Give God your best and experience His presence

“Then the temple of the LORD was filled with the cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the temple of God.”  (1 Ch 5:13b-14 NIV)

2 Chronicles, chapters 2 through 5, record the building of the temple.  Solomon was given this calling and responded by securing the best craftsmen and the best materials to build this temple.  The description of the temple found in scripture shows it was a magnificent structure.  When God calls us to do something, we need to give him the absolute best of everything; materials and effort.

Once the temple was complete, the Levitical priests brought the Ark of the Covenant to the temple and placed it in the Holy of Holies.  The priests consecrated themselves, that is they dedicated themselves to the Lord to be holy vessels usable by God for His glory, and they led a time of praise and worship.  “The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the LORD.  Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang, ‘He is good; His love endures forever.’”  (2 Ch 5:13-14)  It was then that God showed up in such a powerful way that all activity had to cease.

If God’s people will answer His call and give their very best, their best resources and their best efforts, then worship and praise God, He will show up.  When was the last time you experienced the overwhelming power of the Holy Spirit?  A power so overwhelming that you could do nothing?  When was His presence so great that all you do was be still, and know that He is God?  (Psalm 46:10)

Give God your very best.  Consecrate yourselves to His work.  Come into His presence offering Him praise for He is always worthy of praise.  Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any unrepentant sin and seek cleansing from this sin through the blood of Christ.  Then ask for God to move you into His presence and experience the overwhelming power of our Creator, our Savior, our Lord and our God.  You may be so overwhelmed that you can only be still and marvel at the power and majesty of our loving Lord.

Beware of the Gatekeepers

“There were guards stationed at every watch.” (1 Chron 26:16b)

The New International Version translates this passage, “Guard was alongside of guard.”  The Gatekeepers provided both physical security and spiritual security at the gates of the temple.  They were appointed specific positions surrounding the city of Jerusalem.  The physical security aspect is fairly obvious.  Part of this security responsibility required them to ensure nothing “unclean” entered the city.  The others who entered the city had to go through the ceremonial cleansing prior to entry.

There is a fine line between the symbolism and the reality in this passage.  The reality is that God dwelt in the presence of His chosen people even though they were unclean.  The ceremonial cleansing was a precursor to the cleansing that came when Jesus gave His life to atone for our sins.  It was not the righteousness of the people that gained them entry into God’s presence but God’s atonement.  Likewise, it is not our righteousness that grants us access to our righteous and holy God but the righteousness of Jesus Christ credited to us that gains us access to the Creator of the universe.

Revelation 21 speaks of the new heaven and the new earth, the new Jerusalem and the Bride of the Lamb.  The gates to the new Jerusalem are guarded by angels.

The principle of holiness applies today.  Although we are cleansed by the blood of Christ, we still struggle.  We give in to our own desires and we succumb to the temptations of the demonic kingdom.  We remain “unclean.”  We must continually pray that the Holy Spirit would reveal in us any sin so that we might repent, be cleansed with the blood of the Lamb and be granted access to the throne of God.

Do your prayers feel unanswered?  Are the gatekeepers keeping you out of God’s presence because there is something corrupt you are trying to bring into the presence of God?  Then listen to our brother Paul, when he writes, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”