Words about the WORD - Doug Thomas, Trinity Episcopal
One of the underlying themes of the Bible is the loss of home and the search for another. It began with Adam and Eve leaving the Garden of Eden. Then, at the Tower of Babel, the Lord scattered the people over the face of the Earth. Those two losses occurred because of sin.
But the next two occurred because of hope. Abraham left his father’s house and the Children of Israel left Egypt because of God’s promise to lead them to new homes in the Promised Land.
After leaving Egypt the Israelites stopped at Mt. Sinai, where Moses received the 10 commandments and the Lord said to him: “with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel” [Exodus 34:27b].
God then instructed Moses to build the Ark of the Covenant in which to place the commandments, and a tent-like structure called the Tabernacle in which to place the Ark. Then God’s Spirit descended upon and filled the Tabernacle, and it became The House of God, wherein God lived in and among His people as they traveled through the desert.
Even though they did not yet have houses of their own, they had The House of God. Even though they did not yet have a homeland, they had a home base: a place of connection between heaven and earth; a place of communion with God designed to shape them unto the people of God.
Years later, after the Israelites had settled in the promised-land and David was king, he wanted to build a permanent house for God – a Temple. But God revealed that He had chosen David’s offspring to build the Temple. So David’s heir, King Solomon, built the 1st Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. Not only did many families have their own houses; they shared the House of God.
But, because of the idolatry of the people, that Temple was destroyed by the Babylonian Empire in 587 BCE. Additionally, many of the citizens of Jerusalem and Judea were deported from their homes and forced to live in exile in Babylon. They lost their personal houses, and the House of God.
Graciously, God returned them to their homeland when the Persians defeated the Babylonians, and the Persian king “Cyrus the Great” permitted the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. The 2nd Temple was completed in 515 BCE, and the people once again had houses for themselves and a House for their God.
It was at this Temple, when he was 12 years old, that Jesus told his parents: “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” Even though he loved his Father’s house, Jesus still predicted its destruction, and that happened in 70 AD when the Roman empire destroyed both the city of Jerusalem and the Temple. Once again, the people had no houses, neither for themselves nor for their God. The Temple has never been re-built, and so, for the past 2,000 years, devout Jews have assembled in Synagogues to read scripture, pray, and worship.
But what about us? Where is the House of God for followers of Jesus Christ? Sometimes we refer to the physical structure in which we assemble as God’s House, and we call this structure “The Church.” But that’s a “shorthand” way of speaking, because the New Testament word for “church” is translated from the Greek term ekklesia; meaning “an assembly called out by God.” But what are we called out for?
1st Peter, chapter 2 tells us: “Come to him…chosen and precious in God’s sight, and, like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood….” [vs.4-5].
We were chosen by God to collectively form His Spiritual House, but this image of personally selected living stones emphasizes the importance of each one of us, for, as we can read in 1st Corinthians, chapter 3: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple” [vs. 16-17].
What an incredible message. Each one of us must not be satisfied to just have a house somewhere. We are a house; God’s house. First, as individuals - because He lives in us.
And second, as a community, the body of Christ. So, may we, being true to God’s calling, “let ourselves be built” up together as a home for God’s presence on earth through our collective faith and ministry.
Instead of looking for a home, let’s be God’s home.
