I recently taught a Bible Study at our Church about the temple, or the Lord’s house which Solomon built in 1 & 2 Chronicles. He was determined to build it the way his father David, and ultimately the way God wanted it to be built. We should have the same desire for our houses. Oh that we would pattern them in a such a way that they would please God in all aspects! This blog post is NOT that same Bible Study, but more like a “part 2”, so if you attended that Bible study, don’t worry- this is completely different information!
Here are some interesting facts and applications I gleaned from studying about the Temple Solomon built for the Lord…
Take heed now; for the LORD hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it. Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat, And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD…
1 Chronicles 28:10-12a
I wanted to research out all these underlined aspects of the actual physical building of the temple, or the house of the Lord. Here is how the Holy Spirit told me I could apply each of these parts of the temple to my physical house:
The Porch
At the temple, the porch was a place to gather. A place to find shade or shelter. Later in the Gospels it was a place where people came to learn about Jesus.
This makes me think of our homes with regards to hospitality. Inviting others to gather. While people are in your home, do they hear about how the Lord has blessed your family? Are they offered a comfortable place to relax and shelter from the stress of the world outside?
The Houses
The houses of the temple were likened to the heart of the building. The places within. Perhaps the overnight accommodations for those who traveled some distance to come make their sacrifices. The Strongs Concordance of the Bible defines this word as “the abode of light or darkness”. WOW.
This makes me think of the souls who live in our home. They are individuals. Each one responsible for their personal relationship with Christ, and capable of being an abode for light or darkness. We must keep an atmosphere in our home that promotes a relationship with Christ. We must point others to Him. But ultimately they must each choose Light for themselves.
The Treasuries
The treasuries contained all the treasures of the Temple. Think about all the things in your home you consider treasures. What is dear to your heart? If there was a fire and you only had time to grab a couple things before you got out, what would you take? Thank God for these things daily. Never take them for granted. (This includes your Bible, your husband, your children, money, anything else you can think of!)
The Upper Chambers
These were a second story, loft/roof chamber. A room where one went to “get away”, or be secluded. Perhaps for prayer, or meditation on God’s word.
Do you have an upper chamber in your house? A place where you go to pray, read the Bible, talk with God? We all need a quiet space where we can focus on and feel His presence. We should encourage our children to have these spaces, too. Teach them young that they can take their prayers and concerns to God, and that he hears them. Be sure to point out when you know God answers a prayer, also.
The Inner Parlours
These were inner rooms. They may have been the temporary housing/bedroom areas where a priest stayed while he was performing his season of duties at the Temple. (Such as in 1 Samuel 3, where Eli and Samuel were asleep in their place at the temple.)
This made me think about the bedrooms in our home, or the secret places. The place where we shut everyone else out, and it’s just us. Consider not only the physical things that go on in our lives, but the secrets we keep in our minds. Do we honor God with the conversations and thoughts we have in the secret places in our homes?
The Mercy Seat
This was the place in the Temple where atonement was made. It was taken very seriously, and there were rules, and consequences for mishandling of things.
This made me think of the forgiveness, love, and mercy shown in our homes. Do we truly seek forgiveness, and do we forgive one another? Do we show mercy to others, even when they don’t immediately seek our forgiveness? We are commanded to love one another as Christ loves. And Psalm 23 tells us to forgive others, even as God forgives us. How is the condition of the mercy seat in your home?
If you ever want to do your own personal, in-depth study on a verse or passage of scripture in the Bible, this resource below is fabulous to use. simply look up your verse, check the box that says “Strong’s” and look at the definition of each word. You’ll be amazed at what you can glean from the original definitions of Biblical words.
http://www.blueletterbible.org
For other blog posts about building a home for God, see:
https://keepersofheartandhome.com/a-home-full-of-joy/
https://keepersofheartandhome.com/what-kind-of-house-is-yours/
https://keepersofheartandhome.com/looking-well-to-the-ways-of-your-household/
