And the Lord said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your plea, which you have made before me. I have consecrated this house that you have built, by putting my name there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time. 2 Kings 9:3
God was acknowledging the Temple that Solomon had built, where the Ark of the Covenant sat, and where God was said to dwell in the Holyof Holies. When Christ died on the Cross, the veil that separated this Holy place from the view of the people was torn and God came to dwell in the hearts of believers. We are now His Holy of Holies. That in itself is enough to mull over, isn’t it?
Saul had the physical House of the Lord built, the one of brick and mortar. It was the one that was destroyed when the Israelites were sent off to Babylon in shame. The one that was rebuilt when they were returned from Exile and was again destroyed in three days as Jesus predicted. Yes, the one that He dubbed a “Den of Thieves”.
But we now daily build our “House of the Lord”, physically and emotionally and spiritually. There are many references to our bodies as being the dwelling place of the Lord in the Bible. But it is not just our flesh and bones. It is our soul. What we are on the inside reflects the way we live on the outside. If our lives are a chaotic mess, so is our dwelling. Likewise, if we take healthy pride in ourselves by respecting ourselves as a gift from a loving God, we take care of the gift. When we do not, we trash it with and overindulgence of sugar, caffeine, drugs, fatty starches, nicotine and other unhealthy things then wonder why we are sick and overweight and tired. I’ll raise my hand. I’m guilty of abusing my body and turning to things like chocolate instead of God for comfort. It is time we all did a little picking up and cleaning house, isn’t it? Inside, and out. Body, mind and spirit.
The good news? Read the verse again. He hears our pleas and prayers. He comes and dwell with us forever. When we accept Christ into our lives, He makes our souls a permanent dwelling place – His house. He doesn’t pack up and leave if we trash it a bit. It is consecrated ground. He will help you pick up and clean up because He will always be there, as close as your heart beat. To Him, you are Home Sweet Home.
My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. Ezekiel 37:27
In him[Christ] 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 2:21-22
