The Ark of the Agreement which Bezalel made was carved from acacia wood, forty five inches long, twenty seven inches wide, and twenty seven inches high. The ark was covered in pure gold both inside and out. He made 4 gold rings for it and attached them to its four feet, with two rings on each side. Bezalel made poles of acacia wood and covered those with gold! He put the poles through the rings to carry the ark. Then Bezalel made a lid of pure gold which paralleled the length and width of the ark. He hammered the gold to make two cherubim with wings and attached them to each end of the golden lid. The cherubim had their wings spread upward, overshadowing the lid. (Exodus 37:1-9)
This Ark was precise and intricate right? Made of pure gold; this thing had to be pricey! Hand crafted. Bezalel worked hard on the Ark, but rightfully so, because this is where God would dwell. “let them make me a sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst” (Exodus 25:8) “There I will meet with you.. on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you” (Exodus 25:22)
A New Dwelling Place
A new covenant was made when Christ was crucified, and His spirit was given a new dwelling place.
“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.” (1 Cor. 3:16-17)
God crafted you with precision. He knows just how many cubits by how many cubits you are, and you are worth more than gold! There is purpose behind everything God does, and the creation of the human body is no different. Through His dwelling in us, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are helped in achieving our purpose, which is to grow in the righteous character of God. Paul explains that God will dwell within us through the power of the Holy Spirit:
Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Cor. 6:16-18)
Our bodies are to serve as a temple, a place which houses the Holy Spirit. What temple damaging habits are present in your life?
When we do what is necessary to maintain physical health, we find our minds are sharper and better able to focus, think, learn, and remember! I believe one of the most overlooked sins is gluttony. As Americans, we have quick fix, convenient, and instant access to food. Not paying attention to what we are taking in can lead to being obese or overweight which accounts for 70% of American adults. Unhealthy eating habits can also lead to heart disease which is the number one cause of death for both men and women in the US. Don’t bench yourself early in the ministry game.
Stewardship Over His Temple
Just as God gives us money, careers, education, and a home, He also gives us a body to be a steward over. How well do we care for the body God has given us? Eating habits are just one of the many things to be aware of. High levels of stress, smoking, and lack of sleep are a few more that are extremely taxing on the body. Sexual impurity or sex outside of the confines of marriage is also damaging to the temple.
“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.” (1 Cor. 6:18)
“It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable.” (1 Thes. 4:3-4)
When used outside of the confines of marriage, sex can cloud the mindset, whack out the hormones, and wear the physical body.
“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 were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” (1 Cor. 6:19-20)
We do not belong to ourselves. We were created by the almighty God, and we do not take a single breath which has not been given to us by Him. His Spirit dwells in us, and that is mind blowing. The same power that rose Christ from the dead is alive within us, and we are feeding Him tootsie rolls and tobacco! Our able bodies are sitting watching Tom and Jerry, and I bet you there is a Tom and Jerry out there who needs to hear from a Holy Spirit possessing child of God! Don’t retire early from the ministry game. Take care of your body, actually, God's body, which He generously is allowing you to use. Generally the rule is to return it better than you received it.
