βJacobβ¦ lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all nightβ¦ and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillowsβ¦ And he dreamed, andβ¦ awaked out of his sleep, andβ¦ saidβ¦Β this is none other than the house of Godβ (Genesis 28:10-17).
And you thoughtΒ yourΒ starter house was humble! At least you had a roof over your head and pleasant amenities like walls, doors and windows. As you can see, the first house that God chose to call home here on earth had none of those luxuries! As a result, the first houseguest of the Almighty slept outdoors on the ground with rocks to serve as his pillows.
Godβs next house was a little more substantial, but fairly small by our standards. We speak, of course, of the ark of the covenant. At 1.5 x 1.5 x 2.5 cubits (Exodus 25:10), it could easily be featured on the popular television showΒ Tiny House Nation.Β We know it was a mobile home, for it led Godβs people through the wilderness, and we later read about something that happened βall the time that the house of God was in Shilohβ (JudgesΒ 18:31).
When God finally decided to settle down, He chose to put down roots in the land of Israel, where βSolomonβ¦built the house of the LordΒ in Jerusalemβ (I ChroniclesΒ 6:32). This is a reference to the magnificent temple that King Solomon built for God, of course. And it was into this new house of God that they brought the old house of God, when βthe priests brought in the arkβ¦into the most holy placeβΒ (II Chronicles 5:7). The temple then became the big house of God, with the little house of God inside, a more appropriate home for the God of all creation.
But this house-within-a-house is nothing compared to the living arrangements God has today. The βfearfully and wonderfully madeβΒ (Psalm 139:14)Β physical body of every believer βis the temple of the Holy Ghostβ (I CorinthiansΒ 6:19). But βthe house of Godβ today isΒ alsoΒ the local church (I Tim.Β 3:15), the gathering of Godβs people together in a local assembly. But as impressive as some of these local assemblies are, they pale in comparison to βthe church, which is His Bodyβ (EphesiansΒ 1:22,23), a church made up ofΒ allΒ believersΒ foundΒ everywhere around the world. Thus today God dwells in a house-within-a-house-within-a-
βBut in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonourβ (II TimothyΒ 2:20). Which are you? If your house is not in order, maybe itβs time to do a little housecleaning. βDearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,Β perfecting holiness in the fear of GodβΒ (II Corinthians 7:1). Godβs starter house was pretty humble, but with a little spiritual elbow grease you can make your body a house that brings Him great glory. And together we can improve our local churches to the point where βthe church, which is His Bodyβ will exceed Solomonβs temple, as far as the sun exceeds the moon, in bringing glory to God! source
