This is part two of this series. We are using the account of King Josiah to look at ten things we need to return to in order to experience reformation. If you missed part one, you can read it here: Part One - Men of Righteous Character.
Return to Care for the House of the Lord
“Now in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam the scribe, to the house of the Lord saying, ‘Go up to Hilkiah the high priest that he may count the money brought in to the house of the Lord which the doorkeepers have gathered from the people. Let them deliver it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord, and let them give it to the workmen who are in the house of the Lord to repair the damages of the house, to the carpenters and the builders and the masons and for buying timber and hewn stone to repair the house. Only no accounting shall be made with them for the money delivered into their hands, for they deal faithfully.” (2 Kings 22:3-7, NASB)
The house of the Lord is in disrepair. The account in 2 Chronicles comes right out to tell us it has been left that way because of the neglect of Judah’s kings. The kings of Judah had not cared for God’s temple. Having failed to do so, they showed contempt for God. But Josiah has a heart for the temple of God and sends his servant to initiate the repairs to it. If we want to see reformation, we must repent of our apathy concerning God’s house and return to hearts that are burdened for it.
As New Testament Christians, we may be tempted to think this particular point is not relevant to us. This “house of the Lord” is referring to the Old Testament temple, right? We don’t have the temple anymore. That is true, but it is interesting to see how the Bible carries over this phrase into the New Testament as well. Here’s one example.
“I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.” (1 Timothy 3:15, NASB)
We no longer have a central temple in Jerusalem where God is present and veiled. However, that verse makes it very clear that in the new covenant the house of the Lord has not been done away with. It has been fulfilled in a particular people. The gathered church is the house of the Lord. It is a particular place and context. That is why Paul is able to instruct Timothy in how people ought to conduct themselves there.
Anywhere you have the church formally gathered under the authority of God for the express purpose of His worship, there you have the house of God.
I think it is wholly appropriate to refer to the church sanctuary as God’s house. It is the building that we have set aside as a church body for the purpose of worshipping Him on the Lord’s Day. There is no magic in the building itself, but by way of what goes on in it, and the purpose for which it has been designated, it is holy ground. The ground around the burning bush was nothing more than dirt. Because God manifested His presence there it was holy ground. Therefore, it required Moses to remove his sandals and conduct himself in a different way because of where he stood.
I believe, according to Matthew 18:15-20 and 1 Corinthians 5:3-5, that Jesus’ presence is especially manifested in the gathered church in a way in which it is not anywhere else. That means any time the church is gathered for worship in the place set aside for that purpose it is to be seen as the ground around the burning bush. We ought to act as if God is here and we are standing in His presence on holy ground.
What we do in the sanctuary matters. In fact, the context in which Jesus says that He will give the keys to the kingdom of heaven is the context of the gathered church. We need to return to a care for the house of the Lord.
In former generations, the gathering of the church and the building it is gathered in has been retrofitted for all kinds of things that do not reflect a reverent approach. We must take seriously what we do in the sanctuary. We must guard it from outside influences. We must not neglect it. We must not use it to entertain the world or even ourselves. We must keep it set aside for the worship of God according to Scripture. We must care for it as if it truly is holy ground. And as individuals preparing to worship every Sunday, we must prepare our hearts as if we are truly standing on holy ground, ready to offer God a sacrifice with our worship.
Stay tuned for the third return: Reverence for God’s Word.