PODCAST TRANSCRIPT | EPISODE 363: THE UNBELIEVABLE REVELATION OF GOD'S HEART FOR YOUR HOME, PART 4
LIFE TO THE FULL w/ Nancy Campbell
EPISODE 363: THE UNBELIEVABLE REVELATION OF GOD'S HEART FOR YOUR HOME, PART 4
Heaven is holy. The Holy of Holies was filled with the holiness of God. And God wants holy homes. It begins with holy courting and a holy marriage.
Announcer: Welcome to the podcast, Life to The Full, with Nancy Campbell, founder and publisher of Above Rubies.
Nancy Campbell: Hello, ladies. Here we are again, speaking about this wonderful revelation of God’s heart for our homes. I have been giving you four similarities between Heaven, the Holy of Holies, and our homes. It’s amazing how there are similarities in how God likens our homes to Heaven, and to the Holy of Holies.
The first one was GOD’S PRESENCE. It is God’s presence that really makes Heaven. Of course, it was God’s presence that dwells in the Holy of Holies. Then we talked about how each of those places are a HIDDEN PLACE. Even though they’re hidden, that does not mean that they’re inferior because God’s most treasured places are often His hidden places.
Now, it’s interesting ladies, that since I was talking to you last, I have found another Scripture about the Holy of Holies that I never noticed before in the Word of God. Once again, it comes in an obscure place. It’s in Ezekiel 7:22. Again, it’s in a context of God bringing judgement upon His beloved temple and even the Holy of Holies.
It says: “My face will I turn also from them, and they shall pollute my secret place: for the robbers shall enter into it, and defile it.” He was prophesying what was going to happen to the temple because of this turning away from Him. But in the Scripture, it calls the Holy of Holies “My secret place.” It’s referring to the Holy of Holies.
The word in the Hebrew is tsaphan. It means “to hide, to hide from discovery, to treasure.” Other translations give it as “My hidden place.”
Most translations translate it “My treasured place” because the same word, tsaphan, is used for “hidden,” as well as for “treasured.” It’s the hidden places that are most treasured by God. The commentary by Barnes says, “My secret place, the inner sanctuary, hidden from the multitude, protected by the Most High.”
The sad thing is that we read in history about the fulfillment of that Scripture. Actually, three different people violated and defiled God’s Holy of Holies. You may remember Antiochus Epiphanes, way back in 158 BC. He actually sacrificed a pig on the altar of incense. He also went into the Holy of Holies. At that time, only the High Priest could only go in once a year.
It was because of this that the Maccabees rose up. You have heard the story of the Maccabees and how they fought. Eventually, they got back the temple. Then they had to clean it all out and rededicate it again. That’s why they celebrate around Christmas time. We have the “Feast of Dedication,” that is remembering the Maccabees and when they had to rededicate the temple.
Then, in 63 BC, the Roman general Pompey also defiled the temple and the Holy of Holies. History says that he even took a prostitute into that Holy Place.
Then, in AD 70, you’ll remember how the Roman general Titus also desecrated the temple and went into the Holy of Holies.
That was prophesied before it even happened. They polluted what God called “My secret place, My treasured place.”
Actually, that word tsaphan is the same word that we read in Psalm 119:11 about the Word of God” “Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” I learned that Scripture as a child. I hope that all your children know that Scripture. It’s a wonderful Scripture to memorize: “Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee.” If we’ve got God’s word hiding right in the very depths of our hearts, it’s going to be a keeping power. Of course, it’s been a keeping power in my life, all throughout my life.
That word “hid” is the same word. It means not only to hide it, but to treasure it in our hearts. Just the other day, we read Job 23:12 because we’ve been reading through the book of Job in our daily devotions. It’s quite an interesting book to read through. We read through a lot of verses. Many of them, we don’t know quite what it’s all talking about. And yet, in every chapter, we’ve always found something that is so amazing.
The other day we read in verse 12 of Job 23: “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.” What an amazing statement! I wonder if we can all truly say those words: “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than,” did you get that? “MORE THAN my necessary food.”
Are we getting more of God’s Word than how much we eat each day? Well, I think that would be a pretty huge challenge, wouldn’t it? Because we eat three meals a day, and sometimes we even snack in between. Wow! How many feeds of the Word of God are we getting? And even, how many snacks are we getting?
Thinking of snacks, you know, we go through seasons in our lives, don’t we, mothers? I’m in a season now when I can make time to spend in the Word. But there was a season when I could hardly get any time! That was the season when I was having all my little babies. I had three in 17 months, because when my eldest was 17 months, twins were born unexpectedly. Then I had four under four, and so on, as the years went on.
There were times when, oh, I didn’t have time to get away and spend an hour, or even three hours a day as I used to do before I was married, to wait on the Lord, and read His precious Word. So, I would have to get snacks. I would put the Bible on my windowsill where I was preparing the meal. I could look up and grab something. I’d have it at Psalms or Proverbs. I could get something to fill my soul. I could have a Bible in the toilet room. I could have a Bible where I was nursing the babies. I could get snacks from time to time.
If you’re in that snacking period, make sure you get snacks. But it’s not that season all of our lives. There comes the time when you can get into the Word more again, and treasure it more than your necessary food. I love that statement by that old-time preacher, Leland Wang. He said, “No Bible, no breakfast.” He would never eat food for his physical body until he’d first fed his spiritual inward man. That’s pretty good, isn’t it?
Proverbs 7:1: “Pay attention to My words. Treasure My commands that are within you.” It’s all that same word, tsaphan.
But anyway, we were talking about the Holy of Holies, and how it’s hidden. Also, how our homes are often hidden. Well, home is not really hidden, because there it is, often on the street for all to see. But we, as mothers, are hidden in our homes. However, it is not insignificant.
Then the GLORY OF GOD. Oh, the glory of God fills Heaven! Yes. I think of that Scripture in Revelation 21:23: “And the city has no need of the sun. Neither of the moon, to shine in it, for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.” Isn’t that amazing, ladies, that we won’t even need the sun or the moon when we get to eternity? God, His glory, will fill . . . will just fill that Heaven! It will fill it with light! Yes.
But then, was it last week? Yes, we talked all about the glory of God in our homes, and how our home is our glory, and motherhood is glory. Even breastfeeding is glorious. All these things are written in the Word.
There’s another one too. 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20: “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and our joy!” Now Paul was writing to the new Thessalonian believers, saying “You are my glory! And my joy. When I present you before the Father on the day when we stand before Him. You are my glory.”
But dear ladies, surely, we can say that about our children. The Thessalonian believers were not his flesh-and-blood children. You have flesh-and-blood children that God has given to you to raise for Him. It is your glory to raise these children for God, for Him, for eternity. When you stand before Him one day, He’s not going to ask you about what career you had, or all these other pursuits you pursued in life. He’s going to ask you about your children. He’s going to ask me about my children, and we want to present them to Him as our glory.
So, dear precious mothers, realize that raising your children, pouring your life into them, teaching them God’s ways, His thoughts, His Word, building into them godly character, and preparing them for the eternal world, is the greatest glory you can have on this earth.
4. HOLINESS
Now, let’s go on to the fourth similarity. That is holiness. We read in Isaiah 63:15: “Look down from heaven and behold from the habitation of Thy holiness, and of Thy glory.” Heaven is a dwelling place of glory. And it’s a dwelling place of holiness. That’s what it says: “Look down from your dwelling place of holiness.”
And then the Holy of Holies, of course. That is called not just the Holy Place, but the Holy of Holies because it’s where our Holy God dwells. But then, we come to our homes, because we’re talking about the three “H’s,” Heaven, the Holy of Holies, and our homes. God also wants our homes to be holy, ladies. So, we’re going to look at a few things about this today.
Just this last week, I was listening to, again, because I had listened before to some prophetic words of Kim Clement. I wonder if you have ever heard any of them. Kim Clement prophesied away back in 2007, that’s quite a number of years ago now, but he prophesied back then that President Trump would come in and would have two terms in office. Before he came in, that was 2007, Trump came into office in 2016. He came in for a first term and that prophetic word was fulfilled.
Many things that Kim Clement said . . . Quite an interesting prophetic word. He said, “I’m going to fool the people, because I’m bringing into My office, the highest office of the land, not a religious man, but I’m bringing in the man that I’ve chosen.” There are many people who have criticized Trump because he is not a godly man in the way they think he should be. But God said, “I’m not bringing into My office a religious man. I’m fooling the people. I’m bringing in My man, a man who I know can do the job.”
There were many, many things in this prophetic word that have been fulfilled and I’m sure will yet be fulfilled. And even though Trump didn’t get his second term (at the time), which he did win, he’s actually won three presidencies now. But he is now in his second term.
You would love to hear this prophetic word if you've never heard it before. You can just put in “2007 Kim Clement for President Trump.” And you will get that. But he has prophesied so many things. The interesting thing is, and sadly he passed away just before President Trump came into office, but his prophetic words are still available.
Anyway, this last week, I was listening to this prophetic word. It wasn’t anything about President Trump. It was a very, very spiritual prophecy, but I caught this word, and it just came out of nowhere.
It was as though God wanted to say it, and it was God speaking. He said, “I am close to the marriage altar.” Wow! I just picked up on these words. I listened to them again. “I am close to the marriage altar.” God was speaking for His heart . . . God is very close to the marriage altar because marriage is ordained by God. Marriage is the very first institution that God ordained and it is a holy institution.
HOLY COURTING
I want to bring out a few thoughts. I first want to speak about holy courting because before we get married, we start with courting, don’t we? I believe everything about marriage is leading up to marriage. In the marriage, it should be holy. Yes, because it’s a holy institution, ordained by God. It is sacred.
I would like to say to the young people listening today, and mothers, if your young people are not listening at the moment, you can share this with them. But I believe that God waits at every marriage altar. He comes to the marriage altar where He wants to come. I’m wondering whether sometimes He may even have to depart, because it does sadden me.
Do you mind if I say this, ladies? I do believe it is very important what we wear to the marriage altar, specifically talking to young ladies. It seems that most women come to the marriage altar today in a strapless wedding dress because that’s mostly what’s available. You go to a wedding place for the wedding dresses, and it’s always an exciting thing to go out and see the wedding dresses. But mainly, they’re all strapless gowns. Often, you've really got to choose or go onto the internet or something to get a wedding dress that is fully covered.
But dear young ladies who are preparing for marriage, you are going to an altar. You are going to a marriage altar, and God is close to the marriage altar. God wants a young maiden, a young virgin, to come to that altar in a holy manner, not uncovered.
The sad part is that many of those strapless dresses don’t always hold up so well and they often show a lot of cleavage. Then there’s all the bridesmaids, and they’ve got all their strapless dresses on, and half of them are falling off. It’s so embarrassing! Not only is this beautiful young woman coming to this sacred altar, to her husband who is the one who has the privilege to uncover her. But many times, she’s already uncovered, or a little bit uncovered, or a bit more uncovered, depending.
I’ve been to some weddings where I don’t know where to look, let alone the men in the congregation! And think about that. Not only are they coming uncovered or slightly uncovered (they’re not wholly uncovered) but it’s enough that it’s not holy. They’re showing this to the whole congregation! “Well, here I come, everybody! I’m coming to my husband when he’s the one who says, ‘Uncover me.’ But I’m just showing to everybody else what I’ve got too!”
We have to be careful because this is even happening in Christian weddings. Remember, God is close to the marriage altar. I wonder if He sometimes has to leave because it’s not holy. This is a holy place.
And even before you get to the altar, lovely young ladies, please be careful what you wear, how you act. Your courtship must be a holy courtship. It’s so easy, in our modern day, when so many clothes are very revealing, just to wear these things because they’re normal, but they turn a young man on. You can easily turn a young man on, and that’s not holy. You have to do everything in your power to not do that.
The tights that men and girls wear today are literally unholy because you can see everything. They turn a man on. They’re not what we wear in a holy courtship. Always make sure that you're totally covered. Be discreet. Be circumspect. Be holy, because your courtship is before the Lord. It’s in the presence of the Lord.
I’ve just done another study recently, and I looked into the Word of God. I couldn’t believe it. In fact, when I sit down to do a real solid study on a subject, I can never really believe it. I found all the Scriptures where God describes what happens to someone who gets involved in fornication or adultery. I found over 30 descriptions.
There are more descriptions and warnings about fornication and adultery than any other sin in the Bible. It’s obviously something that is very concerning to the heart of God because it affects a marriage. To go into marriage on a foundation of fornication is a faulty foundation. That’s why the Bible says” “Run from sexual sin!” (1 Corinthians 6:18).
Well, that means you don’t put yourself in a place where you're going to tempt that young man whom you are courting, because you are wanting a godly man, a man after God’s own heart. Therefore, you’re wanting to be a woman after God’s own heart. Don’t put yourself in a place where you can tempt him, even in his mind, even if he’s godly.
Goodness me, your clothing can still mess with his mind and that is not fair! It is not right. Let’s have holy courting. When we get to our wedding day, we have a holy marriage. We come at it with holy clothes to that marriage altar, where God says, “I’m close. I am close to the marriage altar.”
HOLY MARRIAGE
Marriage means so much to God because marriage is the complete story of the whole Bible. That’s the story of the Bible. It’s a whole picture of God sending His Son to get a Bride. It ends with the supper of the Lamb. It’s the story of a whole courtship and wedding and God getting a Bride who has no other gods before her, who is totally ready and prepared for her Bridegroom.
Marriage is very precious to God. We want to have a holy marriage. What does it say? I’m wanting to read again the beginning of the marriage vows. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God and in the face of this company to join together this man and this woman in . . .” What? “In HOLY matrimony.”
Yes, it’s holy matrimony. “Therefore, it’s not by any to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, discreetly, advisedly, and solemnly, into this estate . . .?” No, “into this HOLY estate” these two persons present now come to be joined.” This is right at the very beginning of our marriage. We’re coming into this holy estate.
And then we go to Hebrews 13:4: “Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled. But whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.” God is showing the difference here between adultery (which He will judge), and the marriage bed, which is holy, and honorable, and even more than that.
When you read “honorable,” yes, that’s a very powerful word, but it’s even more than that. I went to the Greek word as I love to do. It means not only “honorable,” but it means “most precious, more precious, of great price, beloved.” That’s what it means. That’s how God sees marriage. He sees it as very precious.
In fact, the same word is used in verses talking about “the precious blood of Christ,” in 1 Peter 1:19.
Then, where it talks about how “the trying of our faith is more precious than of gold that perishes.”
Let’s look at the Amplified version: “Let marriage be held in honor, esteemed worthy, precious, of great price, and especially dear in all things.” That’s talking about marriage as a whole, and the marriage bed, which in marriage is very, very precious and holy and honorable.
And it says: “Keep the bed undefiled.” The word “undefiled” means “unsoiled, uncontaminated, set apart.” It’s the same word that’s actually used of Jesus Himself, when it says here, Hebrews 7:26: “For such an high priest” (it’s talking about Jesus) “for such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.” That same word, “undefiled,” is used in that place. So, ladies, we keep a holy marriage. Amen?
HOLY MARRIAGE BED
And even a holy marriage bed. Sometimes, even in Christian marriages, there can be husbands who want their wives to do things that are not holy. Keep your marriage bed holy. God created intimacy to be so glorious and wonderful that there is no need for anything that is contrary to God’s holiness, or anything that would defile or soil the marriage bed. Remember that ladies.
HOLY MOTHERING
1 Timothy 2:15 reminds us that “women will be saved through childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.” Holiness is also contained in our wonderful career of motherhood. God wants us to be holy mothers, really. Holy mothers, yes, because as we seek to be holy mothers, we’re going to raise holy children in a holy home. This is what it’s all about.
I love Zechariah 14:20-21: “In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD” (that’s written in capitals in the Bible). “And the pots in the LORD'S house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts.”
I love that, because here, it’s written in holiness from a religious understanding of this in a very holy place, right down to the common places of even our home, and in the kitchen, where everything’s happening. Maybe everything’s in a mess, and you've got your pots out, and you're trying to prepare the meal. Here it says, “And every pot,” even every mundane pot, “will be holiness unto the Lord.”
Dear ladies, we have to see that as we’re mothering in our homes, that when Christ is in us (who is holy) everything in our home becomes holy and sacred, everything we do! When you're getting your pots out of the cupboard to prepare a meal, just think, “These pots are holy, because I’m touching them, and they’re in my home! This is a holy home unto the Lord.” Everything you do, every commonplace thing you do is holy unto the Lord. See yourself as holy mothering. Everything you do is holy and anointed by God because Christ is in you. “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossian 1:27). Christ in you, who is holy. That’s who He is.
In Exodus 28:36-38, it says that Aaron wore a plate of gold on his head, with the words, “HOLINESS TO THE LORD.” (Once again, it is written in capital letters in the Bible). He was the high priest, and he had to wear it on his head so that even his thoughts and his mind would keep holy. But now, ladies, now we don’t have an earthly high priest, and we don’t have an earthly temple. Now you've become the temple of the Lord God, of the Holy God. Everything in your home is holy. So, begin to see it like that. Amen?
Well, we’ll talk more about this in the next session. The Lord bless you.
“Father. I pray again today for all the wives and mothers and young people listening. Oh, Father, we thank You that we can go into Your Word, which is so unbelievably amazing, and let You teach us your ways, and show us Your ways. Lord God, help us to be holy wives and holy mothers as we create a holy home on this earth. We ask it the Name of Jesus. Amen.”
We’ll talk about creating a HOLY HOME next week.
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
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Transcribed by Darlene Norris
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