We are the Temple of God

Transcript

uh it's mentioned in the uh little descriptor i gave uh steve little descriptor i gave uh steve the the theme of this the the theme of this class comes from second corinthians six class comes from second corinthians six paul wrote do not be unequally yoked paul wrote do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers in what partnership has with unbelievers in what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness or what righteousness with lawlessness or what fellowship is light with darkness fellowship is light with darkness what accord is christ with belial or what accord is christ with belial or what portion does a believer have with what portion does a believer have with an unbeliever an unbeliever what agreement has the temple of god what agreement has the temple of god with idols we are the temple of the living god as god said i will make my dwelling as god said i will make my dwelling among them and walk among them and i among them and walk among them and i will be their god and they shall be my will be their god and they shall be my people people so so you know paul uh lays out this analogy you know paul uh lays out this analogy for us that we should be viewing for us that we should be viewing ourselves as ourselves as the temple of god a dwelling place for the temple of god a dwelling place for god almighty a place for him to dwell god almighty a place for him to dwell and walk among us and walk among us he also he also um in first corinthians 6 comes back to the same analogy he says flee from sexual analogy he says flee from sexual immorality immorality every other sin the person commits is every other sin the person commits is outside the body but the sexual immoral outside the body but the sexual immoral person sins against his own body person sins against his own body but you do not know but you do not know your body is a temple of the holy spirit your body is a temple of the holy spirit within you within you whom you have from god whom you have from god you are not your own for you are bought you are not your own for you are bought with a price with a price but glorify god in your body but glorify god in your body it's funny today people have uh you know it's funny today people have uh you know taken this idea that my body is a temple taken this idea that my body is a temple and they've applied it to all kinds of and they've applied it to all kinds of uh different ideas about health and uh different ideas about health and fitness and diet and fitness and diet and you know trying to make their body as you know trying to make their body as physically pure as possible but it kind physically pure as possible but it kind of misses the point obviously of misses the point obviously paul was talking about the paul was talking about the spiritual cleansing of your temple spiritual cleansing of your temple that that this is not this is not just like the temple itself we're going just like the temple itself we're going to look at wasn't to look at wasn't wasn't your living room it wasn't a wasn't your living room it wasn't a place to get comfortable and throw your place to get comfortable and throw your feet up and uh feet up and uh still chips and salsa watching football still chips and salsa watching football it was a wholly dedicated place and it was a wholly dedicated place and that's that's what paul is directing us that's that's what paul is directing us to to see ourselves as a holy dedicated place see ourselves as a holy dedicated place for god for god so uh what was the temple so uh what was the temple in in paul's day obviously in in paul's day obviously there was literally a temple there was literally a temple uh in jerusalem uh in jerusalem that would be in existence for another that would be in existence for another uh 10 or 15 years uh 10 or 15 years um it was um it was a magnificent evidence edifice a magnificent evidence edifice um doing a little brief uh history on it it was started excuse me excuse me we'll go back to solomon's day we'll go back to solomon's day about a thousand years before christ about a thousand years before christ saul and built the temple and we're saul and built the temple and we're going to look at that a little bit too going to look at that a little bit too uh uh and it was in existence till about 600 and it was in existence till about 600 bc when the babylonians came and bc when the babylonians came and destroyed it it destroyed it it was rebuilt by was rebuilt by ezra nehemiah ezra nehemiah existed for a number of years and then existed for a number of years and then herod herod the king of judea the king of judea and christ today was decided to rebuild and christ today was decided to rebuild it he actually literally tore down it he actually literally tore down nehemiah's temple and nehemiah's temple and built something that looked similar to built something that looked similar to this in its place the walls especially on the the south and west side i and west side i think i was reading that it was 30 think i was reading that it was 30 meters tall 120 feet meters tall 120 feet to the um to the um top of the top of the top of the wall from the valley floor top of the wall from the valley floor the the massive massive plaza that you see inside the temple plaza that you see inside the temple one of the the guys i was listening to one of the the guys i was listening to must have been british because he said must have been british because he said it was about it was about 30 soccer pitches 30 soccer pitches in size um in size um some of the information i was reading some of the information i was reading about it just uh you could put about it just uh you could put hundreds of thousands hundreds of thousands and some estimates up i think it was 300 and some estimates up i think it was 300 000 people inside of this 000 people inside of this worship and feast days worship and feast days it was a it was a massive massive massive construction but when you think about it um um this temple this temple it's it's often when we talk about the house of often when we talk about the house of god or god's temple god or god's temple i don't know if you can see my cursor i don't know if you can see my cursor but but what i usually think about is the what i usually think about is the building in the middle the holy and most building in the middle the holy and most holy place and you know that's that is the focus of the whole thing the whole thing so when you think about ourselves as so when you think about ourselves as being the temple of god being the temple of god you uh i'm drawing an analogy from from what we know about the analogy from from what we know about the temple temple and it's i'm not and it's i'm not going to be dogmatic about this i don't going to be dogmatic about this i don't think it can be think it can be and and i i don't mean to uh don't mean to uh when i say this when i say this i'm going to bring up some questions in i'm going to bring up some questions in in your minds about how i how i in your minds about how i how i but apply what i'm about to say but apply what i'm about to say but i'm not trying to be very specific but i'm not trying to be very specific i'm just talking in general terms i'm just talking in general terms uh uh when you look at this house when you look at this house the whole focus the whole focus was on this building in the center was on this building in the center and as a kid that used to and as a kid that used to kind of trouble me because kind of trouble me because you get a chance to see uh large you get a chance to see uh large cathedrals like i i got a chance when i cathedrals like i i got a chance when i was a teenager to see notre dame in was a teenager to see notre dame in paris and paris and um um some other things some other things this is a very small building this is a very small building it's beautiful and ornate but it's very it's beautiful and ornate but it's very small small but when you think about ourselves but when you think about ourselves as uh as uh reflections of this building reflections of this building right you have this this right you have this this large edifice large edifice um this large place for the congregating um this large place for the congregating of people of people and and what you have out here to go to the left what you have out here to go to the left and right of the main building and right of the main building is what they call the cord of the is what they call the cord of the gentile gentile then then you're looking at the temple from the you're looking at the temple from the east east facing towards the west and as you going facing towards the west and as you going through these through these front doors of the front doors of the temple complex temple complex you enter the uh you leave the court of the gentiles and you enter into the court of the you enter into the court of the women and the court of the israelites women and the court of the israelites and then you proceed further into the and then you proceed further into the temple temple and you go into the holy place and you go into the holy place and then the most holy place and then the most holy place so you have this this so you have this this graduation of graduation of of acceptable people uh within each precinct right uh within each precinct right and and the lesson the lesson one of the lessons i'd like to take away one of the lessons i'd like to take away from tonight is from tonight is at its core at its center at its core at its center was the the most holy place the holy of was the the most holy place the holy of holies holies the the the place of the presence of god the place of the presence of god and you know who was allowed and you know who was allowed in that spot in that spot that in that if we think about ourselves that in that if we think about ourselves in our core being in our core being the the innermost part of ourselves the the innermost part of ourselves there really should be room for there really should be room for no one no one but god but god himself and his high priest jesus christ himself and his high priest jesus christ the high priest was the only person the high priest was the only person allowed into allowed into that sanctuary and once a year so you that sanctuary and once a year so you you have you have at its core at its core um um only space or should only be space only space or should only be space for god almighty and his son for god almighty and his son and then you move outside from that and then you move outside from that and then you go into the holy place and and then you go into the holy place and it is full of priests it is full of priests uh a uh a peculiar set of levites like not any peculiar set of levites like not any levite could be a priest it was a levite could be a priest it was a certain set of priests certain set of priests and they what was their job and they what was their job it was to minister to the temple it was to minister to the temple so when if you think about ourselves so when if you think about ourselves as a temple of god as a temple of god then you have room for for god almighty then you have room for for god almighty and his son jesus christ at your core and his son jesus christ at your core and then there are those and then there are those who spiritually minister to the temple who spiritually minister to the temple are the people that you allow in are the people that you allow in the closest the closest next to that next to that and then outside of that and then outside of that there's the precinct of the the court of there's the precinct of the the court of the priests the priests where they were where they were performed the sacrifices and the performed the sacrifices and the washings from the ceremonies washings from the ceremonies and beyond that was the court of the and beyond that was the court of the israelites israelites and the women and the women then the gentiles so one of the things that it occurred to me one of the things that it occurred to me as i you know prepared as i you know prepared for this class was that for this class was that there was room there was room for the gentiles for the gentiles within the temple precinct in fact the within the temple precinct in fact the court of the gentiles court of the gentiles was a the vastly uh was a the vastly uh largest area largest area and and and and in our own lives in our own lives you know we're apt to be bumping you know we're apt to be bumping shoulders and running into a lot more shoulders and running into a lot more gentiles than than priests and fellow gentiles than than priests and fellow israelites israelites in our own spiritual journey in our own spiritual journey now now i'm not saying that we should associate with friends without regard to associate with friends without regard to who they are and their their who they are and their their focus in life and what they think is focus in life and what they think is important we want to definitely important we want to definitely uh like the temple itself focus our attention focus our attention to the holy of holies to the holy of holies and keep that very protected and keep that very protected and and slowly as we go out create space and and slowly as we go out create space for other people and knowing that for other people and knowing that the gentiles the gentiles by and large in this temple precinct were people who had an interest in learning about this hebrew god learning about this hebrew god we're fascinated with his we're fascinated with his glory and honor and glory and honor and if nothing else his tourists wanted to if nothing else his tourists wanted to see what this was all about that the see what this was all about that the jews were so involved in jews were so involved in it is interesting to point and again i it is interesting to point and again i don't know if you've don't know if you've been sharing you can see my cursor but been sharing you can see my cursor but just outside of the just outside of the the courtyard of the israelites the courtyard of the israelites there's this little barrier there's this little barrier that wraps around it that wraps around it on that barrier there were signs that on that barrier there were signs that said any gentiles found beyond this said any gentiles found beyond this point point put to death that was it was not a joke put to death that was it was not a joke but there was a place in the house of but there was a place in the house of god god for the gentiles and and so when isaiah for the gentiles and and so when isaiah wrote wrote the foreigners who joined themselves to the foreigners who joined themselves to the lord to minister to him to love the the lord to minister to him to love the name of the lord and to be his servant name of the lord and to be his servant everyone who keeps the sabbath and does everyone who keeps the sabbath and does not profane it holds fast my covenant not profane it holds fast my covenant these i will bring to my holy mountain these i will bring to my holy mountain make them joyful in my house of prayer make them joyful in my house of prayer their burnt offerings and their their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar sacrifices will be accepted on my altar for my house shall be called a house of for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all people prayer for all people it's really a a beautiful promise of of you know something i don't think we've you know something i don't think we've ever seen completely filled ever seen completely filled we will we will when our master returns when our master returns but but in our own lives as we look at ourselves in our own lives as we look at ourselves there has to be room for and looking for there has to be room for and looking for these people these people who would go to god's holy mountain who who would go to god's holy mountain who would seek him out and love his name would seek him out and love his name and service and minister to him as we do what piqued my interest in this this subject though was subject though was what paul was saying about ourselves what paul was saying about ourselves being a temple of god and he says what being a temple of god and he says what agreement has the temple of god with agreement has the temple of god with idols idols we are the temple living of god as god we are the temple living of god as god says i will make my drawing among them says i will make my drawing among them and walk among them and walk among them and as we're going to look at and as we're going to look at this actually this actually occurred and it happened frequently that occurred and it happened frequently that not only did the israelites not only did the israelites bring idolatry into their lives bring idolatry into their lives but they've brought it literally into but they've brought it literally into the temple service the temple service this is a rendering of of israelites at the gate of the temple israelites at the gate of the temple worshiping at an idol of ishtar or worshiping at an idol of ishtar or ashtara ashtara which we're going to see which we're going to see happen happen before we get to that though we want to before we get to that though we want to talk about how the temple started talk about how the temple started right right when solomon built it when solomon built it uh it says in first kings eight and one uh it says in first kings eight and one and and really if if i really if if i hatch together two passages here these hatch together two passages here these chronicles have something else i wanted chronicles have something else i wanted to mention but these two to mention but these two are very similar passages are very similar passages then solomon assembled the others of then solomon assembled the others of israel and all the heads of the tribes israel and all the heads of the tribes the leaders of the fathers of the houses the leaders of the fathers of the houses of people of israel before king solomon of people of israel before king solomon in jerusalem to bring up the ark of the in jerusalem to bring up the ark of the covenant of the lord out of the city zion also king solomon and all the also king solomon and all the congregation of israel that were congregation of israel that were assembled unto him before the ark assembled unto him before the ark sacrificed sheep in austin which could sacrificed sheep in austin which could not be told nor numbered from multitudes not be told nor numbered from multitudes and the priests brought in the ark of and the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the lord unto its place the covenant of the lord unto its place the oracle of the house into the most the oracle of the house into the most holy place even under the wings of the holy place even under the wings of the cherubim cherubim the cherubim spread forth their wings the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark and the over the place of the ark and the cherubims covered the ark and the stays cherubims covered the ark and the stays thereof thereof and they drew out the staves of the ark and they drew out the staves of the ark that the end of the slaves were seen that the end of the slaves were seen from the ark before the oracle but they from the ark before the oracle but they were not seen without and there it is were not seen without and there it is and to this day and to this day i want to uh i want to uh just kind of just kind of posit this posit this thought thought two things one is two things one is what a magnificent day this was what a magnificent day this was when when the jerusalem when when the jerusalem temple itself is just packed with people temple itself is just packed with people celebrating the dedication of this house celebrating the dedication of this house right and right and here is this passage we see what makes here is this passage we see what makes this this different from the tabernacle different from the tabernacle verse 9 they drew out the staves of the verse 9 they drew out the staves of the ark ark the ark was made to be transported it the ark was made to be transported it was made to be carried around was made to be carried around that the tabernacle was not fixed that the tabernacle was not fixed but but when they dedicated that temple when they dedicated that temple they pulled out the staves from the ark they pulled out the staves from the ark and god's mercy and god's mercy came to a rest came to a rest and and and and had a home a permanent place had a home a permanent place and and you know clearly that's what we should you know clearly that's what we should be be a permanent place a permanent place uh forever dedicated to uh forever dedicated to the presence of god in our lives the presence of god in our lives deep in the the deepest part of our deep in the the deepest part of our being being just like the the most holy just like the the most holy in the temple in the temple and i'm sure there's a and i'm sure there's a wonderful spiritual lesson about the wonderful spiritual lesson about the cherubims spreading their wings over cherubims spreading their wings over that place and the that place and the the shadow of their wings covering over the shadow of their wings covering over the ark in the states but uh the ark in the states but uh that's for another time i guess the lord has said he would dwell in thick darkness but i have built a house thick darkness but i have built a house of habitation to thee in a place where of habitation to thee in a place where you're dwelling you're dwelling and the king turned his face and blessed and the king turned his face and blessed the whole congregation of israel the whole congregation of israel and all the congregation of israel stood and he said but will god indeed dwell with man on earth with man on earth both heaven and the highest heaven both heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you how much lifts this cannot contain you how much lifts this house that i built house that i built you have regard to the prayer of your you have regard to the prayer of your servant and who is plea oh lord servant and who is plea oh lord listening to the cry in a prayer that listening to the cry in a prayer that your servant prays before you your servant prays before you that your eyes may be opened day and that your eyes may be opened day and night towards this house night towards this house place where you have promised to set place where you have promised to set your name that you may listen to the your name that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers towards prayer that your servant offers towards this place and listen to the pleas of this place and listen to the pleas of your servant and your people israel when your servant and your people israel when they pray towards this place and listen they pray towards this place and listen from heaven from your dwelling place from heaven from your dwelling place when you hear when you hear forgive so you have when you consider forgive so you have when you consider this as analogous to this as analogous to ourselves our body being a temple of god uh how unworthy are we that we should call ourselves a house of god call ourselves a house of god a dwelling place for him if he can't be a dwelling place for him if he can't be if the heavens can't contain him and if the heavens can't contain him and solomon's magnificent temple was yet god has promised like he promised god has promised like he promised solomon that he would dwell with his solomon that he would dwell with his people and he would people and he would be in that house be in that house he has promised that to us he has promised that to us and then so that we get this opportunity and then so that we get this opportunity with almighty god to say well with almighty god to say well put your a's eyes day and night on on put your a's eyes day and night on on this temple this temple and listen to the prayer of your servant and listen to the prayer of your servant for this place and you can think of this for this place and you can think of this in the singular as ourselves and you can in the singular as ourselves and you can think of this as in the plurality of the think of this as in the plurality of the brotherhood brotherhood that you know when we come together to that you know when we come together to pray pray god says he will listen god says he will listen you will hear you will hear he will forgive he will forgive it's really a beautiful and touching it's really a beautiful and touching uh analogy that that paul gives us and uh analogy that that paul gives us and then then at the end of solomon's dedication at the end of solomon's dedication that as soon as solomon finished his that as soon as solomon finished his prayer fire came down from heaven and prayer fire came down from heaven and consumed the burned offering consumed the burned offering and the sacrifices and the glory of the and the sacrifices and the glory of the lord lord filled the temple filled the temple the priest could not enter the house of the priest could not enter the house of the lord because of the glory of the the lord because of the glory of the lord lord fill the lord's house i don't know if if you guys have all dealt with them you guys have all dealt with them i know when i was baptized i i can liken i know when i was baptized i i can liken that day to this that day to this when you felt so when you felt so unworthy unworthy and yet so filled by the presence and and yet so filled by the presence and glory of god glory of god um um we dedicate ourselves completely to his we dedicate ourselves completely to his service this is the kind of reaction on his part we can expect he will fill this house this dwelling he will fill this house this dwelling place place with his glory with his glory he did then so if you look at the history of this temple you have examples like in second kings like in second kings where jehovah sets the priests where jehovah sets the priests all the money and the holy things all the money and the holy things that is brought into the house of the that is brought into the house of the lord the money for which each man is lord the money for which each man is assessed the money from the assessment assessed the money from the assessment of persons the money that a man's heart of persons the money that a man's heart prompted him to bring into the house of prompted him to bring into the house of the lord let the priests take each room the lord let the priests take each room his donor and let them repair the house his donor and let them repair the house wherever any need of repairs was wherever any need of repairs was discovered discovered but by the 23rd year of king johash the but by the 23rd year of king johash the priest has made no repairs on the house god's house requires repair it reply requires repair it reply requires a constant maintenance a constant maintenance and you can see in jehovah ash's day and you can see in jehovah ash's day that that had not been taken care of and that that had not been taken care of and we can ourselves we can ourselves fall away from the fall away from the daily maintenance daily maintenance and let our temple fall into disrepair and let our temple fall into disrepair you know i'm sure you know i'm sure the idea isn't for me to tell you all the idea isn't for me to tell you all the ways that uh the ways that uh you can let your temple fall into you can let your temple fall into disrepair disrepair uh it's uh it's more for for you to kind of think about more for for you to kind of think about ways maybe that your own temple i mean i ways maybe that your own temple i mean i know know i know mine is lapsed that time and and i know mine is lapsed that time and and you know then you need to make a great you know then you need to make a great effort like they did in johash's day effort like they did in johash's day to uh to uh pick up the pieces and get started and pick up the pieces and get started and put it back together so you have that example then even worse even worse you have manasseh is 12 years old when you have manasseh is 12 years old when he began to reign this is second kings he began to reign this is second kings 21 and he reigned 55 years in jerusalem 21 and he reigned 55 years in jerusalem and his mother's name was and his mother's name was jesus was evil in the sight of the lord jesus was evil in the sight of the lord and i won't read all of this and i won't read all of this um um you can read it as i talk maybe there's you can read it as i talk maybe there's some awful stuff in here some awful stuff in here uh uh verse seven verse seven like carved image of asherah that he like carved image of asherah that he made he set in the house of which the made he set in the house of which the lord said to david and solomon his son lord said to david and solomon his son in this house and in jerusalem which i in this house and in jerusalem which i have chosen out of all the tribes of have chosen out of all the tribes of israel i will put my name forever israel i will put my name forever so here you have the first uh at least the first i'm aware of the kings of judah actually bringing idols kings of judah actually bringing idols into the temple into the temple and and that is a metaphor for that is a metaphor for all of us to consider all of us to consider you know do we bring you know do we bring our idols into our temple when you get to the final days of final days of judah's commonwealth judah's commonwealth prophet ezekiel if you remember he was prophet ezekiel if you remember he was in babylon in babylon he was already a an exile living there and he was taken in a living there and he was taken in a vision vision back to jerusalem back to jerusalem and when he arrived he's shown these and when he arrived he's shown these things ezekiel 8 and 5. things ezekiel 8 and 5. son of man lift up your eyes now towards son of man lift up your eyes now towards the north so i lifted up my eyes towards the north so i lifted up my eyes towards the north and behold the north of the the north and behold the north of the altar gate in the entrance was the image altar gate in the entrance was the image of jealousy of jealousy he said to me son of man he said to me son of man do you see what they are doing do you see what they are doing great abominations of the house of great abominations of the house of israel are committing here israel are committing here to drive me from my sanctuary to drive me from my sanctuary but you will still see greater but you will still see greater abomination so he goes further and he's told to dig into the wall into the wall and and when once he's made a hole he's told to when once he's made a hole he's told to go in and look go in and look so i went and saw and they're engraved so i went and saw and they're engraved on the wall all around with every form on the wall all around with every form of creeping thing and loads of beeps and of creeping thing and loads of beeps and all the idols of the house of israel all the idols of the house of israel and before them stood at seventy men of and before them stood at seventy men of the elders of the house of israel the elders of the house of israel jayaz and i are the son of shay fans jayaz and i are the son of shay fans standing among them standing among them each had a sensor in his hand and the each had a sensor in his hand and the smoke the cloud of infants went up smoke the cloud of infants went up he said to me son of man have you seen he said to me son of man have you seen what the elders of the house of israel what the elders of the house of israel are doing in the dark are doing in the dark teaching his room of pictures teaching his room of pictures they say the lord does not see us they say the lord does not see us the lord is forsaken the land the lord is forsaken the land so this is in the temple complex so this is in the temple complex that ezekiel is seeing this these people have like apparently apartments if you apartments if you read later on in ezra nehemiah i think read later on in ezra nehemiah i think it's sam ballet actually had it's sam ballet actually had built his own apartment in the built his own apartment in the courtyard of the courtyard of the temple and in these these these private apartments apartments as it were as it were these people are in the dark in the room these people are in the dark in the room of pictures it reminds me very much of of pictures it reminds me very much of uh uh you know you know i don't think this is what ezekiel had i don't think this is what ezekiel had in mind but it makes me think of sitting in mind but it makes me think of sitting in a in a darkened living room with a tv on a darkened living room with a tv on a room of pictures flashing on the wall room of pictures flashing on the wall and you know what is it that we're and you know what is it that we're putting into our temple putting into our temple the the lesson we have there lesson we have there so after that he brought me to the so after that he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house entrance of the north gate of the house of the lord and behold there sat women of the lord and behold there sat women weeping for to move weeping for to move he said to me have you seen this oh son he said to me have you seen this oh son of man you will still see greater of man you will still see greater abominations than these abominations than these um tomus is the um tomus is the the god um from babylon who's pictured the god um from babylon who's pictured on the right on the right and this and this at least that's what google images said at least that's what google images said i'm assuming that's actually him i'm assuming that's actually him uh uh he was the consort of ishtar he was the consort of ishtar who you see her image on the left who you see her image on the left uh uh they were they were like they were a pair like they were a pair and they were like a fertility kind of and they were like a fertility kind of cult she was the goddess of love cult she was the goddess of love and uh he was her consort he actually and uh he was her consort he actually according to babylonian mythology went according to babylonian mythology went into the into the the underworld to rescue her from her the underworld to rescue her from her evil sister the evil sister the queen of the underworld queen of the underworld and and the price to the price to get her out of get her out of the underworld was that he had to go the underworld was that he had to go into the underworld for six months into the underworld for six months um so in the winter they would weep for um so in the winter they would weep for tamooze because he was dying and the the tamooze because he was dying and the the god of grain and and harvest and all of god of grain and and harvest and all of that that uh was disappearing for six months and uh was disappearing for six months and so they they wept for him which is what so they they wept for him which is what that that sorry for the long story but that's what sorry for the long story but that's what that's all about that's all about uh and then finally uh i won't read all uh and then finally uh i won't read all this but ezekiel has shown the the this but ezekiel has shown the the eastern end of the eastern end of the temple which is where the doors were temple which is where the doors were the inner precinct the inner precinct and these men were by between the porch and these men were by between the porch and the altar 25 men were their backs to and the altar 25 men were their backs to the temple of the lord and their faces the temple of the lord and their faces toward the east worshiping the sun so toward the east worshiping the sun so you have you have all this evilness and idolatry this is all this evilness and idolatry this is like the the apex though like the the apex though where where they're actually in god's holy temple they're actually in god's holy temple facing away from it facing away from it and worshipping something else and worshipping something else they're they're at the center of of they're they're at the center of of yahweh worship yahweh worship worshipping the son with their backs to worshipping the son with their backs to their god their god and uh it doesn't end well for them and uh it doesn't end well for them so the the conclusion of this vision so the the conclusion of this vision this whole time there's a presence of this whole time there's a presence of cherubim cherubim there and the cherubim was standing on there and the cherubim was standing on the south side of the house when the man the south side of the house when the man went in cloud filled the inner court went in cloud filled the inner court and we just read how and we just read how the glory of god filled the temple when the glory of god filled the temple when solomon dedicated it solomon dedicated it like the glory of god should fill us like the glory of god should fill us when we dedicate ourselves to him when we dedicate ourselves to him because the glory of the lord went up because the glory of the lord went up from the cherub from the cherub to the threshold of the house to the threshold of the house the house was filled with the cloud and the house was filled with the cloud and the court was filled with the brightness the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the lord then you skip on to chapter 10. since the terrible were standing on the since the terrible were standing on the south side of the house when the man south side of the house when the man went in and the crowd filled the inner went in and the crowd filled the inner court and the glory of the lord went up court and the glory of the lord went up from the cherubim to the threshold of from the cherubim to the threshold of the house 33 done that sorry anyway the long and short of it as you get to chapter 11 and verse 22 get to chapter 11 and verse 22 when the chairman lifted up their wings when the chairman lifted up their wings and the wheels besides him and the glory and the wheels besides him and the glory the god of israel was over them and the the god of israel was over them and the glory lord went up from the midst of the glory lord went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain that is city and stood on the mountain that is on the east side of the city on the east side of the city so when so when we fill our temple we fill our temple with idols in faithlessness and and all of the debauchery that they were and all of the debauchery that they were engaging in engaging in the glory of the lord departed it left the glory of the lord departed it left and and and and we don't want that to happen in our own we don't want that to happen in our own lives lives we want to we want to maintain that purity of our own temple maintain that purity of our own temple so that god so that god will continue to dwell there if you will continue to dwell there if you remember back a few verses remember back a few verses he talked about he talked about the the wickedness they're doing that is the the wickedness they're doing that is driving me from this place driving me from this place and then when god leaves and then when god leaves it's not long till it's not long till total destruction come total destruction come and you know it's a theme that we see and you know it's a theme that we see repeated it it happens repeated it it happens in in ezekiel's day and it happens after ezekiel's day and it happens after christ's death in 70 a.d christ's death in 70 a.d no the no the lesson for us here as we get into the new testament is that paul says although they knew god they paul says although they knew god they did not honor him as god or gave thanks did not honor him as god or gave thanks to him but they became futile in their to him but they became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened claimed to be wise they became darkened claimed to be wise they became fools and exchanged the glory of the fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal god immortal god for images for images resembling mortal man birds and animals resembling mortal man birds and animals and creeping things therefore god gave and creeping things therefore god gave them up in the lust of their hearts to them up in the lust of their hearts to impurity to the dishonoring of their impurity to the dishonoring of their bodies amongst themselves bodies amongst themselves and here's the key thing and here's the key thing because they exchanged the truth about because they exchanged the truth about god for a lie god for a lie and they worshiped and served the and they worshiped and served the creature creature rather than the creator rather than the creator that they worship the thing created that they worship the thing created usually the thing of their own creation usually the thing of their own creation instead of instead of the one who created them the one who created them and it's a and it's a common common failure in mankind throughout history failure in mankind throughout history it's it's as easy to as easy to happen to us as it is to as it was to happen to us as it is to as it was to them them that uh that uh we worship and trust and and put our we worship and trust and and put our hope in the things that we create hope in the things that we create our 401ks our government our our 401ks our government our ability to solve problems our ability to solve problems our relationships relationships uh and we turn to those things and not uh and we turn to those things and not god almighty who created us god almighty who created us not his ministers who who he has not his ministers who who he has provided to service in the temple provided to service in the temple fellow israelites who are fellow israelites who are uh uh guiding us and walking with us on our guiding us and walking with us on our journey within our nature to wanna trust in ourselves the things we wanna trust in ourselves the things we create create when you get to the temple in christ's when you get to the temple in christ's day day it's interesting the temple was not in it's interesting the temple was not in disrepair in fact it was still being disrepair in fact it was still being built built you remember the disciples you remember the disciples taking him on a tour around the temple taking him on a tour around the temple saying saying look at all these magnificent buildings look at all these magnificent buildings right right but but and yet the temple was and yet the temple was not a disrepair and it there was no not a disrepair and it there was no idolatry there were no images the revolt that happened in 70 a.d was revolt that happened in 70 a.d was because the romans were threatening to because the romans were threatening to put put an image of the an image of the caesar in caesar in in the temple in the temple and that was that kind of kicked that and that was that kind of kicked that all off but while there was no physical idols there was all kinds of no physical idols there was all kinds of idolatry going on idolatry going on jesus uh jesus uh matthew 21 and 12 went into the temple matthew 21 and 12 went into the temple of god and cast out all that sold and of god and cast out all that sold and bought in the temple and overthrew the bought in the temple and overthrew the table for money changes from the seats table for money changes from the seats of them the troll dove of them the troll dove said unto them quotes what we read in said unto them quotes what we read in isaiah earlier my house should be called isaiah earlier my house should be called the house of prayer the house of prayer would you have made it a den of thieves would you have made it a den of thieves so you know we can so you know we can bring idols into our bring idols into our temple that are not temple that are not traditional traditional idols idols matthew 23 and 1 jesus said to the matthew 23 and 1 jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples the scribes crowds and to his disciples the scribes and the pharisees sit in moses's seat and the pharisees sit in moses's seat so do and observe what they tell you but so do and observe what they tell you but do not the works that they do for they do not the works that they do for they preach but do not practice preach but do not practice they tie up heavy burdens hard to bear they tie up heavy burdens hard to bear they lay them on the people's shoulders they lay them on the people's shoulders but they themselves are not willing to but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger move them with their finger there's all kinds of there's all kinds of rejection of god's rejection of god's law and the spirit in which it was given law and the spirit in which it was given by the the leaders at that time and by the the leaders at that time and that's a that's a something we have to be very careful something we have to be very careful about about causing each other to carry heavy causing each other to carry heavy burdens that are hard to bear burdens that are hard to bear and laying those burdens on each other's and laying those burdens on each other's shoulders and not being willing to help shoulders and not being willing to help move them with our own fingers you know what agreement has the temple of god was idol of god was idol jesus the temple is a living god jesus the temple is a living god as god said i will make them