ENCOURAGMENT FOR THE DAY

The Founder and Foundation of His Temple

Romans 9:4f
...the temple worship...


God declared Israel to be a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:5a-6): [God speaking to Moses] "...you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."
 But as a nation they failed, so God chose the tribe of Levi to be His priests (Deuteronomy 21:5): "The priests, the sons of Levi, shall step forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister and to pronounce blessings in the name of the LORD and to decide all cases of dispute and assault."
 The priests first served and cared for the tabernacle; then later the temple which was built in Solomon's day (1 Kings 8:5-6): "King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted. The priests then brought the ark of the LORD's covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim."
 However, for us as believers, a priest in not to be our advocate of peace before the throne of God. Rather, accord is brought by the priestly and kingly offices of the Lord Jesus Christ (Zechariah 6:13): "It is he who will build the temple of the LORD, and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two." This verse, a reference to Joshua, is both a picture and promise that God would raise up His own Great High Priest (Jesus) to bring about reconciliation and peace toward mankind. Joshua (as with all earthly priests) is but an image of the One to come. Christ is the founder and foundation of His temple.


Who is your advocate before God? We learned in Romans 8:34: "Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." However, we cannot come to God by Christ as our Priest if we refuse to have him rule over us as our King. Will you allow Him to reign in your life?

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