Dwell in Our Midst Part II; Ps 132, 2 Chron 7

May the mumbling commence!

The invitation for the Lord to come and dwell in the Temple is found in other places.  Read from Psalm 132:7-8 –

"Let us go to his dwelling place;

let us worship at his footstool - 

arise, O Lord, and come to your resting place,

you and the ark of your might. 

May your priests be clothed with righteousness;

may your saints sing for joy."

As the Lord chooses to dwell in the Temple, priests are clothed with righteousness and saints sing for joy.  So much for the wisdom of laughing with the sinners rather than crying with the saints!  In the presence of the Lord, the saints sing for joy.  And Psalm 132 continues to note that the Lord did so choose the Temple as a dwelling place for His name.  Read verses thirteen to sixteen:

For the Lord has chosen Zion,

he has desired it for his dwelling: 

"This is my resting place for ever and ever;

here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it –   

I will bless her with abundant provisions;

her poor will I satisfy with food. 

 I will clothe her priests with salvation,

and her saints will ever sing for joy.

The Lord has spoken and chosen His Temple.  And the Lord has promised abundant provisions to His people – not that they should live in the lap of luxury but so that the poor will be satisfied with food.  Salvation and righteousness are connected – the Lord dresses his priests in both.  And, again, the saints join in joyful song.

Lest we forget, let’s remember where the true dwelling of the Lord is – in us, you and me.  Read the words of the Lord to Solomon from 2 Chronicles 7:17-22 –

"As for you, if you walk before me as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees and laws, I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father when I said, 'You shall never fail to have a man to rule over Israel.' 

But if you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples.  And though this temple is now so imposing, all who pass by will be appalled and say, 'Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?'   People will answer, 'Because they have forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them – that is why he brought all this disaster on them.'" 

We build the true Temple for the Lord when we act in accordance to the commands of the Lord.  Yes, it happens when we are individually obedient, but the strength of the Temple is increased when we can be obedient corporately.  It means that each of us will need to surrender some of our rights (as the dominate culture we live in defines them) for the betterment of the church and obedience to the call of the Holy Spirit.

Enough mumbling for now…  

Peace Out