We’ve all heard the phrase ‘there’s no place like home’. Well all 3 of our daily readings today make mention of houses, and there is exhortation to be found here.
In 2 Samuel 7 we see David, finally blessed with peace from all of his enemies. He longed to build God a house, but instead God promised to do exactly that for him instead. In this chapter we read of the wonderful promises to David which of course have their fulfillment in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that spiritual house which we can each be a part of. It is through Jesus that this house will be built. He is the chief cornerstone laid in Zion (Isa 28:16), and we must build on him and only him.
In our middle reading, Jeremiah 12, we see how God’s earthly house - the Children of Israel - had behaved. God had no choice but to act. “I have forsaken mine house, I have left mine heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies” (v 7). Far from being a house that gave glory to its Father, the nation had become utterly godless, and was punished for it.
So it’s no surprise that when we come to our final reading (Matthew 23), we see that the situation hadn’t changed much. The religious leaders were happy to “devour widow’s houses” (v 23), yet they completely neglected the upkeep and nurture of God’s house. The very temple was a ‘den of thieves’, and Jesus gave a dire warning to them – “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate” (v 38).
So how is our house doing? Are we working to build a house fit for God to dwell in, or is our house broken down and in need of repair? We each have a responsibility to make sure that we are building one another up, and building God’s spiritual house on the right foundations. But whilst we build, let us remember that it is God who is the master builder, and directs all of our efforts according to his will:
“Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it.” (Psa 127:1)
It's never really struck me before how much houses crop up in scripture.
ReplyDeletethe house of the lord, the house of Israel, house of prayer, the lord will establish a house, a house for my name etc etc.
i just checked, there are over 1000 occurrences in the NIV.
good exhortations there. I guess house and family are sort of synonymous in places as well, and we know how important family is in scripture as well. only have to think about - true religion is to visit the fatherless and widows - those without family.