The Cry of God for His People

“In the beginning, God”

There is no other rational starting point for life than God and God’s original intent was to walk and to talk with His own creation.

He was passionate about it too.  Remember Michaelangelo's painting - you notice God reaching out to Adam and you see how outstretched God’s arm is. Every muscle on His face is contorted, and His hand is reaching as far as possible to make contact.

By contrast, Adam lackadaisically lets a limp hand dangle with apathy in an attitude that seems to say, “if it meets it meets.”

As generations came and went, God sought one in the midst of all creation, one who would understand His heart and be willing to be clasped in His hand --

•Adam
•Abraham – friend of God
•Enslavement in Egypt–God heard their cry
•Build a tabernacle
•Four generations later – David
•Build a temple

Funny thing happened –
When David began to prepare for building the temple and when the temple was built – notice a change in attitude?

From being owned by God – it was as if they now owned Him. From journeying with Him – they now had to journey to Him. As God became immovably housed, spirituality became localized, and life became disconnected from worship.

Everything that distorted worship began right there.

•Book of the Law was lost
•Sacrificial system became corrupted
•Priests lost the nobility of their calling
•People lost God when His glory departed
•Tent and alter were replaced by a power-seeking ecclesiastical authority

 God had desired to be tabernacled in each individual worshiper before they gathered for worship with one another. Stephen’s sermon, that he paid for with his life, says it all, "the Most High does not dwell in houses made with hands.” Bodies were to be the temple of God.

Malachi was a passionate plea to take a hard look at how worship had lost its worth and God’s longing for His people had been thwarted, and a weariness had set in.

John in Revelation saw no temple in the eternal city - God was not “house-bound” any longer!