Know ye not that ye are the temple of God?
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
The temple of God is Holy. If we have the Spirit of God dwelling in us, we are the temple of God. If we defile ourselves, God will destroy us.
Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? 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. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
As the temple of the living God, we must not be yoked with people that do not believe God or people that are not pursuing the righteousness of God. The light of God has no fellowship with the darkness of this world. There is no agreement between Jesus and Satan. What portion or participation does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? Is there an agreement with the temple of God and idols? No, idols have no part in the temple of God.
As the temple of the living God, He said He dwells in us and walks in us. There can be no form of idolatry in us. He does not share space with idols. He is our God and we are His people. As such, we must come out from the world and be separate. We cannot touch the things that God calls unclean. When we separate from idolatry then He will receive us. He will be a father to us and we will be His children. Having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all the things that offend God, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
Exodus 32
5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the Lord. 6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. 7 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
9 And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.
Paul uses the incident with Israel and the golden calf as an example of idolatry. When Moses went up to the mountain the first time to get the 10 commandments from God, the people of Israel grew wary waiting for him to return. Aaron made a golden calf out of gold with his hands. The people of God then started worshiping the golden calf as if it were the God that brought them out of bondage in Egypt. Aaron built an altar before the calf and proclaimed that the next day would be a feast day unto God.
The next day they rose up early and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. They sat down to eat and drink at the altar of this false god, and rose up to play. The things that they did were the things that God told them to do on His feast days. But they made up for themselves this feast day and worshiped an image, calling it the one true God.
God calls this idolatry. This day was not a day that God proclaimed for an appointed day to worship Him. He didn’t care that they thought that they were worshiping Him. God was so angry that Israel had corrupted themselves and turned so quickly against the way that He said to go, that He was ready to destroy each and every one of them and start over building a new nation through Moses.
Israel thought that they were worshiping God, but they were doing it in a way that God did not ask for. We have to be very careful that we are worshiping the God of the Bible, not a god that someone has fashioned in their own mind. He is very particular in the way that He has asked us to worship Him. We need to worship Him how He asked us to worship Him. If we can’t find in the Bible the days and the customs that we use to worship God, we need to question why we are doing it.
8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
Numbers 25
4 And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel. 5 And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor.
6 And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 7 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; 8 And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.
9 And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand. 10 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. 12 Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: 13 And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.
Israel was living in Shittim and they started fornicating with the daughters of Moab. They invited Israel to the sacrifices of their gods. The people of Israel ate and bowed down to their gods. Israel through these actions joined themselves to Baal Peor and so God was furious with His people. God told Moses to hang the chiefs of the people in the sun so that God’s anger would be turned away from Israel. Moses had everyone that had joined themselves to Baal Peor killed. God takes idolatry very seriously!
Just then a man of Israel brought a woman from Midian into the camp in the sight for all to see. Phinehas, from the line of Aaron, rose up and slew both of them with a javelin. The plague against Israel was stopped. Phinehas was zealous for God and stood firm against the idolatry that was going on in Israel. God proclaimed that because Phinehas was zealous for God, He turned His wrath away from Israel and God did not consume any more in His jealousy. God made a covenant of peace with Phinehas and his seed after him, that they would have a covenant of an everlasting priesthood because he was zealous for God and had made atonement for the children of Israel.
Let us not tempt Christ
9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
Serpents
1. a snake
2. (figuratively, of sly cunning) an artfully malicious person
3. (especially) Satan
The people of Israel tempted God by going against the things that He said to do and instead they followed after the worship of the gods of the nations around them; the things satan would have them do. Those that were destroyed, were destroyed because of the works of the serpent. People working against God, whether intentionally or out of ignorance, are walking with the serpent and will be destroyed. We must examine ourselves and those that we look up to spiritually to see if the words and actions line up with what God said to do or to see if things have been added or taken away from what the scriptures reveal. If we don’t, we may be destroyed because of the serpents.
10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall 13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
All of these things happened to Israel for our example. We have encountered all of this in our life as we are coming upon the end of this current world system. We need to take heed to these examples or we might fall just like Israel did. These temptations are common to mankind. God is faithful though and has made a way to escape.
14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.
We must flee from the things that God calls idolatry.
16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. 18 Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?
We have the bread and the wine that Jesus offers us at the Lord’s table. We are all one body and all partakers in Jesus. When Israel sacrificed at the altar they partook in that offering by eating, whether it was at the altar of God or at the altar of demons with the false gods. Sitting at the table and eating is a covenant meal, whether to God or to a false god.
19 What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? 20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. 21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. 22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
Idols aren’t anything and that which is sacrificed in their offering is nothing, but the meal and the worship that the gentiles offer up are sacrificed to devils. They aren’t serving or celebrating God. We are not to have fellowship with devils. We cannot be partakers with Jesus and also partakers of false god worship. Idolatry provokes God to jealousy. We’re not to provoke God to jealousy.
God gave Israel strict guidelines so that they could keep themselves from being defiled.
2 Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree: 3 And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place. 4 Ye shall not do so unto the Lord your God.
29 When the Lord thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; 30 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. 31 Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. 32 What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
Israel was told to destroy all the places wherein the nations serve or worship their gods. They were to break down the altars and pillars and burn down their groves of trees. Trees are often associated with idolatry all throughout scripture. The alternate worship system has a fascination with trees, especially evergreens. We cannot worship God in the ways that the gentiles worship their gods. We need to observe what God said to do and not add to it or take away from it.
1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, 2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; 3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
If someone claims to be a voice for God- a prophet, someone who has dreams or visions, a pastor, and they tell you to go after other gods and to serve them, do not listen to them. Even if they are performing signs or miracles. Remember from the example above, God said that Israel had joined themselves to Baal-Peor just by going to and participating in their sacrifices. Having a meal is a form of worship to God. His covenant was sealed with a meal. When we participate in meals that originate from the customs of the gentile nations, God considers us to be joined to that false god.
God uses this to prove us. He knows by what we celebrate, or how we celebrate Him, if we love Him with all of our heart and with all of our soul. He says that we don’t love Him with all of our heart if we are participating in these things.
4 Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
When we walk after the things that God said to do- obey His voice, and keep His commandments, and serve Him, then we will be kept from the things that are contrary to God. He proves us by whether we are doing the things that He said to do or not following His ways. God gave us a way to follow and if we follow that or not proves to Him where our heart is.
5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the Lord thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.
The people that speak against God and tell us not to walk in His ways, will be put to death.
Remember the example in the garden. The serpent tempted Eve (Genesis 3:4) “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:”. God has given instructions and commandments for His people to follow. Anyone that turns us away from those commandments and instructions, are following the serpent. They will not inherit eternal life.
6 If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; 7 Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth; 8 Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him:
If anyone tells you that it is ok to go after other gods or to serve other gods, you must not listen to them. This includes worshiping God by taking customs and holidays (sacrifices) from the gentile nations and putting God’s name on it. God does not see this as you worshiping Him. He calls this fornication and idolatry. God’s people have ways to worship God and the gentiles have ways that they worship their gods. We are not to mix the two.
9 But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. 10 And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
God was so serious about this that He said that these people must be put to death. We obviously don’t put them to death now, but we need to cut their influence off. We must not listen to them or have them as a spiritual authority in our lives. God does promise that they will die. They will not inherit eternal life.
11 And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you. 12 If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities, which the Lord thy God hath given thee to dwell there, saying, 13 Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;
God says that the people that do these things are the children of Belial. He does not consider them His children because they are not hearing and obeying His voice.
14 Then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you; 15 Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword. 16 And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, for the Lord thy God: and it shall be an heap for ever; it shall not be built again.
We must cut these people off.
17 And there shall cleave nought of the cursed thing to thine hand: that the Lord may turn from the fierceness of his anger, and shew thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers; 18 When thou shalt hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the Lord thy God.
When we cleanse our camp of these foreign practices, things that God calls cursed, then God will turn from His anger and show us mercy and compassion. He does this when we hear and obey His voice and keep His commandments.
If anyone- a prophet, a family member, a friend, anyone at all, tells you to worship God in a way that he did not tell us to do, we need to cut them off. We are told not to listen to them because they are leading us away from God. If they lead us away from the commandments of God or the way that He told us to walk, cut them off!
This is how God will prove us to see if we love Him with all of our heart and all of our soul. We are to walk after the Lord our God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, serve him, and cleave to him. This is how we keep our temple clean.
The children of Belial, those that have fallen to the ways of the world are all around us. We must cling to the Word of God and serve Him how He asked us to serve Him. These are tough words from God but it is what He expects from His children or people who say that they love Him. We know from scripture that He does not change so we can’t expect Him to have a different opinion now.
We must be reminded of Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron-
10 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not. 2 And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. 3 Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.
Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire and incense before God. Such that He did not ask for. God devoured them and they died because their worship was not what God had asked for. Moses told Aaron that God had spoken and said that anyone that comes to Him, must be sanctified. He will be glorified before all the people.
He has asked for things to be done in a certain way so that He is set apart from all other gods.
Come out and be separate
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? 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. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Paul taught the Corinthians that they had to come out of the practices that they had inherited from the world around them. These were people that had come to know God but they were surrounded by gentiles and they had grown up doing gentile customs. He taught them that they had to get rid of the unclean worship and be separate from the gentiles so that God would accept them. Once they got rid of these unclean practices, then God would receive them and be a Father to them and call them His children.
Let us cleanse our temple
Israel had been slaves in Egypt for over 400 years. They had grown up being surrounded by customs that were used to worship the false gods. They had inherited these customs from being a sojourner in a strange land. They had inherited the lies of idolatry.
Idolatry is worship offered to God that He did not ask for, or the mixing in of pagan customs. In the example of the golden calf they set a day to worship God that He did not tell them to. They made a golden calf and used that as the image to worship God. He said do not do that. God considers it fornication when we take customs from the nations and try to worship Him with those customs. He does not accept it when we make up our own feast days and use the customs of the nations to worship Him. We aren’t being obedient to His voice when we do these things.
We too are sojourners in a strange land; We are not in the promised land. We too have inherited customs that go back to the worship of false gods. When we come to Jesus we are a destroyed temple. We have been desecrated by the world around us. We have to rebuild and restore our temple to the one true God. God won’t dwell just anywhere. We have to remove all of the offending works and align our works with the God of the Bible. We must purge our temples and not touch the things that God calls abominable if we want to be holy to Him.
Worship practices and symbols that are not ordained by God, have no place inside of the temple of God. It is our responsibility to search out and to cleanse ourselves of any adopted practices that have not originated from God; any form of worship that is not God ordained. If we do not make sure that our temple is cleansed of all foreign practices, we are defiled and God will destroy our temple. Let us take heed to the warning from Paul.
Dedication:
- Hanukkah: A Time of Dedication
- Antiochus Epiphanes: A Type of Antichrist
- Hanukkah: Know Your Antiochus Epiphanes
- Hanukkah: Building On the Foundation of Jesus
- Hanukkah: Jesus at the Feast of Dedication
- Current Post