“Drink waters out of thine own cistern, And running waters out of thine own well. Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, And rivers of waters in the streets. Let them be only thine own, And not strangers' with thee. Let thy fountain be blessed: And rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; Let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; And be thou ravished always with her love. And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, And embrace the bosom of a stranger? For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, And he pondereth all his goings. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, And he shall be holden with the cords of his sins. He shall die without instruction; And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.”
Proverbs 5:15-23 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/pro.5.15-23.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 ...