Treasure in earthen vessels

The Lord desired to dwell among his people.

Exodus 25:8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

Exodus 29:45-46 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.

The first structure that the Lord dwelt in was a moveable tabernacle. The pattern for the tabernacle was given to Moses when he received the Law and Commandments at Mount Sinai.

God was precise in his instructions to Moses concerning the making of the tabernacle.

Exodus 25:9 According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

Exodus 25:40 And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

Leviticus 26:11-12 And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.

The First Temple was built by King Solomon, but his father King David collected much of the materials for it. The Temple Solomon built for God was a magnificent edifice, with gold, silver, bronze, cut stone, ornate tapestries, and the finest wood.

1 Kings 6:11-13 ¶And the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying, Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father: And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.

It is interesting that God gave a prerequisite to his dwelling in the Temple Solomon was building for him: IF you will keep all my commandments.

Solomon was amazed that the Almighty God of the Universe would dwell on earth in the Temple he built.

1 Kings 8:27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded? [also 2Chron. 6:8]

Then, there came the great day when God chose to dwell among his people as a man. Like the Tabernacle and the Temple, his name would be upon this Temple of his body, and his presence would be in it. But this time there was a difference. Instead of being a place of sacrifice, God’s own body would be the sacrifice.

Philippians 2:7-11 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Before his crucifixion, Jesus spoke of the ultimate. Not only was God dwelling among men in the holy human body that he made, but he had plans to dwell in imperfect man! How could God do this?

John 14:15-23 ¶If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

¶Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?

Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Isaiah 66:1-2 Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the LORD. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.

The way that God would dwell in man is if man would humble himself (as God did when he became man) with a repentant contrite spirit, and purpose to live for Jesus by keeping his commandments.

God paid the price for man’s sin by the death of his body on the tree.

As Jesus said,

John 2:19, 21 Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up…But he spake of the temple of his body.

If man would apply the blood of God’s sacrifice by being baptized in Jesus name, God could live in them.

O that the King of glory would come and dwell in us!

Acts 2:1-4 ¶And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

God kept his promise and poured out his Spirit on holy men and women baptized in his name Jesus! They had now become the temple of God. He was dwelling in them!

When those in Jerusalem that witnessed this outpouring of God’s Spirit and then heard the preaching of the gospel by Peter asked, “Men and brethren what shall we do?”

Acts 2:38-41 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

¶And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

2 Corinthians 4:6-7 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

¶But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

2 Corinthians 6:16b …For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.