Every so often, I have an opportunity to accompany the local Gideons to conduct protestant worship services in a jail facility near me. Since I can play the piano somewhat, I’ve volunteered as the team songleader. For such services, I’ve been thinking about using a song by Daphne Rademaker, titled Resting Place. Since the song opens up with a passage from Isaiah chapter 66, where the Creator is speaking in the first person, I thought it might be helpful to introduce the song for those who may not be familiar with the text. In my head, my introduction quickly turned into a bit of a sermon – something like this:

Here God is saying what sort of temple could be built that would contain Him? In the verses that follow, it’s clear that He isn’t impressed with the attitude of some worshipers as they conduct outward rituals of worship. At the time of the Exodus, the temple was an elaborate tent. Whenever God manifested His presence in another place, they packed up the tent and moved to that location. The original temple was a means to meet with and worship the Creator.

Hundreds of years later, King Solomon had a more permanent temple built, and initially, God honored it with His presence. But by the time of the Babylonian conquest, the temple itself had become the icon of worship. We read in Jeremiah, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Do not trust in these lying words, saying, “The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these.”‘” (Jer. 7:3,4)

In the verses that follow, it appears that the people were thinking that the presence of the temple indicated the presence of God, when, in fact, their behaviors and attitudes alienated them from God’s blessings.

Even after the return from captivity, and two new temples (of Zerubbabel and then Herod the Great), things really hadn’t improved. Early in the first century, AD, we find a conversation between Jesus and a Samaritan woman (John chapter 4) in which she states, “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” The issue of the day was the location of worship – not the One to worship.

Jesus rightly replied “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father… the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” There are several other New Testament passages that indicate that the temple itself was esteemed equal to or maybe even more highly than God Himself – especially among the religious leaders.

Returning to the Isaiah passage, God asks, “Where will My resting place be?” The perfect answer in Daphne’s song is “Here, oh Lord, have I prepared a resting place.” That is, in my heart; in my life. The Apostle Peter writes of this new temple in his first epistle “you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

A building is important in that it provides us with a place to worship in community. But let us focus upon Whom we have come to worship.