Daily Devotional

A Ministry of the Kerwin Baptist Church

December 22, 2020

by Kerwin Baptist

1 Kings 5:5
And, behold, I purpose to build an house unto the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spake unto David my father, saying, Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy room, he shall build an house unto my name.
1 Kings 8:27
But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?
1 Kings 8:29
That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place.
What was the purpose of the Temple? Many think it was a house for God. However, that is not the case. It was common in those days for people to build houses for their false gods. But the temple in Jerusalem was not that. God would not have blessed the temple if it would have been a house just like the false gods. Solomon understood that no house could hold all of God because God is bigger than our universe. Solomon even refers to the earth as God’s footstool. The intent for the temple in Jerusalem was a place for man to approach God through sacrifice and worship.
When Jesus Christ came and paid the price for our sin with his blood the temple in Jerusalem was no longer needed. Anyone who put their faith in Christ for salvation has instant access to God through Jesus. At that point of salvation, the Holy Spirit moves inside each believer as the earnest of eternal life.
As the temple in Jerusalem had the purpose of sacrifice and worship so does the believer. There are several principles we can learn from the similarities between the two. Firstly, the bible tells us the temple of God is holy, so we should be as well. Sin was not acceptable in the temple, and it should not be acceptable in our lives either. Secondly, people brought their best to the Lord at the temple. In our lives we should give our best to the Lord. He should have the priority in our time, thoughts, affections, money, and all other aspects in our life. Lastly, worship and sacrifice were commonplace at the temple in Jerusalem and should be in our life. A. W. Tozer said, “Any man or woman o this earth who is bored and turned off by worship in not ready for heaven.” As we go through today let’s remember that as believers, we were made with a purpose that we can fulfill daily.
Jacob Jarriel