The temple of God

DEVOTION

PSALMS

THE TEMPLE OF GOD

 Ps 74

Why have you rejected us forever, O God? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture? 2 Remember the people you purchased of old, the tribe of your inheritance, whom you redeemed — Mount Zion, where you dwelt. 3 Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins, all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary. 4 Your foes roared in the place where you met with us; they set up their standards as signs. 5 They behaved like men wielding axes to cut through a thicket of trees. 6 They smashed all the carved paneling with their axes and hatchets. 7 They burned your sanctuary to the ground; they defiled the dwelling place of your Name. 8 They said in their hearts, "We will crush them completely!" They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land. 9 We are given no miraculous signs; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be.  10 How long will the enemy mock you, O God? Will the foe revile your name forever? 11 Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand? Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!

12 But you, O God, are my king from of old; you bring salvation upon the earth. 13 It was you who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters. 14 It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan and gave him as food to the creatures of the desert. 15 It was you who opened up springs and streams; you dried up the ever flowing rivers. 16 The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon. 17 It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter. 18 Remember how the enemy has mocked you, O LORD, how foolish people have reviled your name. 19 Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts; do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever. 20 Have regard for your covenant, because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land. 21 Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and needy praise your name.

22 Rise up, O God, and defend your cause; remember how fools mock you all day long. 23 Do not ignore the clamor of your adversaries, the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually.

NIV

Although we know from history the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed twice. The first temple considered as Solomon’s temple was destroyed around 587BC by Nebuchadnezzer II and of course the second temple was destroyed for good in 70AD, having never been rebuild, at least yet. Some scholars believe Jesus will not return until the temple is rebuilt or after his return the temple will be rebuild. But the fact is the temple has been built or is being built as we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. We are the temple and we are being built as living stones into the temple of God. It is a, we are, in both cases. Although this psalm might well be speaking of the physical temple in Jerusalem, it also speaks of us. The enemy is trying is best to destroy this temple of God. He comes wielding axes wanting to carve his image into the panels of our life, hacking up the panels God has installed in us. He wants to burn us to the ground, well actually he wants us to burn in hell. If we do not consider the destructive desires of Satan aimed right at us, we would be naive immature babes in Christ, not understanding and interpreting the scriptures correctly. His whole goal is aimed at destroying the temple of God, us. Although in the past God allowed the enemy kings to take Israel captive because of Israel’s sin of adopting idols, gods of the people who lived among them, who should have been completely overrun, destroyed in the first place, when Israel entered the promised land. But they disobeyed that command of God and allowed the Canaanites to remain in the land. Then they started to worship the gods of the Canaanites. Is it any wonder God allowed their capture and the temple destroyed. What a lesson for us. Being his temple and having the enemy at our gate putting us under siege, God will be our refuge, our every present help in trouble, our rock, our defense, our strength, our wall. But that depends on the simple fact that we do not adopt any of the gods of this world in which we live. Although we cannot destroy the world as the Israelite's were supposed to destroy the Canaanites, we can live as though it has been destroyed. That is it has not business in our lives. Yes, we have to live here, we have to go out into it to make our living, being in the work force, shopping for the necessities of life. Yes, we have to interact with the people who do not know or care to know about God and are, even if unwilling, or unknowingly, serve Satan. As that old Bob Dylan song, “You have to serve somebody” carries that truth that if you are not serving God you are serving the devil, but you are going to serve somebody. So we serve the Lord and him alone. We cannot allow the temple to be trampled on by the enemy. We cannot allow the temple to be desecrated by the gods of this world. We also cannot, again be so naive to ignore the enemy is rising up against us and mocking us at the same time, which mocks God. Be our fortress of Lord, defend us against all that would come against us, keep us in the palm of your hand. As we look to you and you alone for all we are, all we have, and all we do. The world and it’s gods have no place in your temple.