me to believe in Your Son, Jesus Christ.  I thank You for Your Word, for revealing Your way of salvation through Your covenant with Abraham and his descendants, and for Your faithfulness to those who place their hope in You.  In Jesus' name, Amen"

"Mighty men serving a mighty God!"

Day #86


Scripture Reading:  I Chronicles 10 - 14 ...

After Saul and his sons had been killed in battle, David was anointed king in Hebron. Scripture is quick to say, "Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD" (10:13).  David had sought the LORD, his God, since his childhood, and now that he was king, he knew where his might and power and wisdom to rule would come from.  Having captured the fortress at Jerusalem, David decided to reign over Israel from there and it became known as the "City of David" (11:7).  Men flocked to serve David because it was he who had won victory after victory even during the reign of King Saul.  We read, "David became more and more powerful, because the LORD Almighty was with him" (11:9).  There was no doubt throughout all of Israel that David knew God and worshiped God from his heart.  His many Psalms are evidence of that.

David was also surrounded by what the Bible calls "mighty men" of God. God gave them power to overcome incredible odds and through their service to David the kingdom of Israel was expanded over the whole land of Canaan, as God had promised (11:10).  While Saul had contacted mediums and sorcerers to determine whether to go out into battle, David consulted the LORD, his God.  He was not about to make the same mistake Saul had made.  One by one, the tribes of Israel sent fighting men to join David's army, so David and Israel ... and their GOD, became known throughout the whole world.

As chaotic as our world is today, it is exciting and challenging to live during this time when these same people, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, possess the very land God gave to Abraham.  God made Israel a great nation in order to display His glory, His wisdom and His power to all the world.  And in these last days God is about to do the same thing.  At the present time most of the Jewish people do not acknowledge Jesus as their Messiah, but there will come a time when they will.  In fact, the whole world will see the glory of Israel's God, even more clearly than during the days of David.  Jesus will reign ... in JERUSALEM, and all the nations will bring tribute to Him (Zechariah 14:9-21).

Out of his devotion to the LORD, David desired to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem.  David said to his leaders and the people, "If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the LORD our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our brothers throughout the territories of Israel ... Let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we did not inquire of it (him) during the reign of Saul" (13:2-3).  So they moved the ark from the house where it had been kept, placing it on a new cart, with two men, Uzzah and Ahio, guiding it.  When the oxen pulling the cart stumbled, Uzzah reached out to steady it and God struck him down on the spot ... he died.

Why would God do such a thing?!  There is more here than meets the eye.  God had instructed Moses to place rings on the sides of the Ark of the Covenant and to make poles that would go through the rings.  The Ark was then to be carried by the priests by the poles.  No one was to touch the Ark.  Uzzah's mistake was that he thought his hand touching the Ark would be better than if it fell off the cart and landed in the dirt.  The truth is, because of sin we are "dirtier" than the ground.  God is HOLY!  He cannot be "touched" by sinful man.  The Ark represented the presence of God and was to be treated with honor.  It was not some "magic box," but rather, a symbol that God had given to Israel that He was their God and they were His people, and that He was with them wherever they went.

We would do well to remember today that God is everywhere-present.  He is with those who come to Him through faith in Jesus Christ in a special way.  In fact, God says in His Word that we who believe are the very "temple of the Holy Spirit" (I Corinthians 6:19).  God empowered the mighty men who surrounded David and who led his army against their enemies, and God just as certainly empowers you and me today as we engage in spiritual battles for the Lord, OUR God!  Every time David was about to go into battle, he inquired of the LORD ... he prayed and asked God to direct him.  Do YOU do that?

Our battles for the glory of God are different today, but they are no less important in the final outcome of millions in this world.  "David's fame spread throughout every land, and the LORD made all the nations fear him" (14:17).  We use the "sword of the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:17), which is the Word of God, to do battle against the enemies of Christ and His Church.  Paul would write to his young friend, Timothy, "God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline" (II Timothy 1:7).

Join with other believers in rallying around our King, Jesus!  He leads us into battle for the glory of His Name and together we are strong and mighty in the Lord.  We dare not shrink back from the mission to make disciples of Jesus, for we are ambassadors of God's kingdom and soldiers in Christ's army.  The enemies are strong, but we are stronger, for the Lord, our God, is with us.  Be an active part in the body of Christ.  Engage in the ministry with others ... don't stand on the sidelines.  Too much is at stake and it is God's desire to receive honor and praise on our account.  For the glory of God seek His guidance in your life, asking Him to show you how you can serve others and proclaim the truth of the Gospel.  He uses willing servants and molds us into mighty men and women of God.

Draw near to God today, knowing that whatever battles you are fighting, with God's help and the strength and power that only HE can give, you will have victory in the name and power of Jesus, our risen Savior and Lord!!

"Almighty and Everlasting God, by the power of Your name we conquer our enemies and overcome all of the obstacles that stand in the way of giving You glory.  It is not for my sake, but for Your glory and for the sake of YOUR name that I stand firm, declaring Your truth and being an instrument in Your hand to lead others to Christ.  Keep my mind and heart focused on You as I live each day as a soldier of Christ and empower me to be a bold witness to declare that JESUS IS KING!  In Jesus' name, Amen"

"History: the record of God's working among Israel and the nations ..."

Day #85

Scripture Reading:  I Chronicles 5 - 9 …

While there are a few people who are interested in history, most find it irrelevant and uninteresting.  That's because most people don't realize that a right understanding of history shapes your identity, your thoughts about life, your perspective and attitudes … and more.  You and I are all connected by history and to ignore that truth is to miss what GOD has done in the past, what God is doing today, what He will do in the future, and YOUR part in it!  As someone has said, "History is HIS-story!"  Nothing that has happened in the past is without meaning, and nothing that is happening today is without meaning.  Whatever you may think of history, you are making history today.  Your actions today will in some way affect the history of the world until Jesus returns.  That should affect how you live today … and whom you live FOR!!

As we continue in the record of the history of Israel in Chronicles, it becomes obvious that God's plans for Israel were not simply for the present.  If that were the case, the failure of the Israelites to worship and serve God would have surely led to the failure of God's plan of salvation.  God was working in and through these people, but His plan to send the Messiah, the Savior, and to bring salvation through Him was not dependent on what people would or wouldn't do.  While God at times displayed His glory in Israel, He would also display His holiness and justice through His judgment on them as well.  God's love for them led to discipline, but He would not forsake them entirely.  He would keep His promise to restore them and to establish His kingdom through the future reign of the Messiah, who would come from the tribe of Judah, just as He said He had said.

Reading through the list of tribes is a reminder that God had already kept His promise to make a great nation from the descendants of Abraham … that small group of seventy people who went into Egypt during the time of Jacob.  Chronicles picks up with the people now in the promised land and gives just sketchy information on how they got there.  A more complete history is found in Joshua, Judges and I and II Kings.  Still, there are some interesting details in these chapters on the genealogies and records of the twelve tribes of Israel.

One of these is in Chapter 6, verse 31, where the temple musicians are mentioned.  David put men in charge of the music in the tabernacle and they later served in the temple that Solomon built.  We may forget that the tabernacle was the place of worship during the reign of King David.  The people had been in the promised land for a while, but the temple had not yet been built.  They brought sacrifices to the tabernacle in Hebron, and then to Jerusalem, the "City of David."  Music was an important part of the worship of God then, as it is now.

Music was and is a way to praise and exalt God and at the same time for God to speak to His people.  The Psalms spoke to those who sang as they offered their worship to God.  Songs used in worship should do the same today.  It is important that songs be "theologically correct."  They must speak and teach truth according to God's Word and not express mere human emotions that may or may not always be pleasing to God.  The importance of music in worship should not be underestimated because it is God Himself who designed that it would be an instrument to bring Him honor.  Read Revelation 4-5 and you will discover that music is a large part of the worship in heaven!  Music today should be Christ-centered and focused on leading God’s people to praise and thanksgiving to God for His salvation in Jesus Christ.  God has called US to exalt His Name among the nations!  Only those who know the one true God can truly worship Him.

In Chapter 9, we read more details of the service of the priests, Levites and temple servants (9:2).  After the exile in Babylon and the rebuilding of the temple, the worship of God was re-instituted and the Levites were again established as servants at the temple.  Verse 23 talks about worship at the tabernacle and says, "They and their descendants were in charge of guarding the gates of the house of the LORD - the house called the Tent."  And verse 27:  "They would spend the night stationed around the house of God, because they had to guard it; and they had charge of the key for opening it each morning."  It may sound strange to us that the tabernacle needed to be guarded, but remember, anyone who touched the Ark of the Covenant died!  God is holy, and only through the priests and the offering of sacrifices could the people approach God ... all pointing ahead to our great High Priest, Jesus Christ, who has given us access to the Most Holy Place (Hebrews 10:19-20).

The life of Israel revolved around worship, and so should ours!!  Psalm 84 expresses the joy of worship and mentions those who were "gatekeepers" at the house of the Lord:  "How lovely is Your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty!" (Psalm 84:1).  "Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.  For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor …" (Psalm 84:10-11).

Jesus taught His disciples that He is the "gate" for the sheep (John 10:9).  We can enter into the safe pasture of God's presence through faith in Jesus.  The gatekeepers of the temple perhaps pointed to Jesus watching over the house of God and then opening the door for those who come to worship.  "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise!" (Psalm 100:4).  What a wonderful privilege to worship and to sing the praises of our God, the God of Israel!!

Live today as though you were making history … because you are!  Through Jesus Christ we who believe have access to the sanctuary of God at any time, wherever we are.  Worship the Lord today in the beauty of holiness.  Rejoice in His love and give thanks for His presence, for the Lord is our strength and our shield … He is our song!!  To Him be the glory, forever and ever!!  Amen!

"Father, the history of Israel is the history of your faithfulness to those whom You have chosen to belong to You.  Help those of us who believe in Jesus today to learn from the mistakes of those in the past and to offer our praise and thanks to You out of gratitude for all You have done for us in Christ Jesus.  Fill me with Your Spirit that my worship may be genuine and my life a testimony to Your grace!  In Jesus' name, Amen"