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Daily Devotionals
Voice of the Lord
You are to come to the place where ADONAI your God will put his name....which is where he will live (Deuteronomy 12:5).
Even before Israel crossed the Yarden (Jordan), God declared that he would choose a place somewhere in this Promised Land in which to manifest his Name. That place, Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), was captured and established under King David. Under David's son, Shlomo (Solomon), the Temple was built on that spot. At the dedication of this Temple (1 Kings 8), Shlomo prayed that God would meet the needs of Israel when they came before the Lord in the Temple, or if they would pray toward Yerushalayim, in faith, from a distance. To this day, in synagogues around the world, Torah scrolls are located so that when the worshippers face them they are also looking towards Yerushalayim.
Why was prayer efficacious when directed toward the Temple and toward the holy city? That was the place where God provided the means for sinful humanity to reconnect with him by sacrifices, providing forgiveness and purification.
Similarly, turning to Yeshua in faith is how we touch the manifestation of God's presence, where forgiveness and cleansing can be realized. We can still face Yerushalayim when we pray. However, the answer to our prayers comes not from the place, but from the person— Yeshua—who gave his life for us in Yerushalayim and will, one day, return there to reign.
...remember that all my needs are met by turning towards the one who is the living Temple of God.
MM
The Voice of the Lord, Copyright © 1998 by the Lewis and Harriet Lederer Foundation, Inc. Published by Messianic Jewish Publishers, Distributed by Messianic Jewish Resources, www.messianicjewish.net. All rights reserved. Used by permission. No part of this article may be reproduced in print or on the web, or transmitted in any form, without the written permission of the publisher.
