"Lord, cleanse my temple!" Have you ever asked for such a thing? It's quite a dangerous proclamation, because we know God will hear our prayer. This, after all, is the will of God: "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification..." (1 Thess 4:3).
You may be asking, "what is my temple, and why does it need to be cleansed?" Well, contrary to the Old Testament dispensation, WE now are the temple of God. His throne is our hearts: Paul says, "know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" (1 Cor 6:19). And again he says, "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1 Cor 3:16). No longer does God desire to live in a temple made of mere stone. He wants our hearts! All Old Testament temples were but a figure of what was to come - they were the mere shadow of the real and enduring substance that is now to be lived out in the saints.
Why do we need to be cleansed? Because our temples are polluted! The place of His habitation is to be glorious. He deserves nothing less, don't you agree? We have been polluted by many things. Observe:
1. Personal sin. We all have the personal choice to submit to God's cleansing agents: "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil" (Eph 4:26-27). Don't let your righteous indignation against sin subside.
2. No foundation in the Word of God. We often times remain polluted simply because we're ignorant of what God asks of us. Notice what happens when Israel discovers what God wants.. they take action: "On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever; Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing. Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude" (Neh 13:1-3).
3. Pollution may linger because of ungodly leadership: "And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah: And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests" (Neh 13:4-5). In this reference, the priest was allied with an enemy! He chose to put Tobiah (the enemy) where the things of God should be! He chose sin over corn, new wine and oil. This ungodly alliance grossly affected the people of God. How sad!
Just as in Nehemiah's day, so it shall be with us, I believe. The idols and evils must be thrust out! Faithful leadership must stand up and correct the obvious error. Observe what Nehemiah did to cure the problem: "And I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber. Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the frankincense. And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field. Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place. Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries” (Neh 13:7-12).
Such a proclamation must likewise go forth! Let's turn to the Word of God and recognize the evils that are being perpetrated! And not just recognize, but take action! Just as with Nehemiah, the Word of God will be the source of our temple's purification.
What is the result of a cleansed temple?
In Nehemiah's day, the fruit of the temple cleansing was glorious! "Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries" (Neh 13:12). A true move of God will occur as we seek to be cleansed from all impurity! Corn, new wine and oil! The spiritual significance of these things is mind-boggling (Ps 65:9; 72:16; 104:15; Prov 3:10; Joel 3:18; Amos 9:13-14; etc)!
In Jesus' day, there was marvelous fruit of His cleansing the temple as well:
"And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them" (Matt 21:12-14).
What glorious effects of a CLEAN TEMPLE! So shall it be with His people.
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