January 24 Is God in His Temple?

John 7:1 After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life.

JESUS had a good reason to minister primarily in Galilee. Judea is where the highest Jewish council called the Sanhedrin ruled the religious system. Ultimately, they would be the ones to take Jesus to Pilate, who would order Jesus’ crucifixion. To this point in the gospel, John records Jesus has been to Jerusalem twice. His latter visit caused the Jews to try harder to kill him (John 5:18) because he healed on the Sabbath and spoke of God as his Father. How sad it was. The city formed to be the home of God’s temple – the earthly display of God’s presence – became the city most passionate to reject the Son of God.
    Jesus’ rejection was far different than God’s first majestic visit to the temple: 1 Kings 8:1 Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Zion, the City of David…6 The priests then brought the ark of the Lord’s covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim…9 There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt. 10 When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. 11 And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his temple… (Solomon said) 21 I have provided a place there for the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord that he made with our fathers when he brought them out of Egypt.”
    What happened? Why was God, once worshiped in the temple, later dismissed from his own dwelling? That is sin’s affect isn’t it? Sin blemished God’s presence in Eden, in the world, in Israel and in Jerusalem’ temple. The evil one’s temptations lured God’s people away from God, into destruction.
    As a Christian, when you confessed Christ as your Lord, you became the living temple of God today. You are to be the Lord’s dwelling to demonstrate his glory to the world. You ae a stronghold against evil. You are to receive Jesus’ teachings and authority. You are to obey his commands and live in his grace. Your life is to be a living testimony of the living God. If sin is removing God from his dwelling, I urge you to repent. Turn to Christ Jesus and pray for his Spirit to fill you fresh and new. Worship the Lord. I pray there is only room for God in your soul.

Prayer: I pray I am your dwelling place, O Lord. Amen.