Yesterday we talked about how God loves to be at the very heart of our lives and what we are doing. Deuteronomy 23:14 tells us how God wanted to move around the camp of Israel, watching over them and delivering them. He wants to move around our homes too and in every room..
But that's not the end of the Scripture. It goes on to say: "Therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee."
God longs to be in our midst, but He dwells in holiness. Therefore, He wants us to make a holy home. He doesn't want to see anything unclean or shameful. The word "unclean" actually means "nudity, nakedness, the genitals, shame, disgrace, uncleanness." This Scripture reveals that even in the home we should be careful as parents, and also teach our children, not to expose private parts. Some families can be too free in this area. In establishing a godly home we must keep to God's ways if we don't want Him to turn away from us (Leviticus 18).
We establish holiness first in our own lives and then it works out in our homes. 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17 says: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." These are strong words, aren't they? And they are New Testament!
The word temple is "naos" and literally means the "Holy of Holies." It was in the Holy of Holies where God dwelt in all His shekinah glory. There is no longer a temple in Jerusalem but now God wants to dwell our mortal bodies. He wants us to become His Holy of Holies. This is truth. Can you take it in? It's revolutionary. These same words are spoken again 1 in 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20 and 2 Corinthians 6:16.
In fact 2 Corinthians 6:16 repeats the truth of our Scripture in Deuteronomy 23:14. It says: "Ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, AND WALK IN THEM; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."
Dear friend, you are God's Holy of Holies where He wants to dwell. Let's seek to make this truth reality in our lives. And as we do, we will make our homes into a Holy of Holies.
The greatest blessing of this nation is godly and holy homes whose foundation is in God's living Word. Is your home filled with a holy atmosphere or a worldly atmosphere?
Be blessed today,
Nancy Campbell
Painting: Joseph Clark *(1834 - 1926) English