Sunday, April 8, 2012

Psalm 18:6


Copyright Ó 2012 J. Neely
Psalm 18:6

6 In my distress [tsar] I called [qara'] upon the LORD, [Yahovah] and cried [shava`] unto my God: ['elohiym] he heard [shama`] my voice [qowl] out of his temple, [heykal] and my cry [shav`ah] came [bow'] before [paniym] him, even into his ears. ['ozen] KJV-Interlinear

6 In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple, And my cry for help before Him came into His ears. NASB

When David was burdened with distresses, he turned to God in prayer.  Most folks turn to themselves or most certainly turn to something other than God.  Generally they turn to sour grapes, anger, blame, feelings of self-pity, defiance, obstinacy, and so forth.

However, David turned to God in urgency and determination.  David turned to God, in Gods temple, such that God actually heard his prayer.

But how could that be when no temple existed in Davids time?  But then David himself refers to Gods temple.

When God restored the world, He walked in the Garden with Adam and Eve, but had no residence on this earth for Himself.  As time went on, an Arc was constructed and that became Gods residence, albeit a temporary residence.  Then Solomon built a temple and two holy rooms inside of a tabernacle building. It was in the inner room, called the Holy of Holies, in which God resided.

But remember that God had only temporary homes through and until the time of Christ, and even then nearly forty years after the Cross, the temple and nearly all of Jerusalem was destroyed.  However, Gods residence had shifted into believers in our current dispensation.  But then too, even our bodies are temporary at best.

Gods permanent residence, as we have studied in Ephesians, is ultimately targeted for indwelling each and every believer for the rest of eternity.

However, the temple is not a building, nor a place, but too, it is a sphere in which interaction may take place between God and man.  And that sphere is found in the concept of holiness, which is the combination of Gods righteousness and Gods justice.  These two come together in a sphere which we call the spiritual life, for fellowship.

In order to access Gods temple and thus be able to approach Him, we must first be saved, and second we must be in fellowship. These are two functions that are available only to believers.  No unbeliever can have access to God.  No unbelievers prayer is heard by God, except for that faith in Christ required for salvation.  All unbelievers lack access to God while they remain as unbelievers.

Therefore, the temple that David is referring to is one of fellowship, or the sphere of the spiritual life acquired through confession, in which approach to God may be authorized and obtained.

All prayer is directed to God the Father, in the name of the Savior, who is Christ, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. When these components are in place, then God hears all prayers offered.

In His own ears, means just that.  God hears all prayers that are submitted from within the defined boundaries of His temple.  And that temple exists only for believers who are in fellowship.


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