He built His sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which He has established forever. (Psalm 78:69)
In the Hebrew scriptures, the very first letter is ב beit which, pictographically, is a house. Thus it is understood that, from the initial point of Creation, God’s desire was to have a house in which to dwell among His people. Therefore it is written, “Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8). That being said, it is clear that the Creator was very much involved in the building of His house so that every detail conformed to His plan and purpose. Still, its’ function was to allow for His Presence to dwell among those who honored Him and that He might commune with them.
Unlike the tabernacle that was carried through the wilderness, once His house was established in Jerusalem, the Sanctuary was never to be moved. Atop Mount Moriah is where the Creator had determined that His Presence would rest and meet with His people, and thus it is written: “For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell” (Psalm 132:13). It was here that God’s Presence kissed the earth and connected the highest heavens with the earth below, whereby mortal men could appear before the Lord of the whole earth.
Obviously there is no Temple presently standing on top of the Temple Mount; that will change in time. But just because there is no physical Temple does not mean that God’s desire to commune with His people has ceased. His purpose continues uninterrupted because He has deemed us — those who believe in His Son and who call upon the Name of the Lord — to be Temples fit for His Presence. No matter where we go, His Presence goes with us and, consequently, we can bask in the communion that this intimacy provides.
We know that He desires to dwell among us and within us; let us reciprocate and demonstrate daily that our greatest desire is to abide with Him and continually invite His Spirit to work in us and through us. Without His Spirit, we can not hope to accomplish what He has created us to do. As the Scripture says, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6).
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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