WE BELONG TO GOD AND NOT TO OURSELVES

PROCLAMATION

 “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of The Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you are bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your bodies.”  1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Corinth.  Paul began this chapter by telling them that they were wrong to take one another to court in lawsuits.  Ungodly people should not judge The Lord’s people. (1 Corinthians 6:1-6)  He also said that they were cheating each other and doing wrong and that there is no place in the kingdom of God for wrongdoers. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)  He told them that they had been set aside, washed, sanctified, and justified by The Holy Spirit of God. (1 Corinthians 6:11)  He told them that they should flee from fornication. (1 Corinthians 6:13, 6:15-16, and 6:18)  He also told them that they had been united with The Lord God and they were one with Him in spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:16-17)  Then he told them that their bodies were temples of The Holy Spirit of God and that they should honor God with their bodies. 

 

APPLICATION

What Christ endured on the cross at Calvary paid the price for our sins.  In effect, He bought us and redeemed us, and now we belong to Him.  We do not belong to ourselves; we belong to The Lord God.  Our bodies are the temples of His Holy Spirit, who resides within us.  We need to behave in such a way as to honor Him.  That includes not only what we do and say to others but also how we treat our bodies and what we put in them.  We cannot live in immorality and effectively serve The Lord God.  We should live our lives in such a way as to give God glory.

 

SOLOMON GAVE ORDERS TO BUILD THE TEMPLE

PROCLAMATION

“Solomon gave orders to build a temple for the name of The Lord and a royal palace for himself.”  2 Chronicles 2:1 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

It was during the fourth year of his reign as king, that Solomon began to build the temple of The Lord. (1 Kings 6:1)  This temple, which King David wanted to build, (2 Samuel 7:2 and 7:12-13) that King Solomon built was to be the resting place for the arc of the covenant of The Lord. (1 Kings 6:19)  The temple was built in relative quiet and silence, as if working on it was a religious exercise, there was no hammering, sawing, or chiseling done at the site of the temple. (1 Kings 6:7)  The entire inner sanctuary was overlaid with gold. (1 Kings 6:19-22)  It took them seven years to complete building the temple. (1 Kings 6:38)  Solomon used 153,600 foreigners to build the temple, 70,000 carpenters, 80,000 stone cutters, and 3,600 foremen to oversee them and keep them working. (2 Chronicles 2:17-18)  The building of the temple is also recorded in The Bible Book of First Kings. (1 Kings 5:1-18 and 6:1-38)

APPLICATION

The temple which King Solomon had built was not intended to be a house for The Lord God to live in.  The Holy Spirit of God is omni-present, He is everywhere all at the same time.  The body of each believer is a temple of God and The Holy Spirit of God dwells within each of us. (John 14:17 and 1 Corinthians 3:16)  We did not build our temple, God did when He formed us in our mother’s womb. (Psalm 139:13-16)  However, we are responsible for the upkeep and care of our bodies and we should be very careful regarding how we treat God’s temple.  When we abuse our body, we are destroying God’s temple.

THE TWO PILLARS OF THE TEMPLE

PROCLAMATION

“He erected the pillars at the portico of the temple.  The pillar to the south he named Jakin and the one to the north Boaz.”  1 Kings 7:21 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

When the temple was completed, King Solomon sent for Hiram, the artisan, who was a skilled worker in brass.  Hiram cast the two large pillars at the front of the porch of the temple in brass. (1 Kings 7:13-22)  He also cast the capitals at the top of each pillar in brass.  When Hiram had finished, Solomon named the two pillars Jachin and Boaz.  Jakin (Jachin) means “God shall establish” and Boaz means “in it is strength.”  The concepts of strength and beauty are part of the temple sanctuary. (Psalm 96:6)

APPLICATION

There is beauty in the worship of The Lord, and there is strength in the salvation of His people.  These two concepts should be part of the spiritual life of all believers.  It is His power and strength that saves us and delivers us from the penalty of sin.  The Bible teaches us to worship Him in the beauty of holiness. (1 Chronicles 16:29, Psalm 29:2, and Psalm 96:9)  Our bodies are also temples and we are also beautifully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)  It is by His strength that we are able to accomplish things. (Psalm 78:4)  It is The Lord God who gives strength to His people. (Psalm 29:11)  We should praise The Lord God for who He is and for what He has done.

THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD GOD

PROCLAMATION

“The Word of The Lord came to Solomon: ‘As for this temple you are building, if you follow My decrees, observe My laws and keep all of My commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father.  And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon My people Israel.’”  1 Kings 6:11-13 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

It was during the fourth year of his reign as king, that Solomon began to build the temple of The Lord. (1 Kings 6:1)  The Lord God let King Solomon know that building this temple for The Lord did not excuse him from following, observing, keeping, and obeying laws of God.  The temple was built in relative quiet and silence, as if working on it was a religious exercise, there was no hammering, sawing, or chiseling done at the site of the temple. (1 Kings 6:7)  The entire inner sanctuary was overlaid with gold. (1 Kings 6:19-22)  It took them seven years to complete building the temple. (1 Kings 6:38) 

APPLICATION

This temple, which King David wanted to build, (2 Samuel 7:2 and 7:12-13) that King Solomon built was to be the resting place for the arc of the covenant of The Lord. (1 Kings 6:19)  It was not intended to be a house for The Lord God to live in.  The Holy Spirit of God is omni-present, He is everywhere all at the same time.  The body of each believer is a temple of God and The Holy Spirit of God dwells within each of us. (John 14:17 and 1 Corinthians 3:16)  We should be very careful regarding how we treat God’s temple.