The Spiritual House Series

The Spiritual House

Psalm 122:1-9 I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the LORD.” Our feet have been standing Within your gates, O Jerusalem! Jerusalem is built As a city that is compact together, Where the tribes go up, The tribes of the LORD, To the Testimony of Israel, To give thanks to the name of the LORD. For thrones are set there for judgment, The thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, Prosperity within your palaces.” For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, “Peace be within you.” Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek your good.

In this psalm we have a picture of what God desires the Church to look like. the church is likened to the city of Jerusalem, where the people of God are glad to go. This is God's desire for his people today that they would delight to come to church and Worship.

Psalm 122:4 - 5 describe Jerusalem (Church) as a place of the word of Worship and of warfare. The testimony of this Israel speaks of the word of God, to give thanks to the name of the Lord speaks of worship, and the thrones which are set there for judgment speaking of warfare.

Of course, all of us want to see a Church that it is enjoyable to go to that preaches the word that Worship God and is conquering and victorious. What does it take to have a Church like this? The answer is found in verse three. Jerusalem is built as a city that is Compact together.

The word compact is the Hebrew word chabar khaw-bar' a primitive root; to join (literally or figuratively); specifically (by means of spells) to fascinate:--charm(- er), be compact, couple (together), have fellowship with, heap up, join (self, together), league. The root of this word means to a couple together and become one. it is used 25 times In the Old Testament for example: Ex 36:18 And he made fifty of brass to couple the tent together, that it might be one.

The the word together is the Hebrew word yachad yakh'-ad from 3161; properly, a unit, i.e. (adverb) unitedly:--alike, at all (once), both, likewise, only, (al-)together, withal. The root of this word is yachad yaw-khad' a primitive root; to be (or become) one:--join, unite.

We can see then that the key OF BLESSING is that we come together in unity and allow ourselves to be built into a spiritual house where the presence of God is manifest, where the word of God is preached, and the worship of God is heard, and the victory of God is seen.

In the natural Jerusalem was a city that pictured the fullness of God's kingdom, like most cities Jerusalem had a Wall that surrounded it. This wall was for protection and peace it afforded the people safety that they might live their lives to their fullest. Within the city was the temple of God, the picture of God's presence. The Bible tells us that in his Presence is the fullness of joy, and that's his right hand are pleasures forevermore, that is why the psalmist says, prayed for the peace of Jerusalem. To lose the peace of Jerusalem would mean to lose the benefits of God's Kingdom.

The New Testament tells us in 1 Peter 2:4-10 that believers a like living stones been built together as a spiritual house:

4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,

In this House there is a display of the praises of God and of the goodness of God. This is what the Church needs to see and this is what the world need to see.

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

Living stones

Peter as he wrote this epistle understood the meaning of being a spiritual stone in Matthew 16:13-19. 13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.18 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.19 “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”