Often at the end of our selfish and foolish prayers, we also have one or two sentences that are very clear. We may often pray, “Lord, do this for me, and do that for me.” These are foolish prayers. Yet after praying this way we may utter a sober word, saying, “If You would do this and that for me, then I would be absolutely for You.” “I would be absolutely for You” is a sober word. This is the way we often pray. Someone may pray, “Lord, if You would enable my son to graduate from college and go on to obtain a doctorate degree, then I would offer to You ten percent of whatever he earns.” This is to speak foolishly at the beginning and a little more soberly at the end. One who prays this way asks for God’s blessing at the beginning but somewhat touches God’s intention at the end. This is a Jacob-like prayer.
That day when Jacob asked God to give him food to eat and garments to put on, he was bringing up the matter of his food and clothing. We all know that in addition to needing food and clothing man also needs a dwelling. Yet Jacob was wandering in the wilderness and did not have a home for his rest. As a result, at night he had to lay his head on a stone. I believe that he realized his need and therefore mentioned to God the problem of a house. However, it is strange that when he brought up the matter of a house, instead of speaking about his own house, he spoke about God’s house. This was a person who cared only for his own well-being and not for God. Yet after he mentioned the problems related to his well-being and expressed his desire to be properly fed and clothed, it was as if he forgot about his need for a house and instead spoke about God’s house. We must believe that this is the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit. Jacob’s last few words touched the intention of God’s heart. When God brought heaven to earth, His intention was to gain Bethel, the house of God, on earth. This is the first mention of the house of God in the Holy Bible.
We have to know that in both the Old and New Testaments, whether in Hebrew or Greek, these three words-palace, house, and home-are all related. Even in the Chinese language these words are also related. A home usually is a house, and the house in which great persons such as kings live is a palace. A palace is a home, and home is a house, a building. The entire Bible shows us that God desires to gain a home, a building, in this universe. Moreover, when God revealed His intention for the first time in the Scriptures, He revealed it to a wandering, homeless person. This is marvelous.
From this point onward, the matter of God’s desiring to build a house on earth becomes clearer and more concrete. God eventually gave Jacob a great number of descendants. They are referred to as the house of Jacob and the house of Israel as well. The Scriptures reveal that God’s desire was to make the house of Israel His house. After God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt, He told them that He would dwell in their midst and be their God (Exo. 29:45). This shows that God delivered His people so that He could gain a dwelling place, a house, on earth.
When the children of Israel came to the wilderness, God charged them to set up a tabernacle for Him to dwell with them. For the setting up of the tabernacle the most important items were the standing boards overlaid with gold. They were wooden boards, yet they were covered with gold on the outside; they were golden boards, yet they were wood on the inside. Bible readers know that in typology wood denotes humanity while gold denotes divinity. Hence, wood overlaid with gold implies that divinity and humanity are mingled as one. This mingling of God with man is a building. With the tabernacle the story of the mingling of divinity with humanity is seen not only in the boards but also in other furnishings, such as the ark, the showbread table, and the curtains. In fact, the whole tabernacle itself shows us such a mingling. This mingling is a building, and this building is the house of God.
We have to remember that God’s dwelling in the tabernacle in the midst of the children of Israel was just a sign, a figure. Actually, God did not consider the tabernacle His dwelling place; rather, He considered the people of Israel His dwelling place. God did not just dwell in the tabernacle; He dwelt in the midst of the children of Israel. The real intention of God was to mingle Himself with the children of Israel and to mingle the children of Israel with Himself, so that they might become His dwelling place. With regard to this matter, God used the tabernacle as a sign. Therefore, when the children of Israel raised up the tabernacle, the glory of God, which is God Himself, filled the tabernacle. At that point, God had obtained a dwelling place on earth.
Home | First | Prev | Next