Devotion 369

“The Temple, The House Of Sacrifice”

Reference: 2 Chronicles Chapter 2

For man to live, something has to die in his place, something has to be sacrificed in the place of sinful man.
The sacrifice of bulls and goats was simply a shadow of the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. He had to be sacrificed so that we can live.

The Temple was the place of sacrifice. The place of sacrifice is just as important as the sacrifice. God will only meet man at His chosen place of sacrifice.
The temple was simply a temporal place of sacrifice. The ultimate place of sacrifice is in Christ. Jesus Christ is the ultimate Temple of God.

John 2:19-21 “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. [20] Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? [21] But he spake of the temple of his body.”

Solomon prepares a place of sacrifice.

Let’s read:

2 Chronicles 2:1 “And Solomon determined to build an house for the name of the LORD, and an house for his kingdom.”

We now know the Name of the Lord is Jesus Christ, the Temple of God.

Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Solomon prepared his temple with hands. God prepared His Temple by His Spirit.

We continue our reading:

2 Chronicles 2:2-12 “And Solomon told out threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to hew in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them. [3] And Solomon sent to Huram the king of Tyre, saying, As thou didst deal with David my father, and didst send him cedars to build him an house to dwell therein, even so deal with me. [4] Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel. [5] And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods. [6] But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who am I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him? [7] Send me now therefore a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron, and in purple, and crimson, and blue, and that can skill to grave with the cunning men that are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father did provide. [8] Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees, out of Lebanon: for I know that thy servants can skill to cut timber in Lebanon; and, behold, my servants shall be with thy servants, [9] Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great. [10] And, behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty thousand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil. [11] Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because the LORD hath loved his people, he hath made thee king over them. [12] Huram said moreover, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, that might build an house for the LORD, and an house for his kingdom.”

Endued with prudence and understanding, characteristics of the Holy Spirit.
When a man of woman receives the Holy Spirit, there is immediate evidence.

We conclude our reading:

2 Chronicles 2:13-18 “And now I have sent a cunning man, endued with understanding, of Huram my father's, [14] The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skilful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to grave any manner of graving, and to find out every device which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord David thy father. [15] Now therefore the wheat, and the barley, the oil, and the wine, which my lord hath spoken of, let him send unto his servants: [16] And we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as thou shalt need: and we will bring it to thee in floats by sea to Joppa; and thou shalt carry it up to Jerusalem. [17] And Solomon numbered all the strangers that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them; and they were found an hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred. [18] And he set threescore and ten thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand to be hewers in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people a work.”

Solomon used men to build the temple. God used no man but became a Temple Himself.

John 1:13-14 “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. [14] And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

That is the Temple of God.

Today, in Christ the Temple of God, by faith in His Sacrifice, we become temples of God, purchased by the Sacrifice of Christ. We have become a place for God to dwell by His Spirit.

Let the Word of God transform you to be a temple of God. BELIEVE and confess Christ the Word as we’ve revealed Him from the First Adam. He is God’s Sacrifice. He is God’s Temple. He is our Sacrifice. He is our Temple. He has made us one with God,making us temples of God, in Christ!