I used to pass a real estate office with a sign that said, “Your home is where your heart is!” God’s heart has always been taken up with man, His creature. He loves us so much He wants to dwell with us, and so He has, He does and He will. In Old Testament times He dwelt among His people in the tabernacle and later the temple. Now the church has become a “habitation of God through the Spirit.”
A house generally reflects the character of its owner. The queen of Sheba was suitably impressed when she met Solomon and had seen his wisdom, the house that he had built and all that was in it, including the food, the people and their apparel. God’s house is to be a place where His holiness, His love, His order, and, in short, His nature are displayed and maintained.
God has perfectly designed His house. He has provided rich and wholesome spiritual food for all within. He has provided His servants with beautiful garments of salvation. He has given perfect instructions for how they are to behave in His house, manifesting His character in their lives and together being the pillar and base of truth in the world where the house is.
Let’s take a fresh look at God’s house, where He dwells with us, to enjoy the privilege of being there and to reflect on our deportment in the house as well.