Chapter 8

WHY BUILD A TEMPLE?

BEFORE WE GO ON to find out why these heroes failed, there is one matter we need to discuss and really understand: why build a temple? What was so very important about making the temple the one and only reason for the long journey from Babylon to Jerusalem?

Today we might consider many things more important: schools, hospitals, and houses, just to mention three. The Jews have been back in Israel since 1948, but they have not built a temple. They have had massive building programs of places necessary for industry, agriculture, education, and
culture—but no temple.

In order to understand the full implications of the story in Haggai we need to know the supreme and unique importance of the temple in that day. In order to understand the real meaning of the Christian faith, with all the possibilities for power and peace, we also need to understand and know the
reason for building a temple. Let us turn to the Bible and see for ourselves its importance in the economy of God.

We turn first to Exodus 25. By the time we reach this part of the story of God’s dealings with His people, many things have happened. The people have been freed from the bond age of Egypt. Moses has been used by God to discipline Pharaoh and deliver the people. They have crossed the Red
Sea and seen Egypt’s army perish in its waters. Operation Deliverance has been completed, and now Moses was preparing for further experiences with God. All the wilderness journey with its unknown, unexpected forty years of wandering lay ahead.

It was at this time that God did something new in the sight of Moses. He told Moses to “speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering” (v. 2). God then detailed the items needed, and Moses was told why the offering as requested: “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I
may dwell among them” (v. 8).

This sanctuary was to be known as the tabernacle. It was to last for many years, right up to the days of Solomon.

The important thing here is to see why God wanted this tabernacle or tent erected: “That I may dwell among them.” Just consider the tremendous implications of this desire of God. God’s first thought for a redeemed people was that He might dwell among them. There was no question of waiting until they became more cultured and attractive.

At that time there were over a million people, many of whom had been downtrodden slaves. They were uncultured, unwashed, and unlovely. They would go on to murmur, complain, and test the patience and love of God time and time again. But even so, knowing all this, it was still the first
desire of God to dwell in the midst of His people.

The chapters following this request tell how God instructed Moses as to the details of the tabernacle. Then in Exodus 29:45-46 we hear these words from God: “And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.”

Notice this specific affirmation from the lips of God: “I brought them forth.. . that I may dwell among them.” Again we see the initial thought repeated; the purpose of the tabernacle was that God might dwell there.

The remainder of Exodus gives continuing details of the construction and use of this tabernacle. By the end of chapter 39 we read, “And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it even as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.”

Thus the various separate items of the tent structure were completed. God then instructed Moses to assemble and erect the various parts and so present to the Lord the finished tabernacle. God had said that if they did as He commanded, then He would come and dwell in the tabernacle. It must have been an exciting and awe-inspiring day when Moses complied with the will of God. The people assembled in their thousands to see if God meant what He had said, watching with wonder and fearful expectancy.

This is how the final moments are described in chapter 40: “So Moses finished the work. Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle” (vv. 33-34) . The story goes on to tell that Moses was not able to enter because of the cloud and the glory.

The book of Exodus ends by telling about the cloud by day and the fire by night which the Lord used. The cloud was there to control. When the cloud moved, they moved. When the cloud of glory rested, there was the tabernacle erected. See now the lovely thought in the heart of God. The cloud was always there by day, the fire by night. God was always there; He would never leave them nor forsake them. As the years went by, any man or woman whose heart was worried or fearful had only to go outside his tent and look towards the tabernacle. Even on the darkest night he could see the fire of God keeping watch over His people.

So the book of Exodus begins with the people in bondage and ends with the same people in blessing. At the commencement, Pharaoh was in control; at the close, God is in control.

This was the way God dwelt among his people right up to the days of David. Then something new came into view; David had plans for a temple, a permanent building. From the outside the tabernacle was most unimpressive, just a dull colored tent surrounded by a fence of curtains. Inside, it was aglow with the warm light of the oil lamps reflecting on the
gold, but no one saw that except the priests.

The temple, on the other hand, was to be a permanent building. It was to be glorious both within and without. In 1 Chronicles 28 we read the story of David giving instructions to his son Solomon in the sight of all Israel: “Take heed now; for the LORD hath chosen thee to build an house for a sanctuary: be strong, and do it. Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern . . . pattern of all that he had by the spirit” (vv. 10-12).

Verse 19 adds, “All this, said David, the LORD made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern.”

So once again, the plan for the house of God came from the mind of God, even as in Moses’ time.

The story of how Solomon built the house of the Lord be gins in 2 Chronicles 2. Chapters 3 and 4 are full of the glory, the beauty, and riches that went into the construction. We read of gold, perfect gold, and pure gold—there were even degrees of perfection! (4:21-22)

Then came the great day that was to mark the completion of this glorious temple, the house of God. As the final act, the priests carried in the ark of God with the golden cherubim above it overshadowing the mercy seat. Chapter 5 details this last exciting day. ‘There was a tremendous choir of several thousand men, all dressed in white linen. There was a full orchestra of cymbals, psalteries, and harps. The most start ling contribution came from 120 trumpeters—what an amazing volume of sound must have come from these men!

This is how the vital moment is described in verses 13 and
14:

It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were
as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and
thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voices
with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music,
and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; and his mercy
endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with the
cloud, even the house of the LORD; SO that the priests could
not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory
of the LORD had filled the house of God!

What a fantastic moment this must have been—every voice, every trumpet and instrument sounding as one! What a majestic outpouring of sound. Then, suddenly, there it was! The glory of the Lord had filled His holy temple. God had been faithful to His promise and to His people.

Then there follow some precious words. God appeared to Solomon the second time and, speaking in connection with the same temple, He said: “I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually” (1 Kings
9:3).

Understand the glorious implications of God’s promise: My name, My eyes, My heart—forever, perpetually. This was what the temple was going to become, the place where God was—His name, His eyes, His heart. His name means “all that He is” and is not merely the spelling of the letters for Jehovah. Proverbs 18:10 tells us: “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” Both in the Old and New Testaments the references to the name of God or of Jesus have this same teaching: “all that He is."

So there was God’s name with all His power. Then there were His eyes to see with, to search and protect His people from their enemies. Lastly, His heart, to love His people and to care for them. “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth [or loves] them that fear him.” (Ps 103:13).

See now the tremendous importance first of the tabernacle and then of the temple. They each served as the house of God. God requested it and promised His own presence and power when the plan was carried out.

We began this chapter by asking, why build a temple? We can see now that this was far more important than any other building devised by men. Man’s buildings may be excellent, providing shelter, comfort, education, or culture. But when God’s house was built at God’s request according to His plan, the whole world was changed, as God became real.

I think the most thrilling part of this study on the temple comes now as we turn to 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20 and see the very same truth spelled out in terms of our own lives: “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God
in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

God’s first thought for His people, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, was that He might dwell in their midst. We saw this in Exodus 25 and 29. This has never changed. When we are redeemed at the cross by the blood of Christ, the Lamb of God, then Jesus comes to indwell us in the person of His Holy Spirit. Then we become, each one of us, a temple of the Holy Spirit.

To whom did the tabernacle belong? Obviously to God, because the people brought their offerings to God, and out of their gifts was fashioned the tabernacle. So the tabernacle belonged to God.

In just the same way, the temple of Solomon belonged to God. Again it was the gifts of God’s people that made the temple possible.

That is why verse 19 in 1 Corinthians 6 says, “ye are not your own.” You, too, are God’s temple and you belong to God. Verse 20 gives a second reason why you are not your own: you have been bought with a price, the life of the spotless Son of God.

This thought should challenge some of us as to who owns our life. Are we a temple or a trash can?

Psalm 12 has some very pertinent things to say in this connection. It begins by saying, “Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.” It is talking of what we can see in many places today, the ceasing of the godly and the failing of the faithful. These are not sinners in all their evil ways, these are believers in trouble. Verse 4 tells you why this miserable state of affairs has developed: “Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?”

There are many believers who say the same things, either in thought, word, or deed, “Our lips are our own, our lives are our own, who is lord over us?” No wonder there are so many useless, defeated lives.

But as well as this thought of ownership by God, there is the lovely thought of His name, His eyes, and His heart. All that God was to them by the cloud and the fire, Jesus is much more to us by His own indwelling presence. God used the words for ever and perpetually in describing His presence to Solomon. Jesus said, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto
the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20).

The history of the children of Israel as told in the Old Testament was basically their relationship to the presence of the Lord in His tabernacle or His temple. In like manner, the success or failure of the Christian depends upon one thing only: his relationship to the indwelling Christ, the One who
makes his body a temple for God.

When the people turned to God from their idols and their failure, they found Him waiting with forgiveness and cleansing and then the outpouring of His power. This is what the Lord promised them, and this is what the Lord promises us today. As we turn from our own way, from the old behavior pattern, and seek by childlike faith to be dependent on a Christ who is there, then we, too, can move into an upward surge of joy and blessing.

The making of the new behavior pattern, as we saw it in chapter 5, is a day by day recognition of the indwelling Christ. It is reestablishing our dependence on Him and turning our backs on the rebellion of the flesh, our fallen human nature. As we do this, we are fulfilling the closing words of 1 Corinthians 6:20: “Therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” The glory of the Lord filled both the tabernacle and the temple as God’s servants were obedient to God’s plans and pattern.

In like manner, we can glorify God in our body as we are obedient to God’s plan, that is, His will for us. Do you remember the mystery of God’s will—”Christ in you, the hope of glory”? The more there is of Christ, the more there will be of His glory. The purpose of the Christian life is to build a house for God, so that He may have all the glory and we may have all the blessing.