Moses realized that responsibility came with his claim. His responsibility first and foremost was to “prepare Him an habitation.” The return of the ark to a prepared habitation was not only realized by Moses, the notion rings through other scriptures. The whole requirement was outlined in prophecy in Psalm 40:6-8 and repeated in Hebrews 10:5-7(KJV)—Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, But a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (In the volume of the book it is written of me,) To do thy will, O God.
The different translations of the above passage help us see the responsibility on every believer who has this hope to willingly offer his body or temple to the Lord. Let’s see other scriptures that point as many as are waiting to see and be the habitation of Yahweh on His return, to their responsibility. In 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (the opening verse) we are to be temples of God. What does it mean to be a temple? Does His Spirit dwell in us without any effort on our part? How do we defile the temple – especially if we are that temple?
The first habitation that was built for Yahweh was in the wilderness. Moses was given instructions on how to build it while on Mount Sinai after Israel had finally escaped Egypt and met God. This place was called the Tabernacle. Moses was given step-by-step instructions on how the Tabernacle would be built. In this same way, we should build ourselves as temples for God to inhabit.
There should be a desire to provide the necessary parts needed to build the habitation and do the work. When the time came to build the tabernacle, Yahweh told Moses to collect an offering from all of Israel.
And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which Yahweh commanded, saying, Take ye from among you an offering unto Yahweh: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of Yahweh; gold, and silver, and brass…And every wise-hearted among you shall come, and make all that Yahweh hath commanded; The tabernacle, his tent, and his covering, his taches, and his boards, his bars, his pillars, and his sockets…And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought Yahweh’s offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments. And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto Yahweh…And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats’ hair…The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto Yahweh, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which Yahweh had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses…And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart Yahweh had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it: And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it withal. And they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning. Exodus 35:4-5,10-11,21-22,26,29; 36:2-3
Before we can be a temple to our coming King, we must be willing to be His temple. We must have a desire to provide the necessary tools. We must have a desire to do the work that builds us into a habitation for Him. This desire only comes from knowing who the Lord is and knowing what He has done for us. This desire only comes when we truly love Him. True love and knowledge of Him comes through the Word. Study it, beginning in Genesis until you have studied the entire Word. As you study, clear your mind from all things you think you already know, and understand the Word as He gave it. It is as you find understanding, that the desire to be a temple will grow.
From 1 Chronicles 17:1, David had it in his heart to build a temple for Yahweh—something permanent and more extravagant than the Tabernacle that traveled with the nation of Israel in the wilderness. He gave gold, silver, stones, etc. for the building of the temple. He requested others who were willing to do the same.
…And who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto Yahweh? Then the chief of the fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king’s work, offered willingly, And gave for the service of the house of God of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand drams, and of silver ten thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron. And they with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasure of the house of Yahweh, by the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite. Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to Yahweh: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy. 1 Chronicles 29:5-9
Afterward, David’s prayer to the Lord God shows us that this is what God wants from us—a true willingness and desire.
Wherefore David blessed the Lord before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou… for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding. O Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own. I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee. O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee: And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made provision. 1 Chronicles 29:10-19 (KJV)
The habitation is a place that must remain clean or holy. We must be willing to provide a clean or holy habitation for a holy God. There is an old saying: “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” Interestingly enough, the Lord uses cleanliness to represent holiness. Before building the tabernacle, the Lord instructed Moses on the condition in which the tabernacle should be kept. From those who brought sacrifices to the Lord, to those who served Him in the temple, all the way up to the temple itself, He required cleanliness (Exodus 30:19-21).
Throughout their service to the Lord, the priests had to wash before coming into the temple. Once a year, atonement was made for the temple itself as well as for the altar and all of the people of Israel (Leviticus 16). Just as dirt can be transferred from one object to another, so can the uncleanness of sin. This can even be transferred to the temple—Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of Yahweh; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him (Numbers 19:13 (KJV).
The Lord our God is a holy and perfect God. To allow Himself to be surrounded by filth would be to make Him not only unclean, but common. Just as the temple in which He dwelt had to be clean at all times, we too must be clean at all times. In plain terms, we must be sinless. Even as the temple was not in a constant state of cleanliness, we will not be in a constant state of sinlessness, but just as the the priests diligently watched for uncleanliness, we must be diligently watching for sins that creep into our lives, cleaning ourselves immediately. This character is carried to the admonitions of Paul recorded for us in his letters to the Corinthian church. As temples of the Lord, we must be extremely careful that we represent Him only. We must be careful that we are not representing other gods.
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 2 Corinthians 6:16 (KJV)
What are the ways in which you represent the Lord? Think about the traditions you keep. Think about the way you serve Him. Think about the things you believe. Think about the way you treat others particularly under the pressure of the times. Do all of these things represent who He is?
In keeping traditions that are not established by the Lord, in serving Him in the ways that other gods are served, in believing that the Lord is other than what He says He is, in treating others with anything less than “love your neighbour” you have built yourself to be a temple to idols. Note what Isaiah 66:1-4 says about His expected habitation—Thus saith Lord: The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool; where is the house that ye may build unto Me? And where is the place that may be My resting-place? For all these things hath My hand made, and so all these things came to be, saith Lord; but on this man will I look, even on him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word. (But) He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he broke a dog’s neck; he that offereth a meal- offering, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that maketh a memorial-offering of frankincense, as if he blessed an idol; according as they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations; Even so I will choose their mockings, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spoke, they did not hear, but they did that which was evil in Mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.
If we are to be a habitation for the coming Redeemer, we must first be willing to provide the tools and do the work necessary to build ourselves into a temple; we must keep ourselves clean, holy, sinless; and we must be representatives of the Lord, being a place where He will choose to put His name. In refusing to do these things, we defile the temple. A defiled temple must be destroyed.
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (KJV)
As we close ask yourself the question, am I a fit habitation for the Lord? The ark is returning to the temple, are you fit to receive it? Selah.
Pastor Afolabi Oladele
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