THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF JERUSALEM

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that He would dwell in a dark cloud; I have built a magnificent temple for You, a place for You to dwell forever.”

While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessed them. Then he said:

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who with His hands has fulfilled what He promised with His mouth to my father David. For He said, ‘Since the day I brought My people out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built so that My Name might be there, nor have I chosen anyone to be ruler over My people Israel. But now I have chosen Jerusalem for My Name to be there, and I have chosen David to rule My people Israel.’”

“My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. But the Lord said to my father David, ‘You did well to have it in your heart to build a temple for My Name.

Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, your own flesh and blood—he is the one who will build the temple for My Name.’”

“The Lord has kept the promise He made. I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. There I have placed the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord that He made with the people of Israel.”

2 Chronicles 6:1-11

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

I have had the privilege to visit more than 50 countries in my lifetime and have cherished every experience I have gained, whether in Europe, South or Central America, the Far East, or Middle East. These travels have taken me to some pretty special places where I have seen amazing things but none of those places could rival my visit to Israel and specifically Jerusalem. My hope is that every person has an opportunity at some time in their life to visit there as well.

As I walked around Jerusalem, I couldn’t help but think about the unique history and significance it carries. Truly, there is no other city like it in the entire world and I say this because Jerusalem is the only place where God has made His permanent dwelling place, at least until Jesus, His Son returns.

We know the temple has been built by Solomon, fulfilling God’s will and consummating His promise to David. Upon completing construction, the Israelites worshipped God with song and music, prompting God to fill the temple with His glory. That had to be one amazing sight! Obviously, the Lord was pleased with the place Solomon had built for Him to dwell forever.

As we look at the opening verses of 2 Chronicles, Chapter 6, we find Solomon blessing the Israelite assembly with the following words:

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who with His hands has fulfilled what He promised with His mouth to my father David. For He said, ‘Since the day I brought My people out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built so that My Name might be there, nor have I chosen anyone to be ruler over My people Israel. But now I have chosen Jerusalem for My Name to be there, and I have chosen David to rule My people Israel.’”

“My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. But the Lord said to my father David, ‘You did well to have it in your heart to build a temple for My Name. Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, your own flesh and blood—he is the one who will build the temple for My Name.’”

“The Lord has kept the promise He made. I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. There I have placed the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord that He made with the people of Israel.”

Note here several important things:

1. Solomon did not take credit for the temple’s successful completion but rather lifted God up as the chief architect.

Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who with His hands has fulfilled what He promised with His mouth to my father David.

2. God, and God alone, chose Jerusalem as the place He wished to settle and live forever.

For He said, “Since the day I brought My people out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built so that My Name might be there, nor have I chosen anyone to be ruler over My people Israel. But now I have chosen Jerusalem for My Name to be there.”

3. God also chose who would lead Israel and build His temple.

“I have chosen David to rule My people Israel.” and “The Lord has kept the promise He made. I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised.”

“The Lord said to my father David, ‘You did well to have it in your heart to build a temple for My Name. Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, your own flesh and blood—he is the one who will build the temple for My Name.’”

4. God makes and keeps His promises perfectly.

“The Lord has kept the promise He made. I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel.”  

5. God’s covenant has centered on Jerusalem, both old and new.

“I have built the temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. There I have placed the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord that He made with the people of Israel.”

In the Old Testament times of David and Solomon, the ark containing the covenant that the Lord made with the people of Israel was kept in the temple in Jerusalem.

In later New Testament times, God made a new covenant with His creation, one that would promise salvation for all, Jew or Gentile. This covenant centered on the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ who He sent to walk among His people, teaching them how to live righteously and displaying miraculous powers previously unseen in any man. While Old Testament Israel sacrificed over and over to atone for their sins, God, in New Testament Israel, gave His Son, perfect and unblemished, as the final sacrifice needed to cover the iniquities of mankind. This is how much He loved us, that He was willing to give up His one and only Son so that whoever would believe in Him would not perish but be resurrected into eternal life. This is the heart of the Gospel that all believers hold onto and cherish.

And it all happened in Jerusalem.

This is what makes Jerusalem such an amazing experience for all who go there. In light of just our passage alone, we know that David and Solomon reigned there and God did and still does dwell there. He will forever. We know that Jesus, our Savior was welcomed to Jerusalem as royalty, taught in the temple, prayed for all, was falsely accused leading to His arrest before His wrongful conviction, and subsequent execution on the cross of Calvary.

But that wasn’t the end because Jesus, buried in a tomb near Jerusalem, rose on the third day and appeared to many before God, His Father, took Him up to heaven and gave Him the seat of honor at the right hand of His throne. It is there that He waits to return to earth and start anew with those who placed their faith and trust in Him, ascending one last time with those He will save into a new city, a new dwelling place. And it will be known as the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1-5).

Friends, the next time you hear any news about Israel, you should pay very close attention. This is because no other city in the world holds the kind of critical importance that Israel’s capital city, Jerusalem,  does.

For God has dwelled there, is dwelling there, and will dwell there forever until He sends His Son Jesus back to judge all mankind and bring those who placed their faith and trust in Him to the New Jerusalem forever.

I pray you’ll be counted among the number of its first inhabitants with me.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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