“Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: For wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them. As for me, I will call upon God; And the LORD shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: And he shall hear my voice. He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: For there were many with me. God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.”
Psalm 55:15-19 KJV,https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.55.15-19.KJV
The Church is God’s Sacred Space
Back when the Old Testament stories were still being lived out, God designated sacred spaces for His people to meet with Him.
First, God planted a garden in Eden—a beautiful space in paradise for His prized creations. Next, the tabernacle was a portable space in the wilderness for the Israelites who’d been rescued from Egyptian slavery. Then, the temple was a permanent space in Jerusalem for the people of Israel.
In all instances, these were specially chosen places of worship, as well as tangible signs of God’s presence.
The Creator of everything that exists can’t be confined to a garden, a tent, or a building, but it was in those sacred spaces where heaven and earth could overlap.
Fun fact: Garden imagery is all over the decorative details of both the tabernacle and the temple: palm trees and pomegranates, water lilies and almond blossoms, lions and oxen, vibrant colors and precious metals. Such designs are meant to point back to the beginning—before ...