Short Bulletin Article
07 Dec 2011

For Want of the Inner Temple

Source/Author: Dr Michael Dalseno

Why is it that many people tend to look at, or focus on, the "Outer Temple" of their lives yet neglect the "Inner Temple" of their hearts, life and Character?

… for want of the inner Temple …

By Dr D

Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words, saying, 'This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.'” (Jer 7.4 NASB).

When Jeremiah penned these words, the Northern kingdom of Israel had already gone into exile, despite the Lord dispatching the prophets Elijah and Elisha to them, and soon after, Amos and Hosea. Now the Babylonians were threatening the same to the Southern kingdom of Judah, Judah having barely escaped the Assyrian rampage just over a century earlier; thanks to the godly duo, king Hezekiah and Isaiah the prophet.

Time was running out for Judah, as was the patience of God. A barrage of prophets had already been sent to Judah warning them to repent, dispense with idols, and serve the Lord; prophets including Isaiah, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah and Habakkuk. Now, Jeremiah was the last voice, and the last hope, for Judah - but to no avail.

So, why was Judah failing to shift itself and get into line? True, we know that they wanted to persist in idolatry and in their own ways, but what was actually responsible for giving them this false sense of security – the conviction that the Babylonians would not invade Jerusalem, that no enemy would enter the city, and that they, unlike their ‘unfortunate’ northern brothers, would never go into exile?

Jeremiah knew why (Jer. 7.4). They had a cultish view of the Temple as if it were something of a good luck charm, a sacred relic, or an untouchable icon that the Lord would protect at any cost; “This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.” A false sense of security had somehow permeated the minds of Judah that the “outer Temple” was really all that mattered. But their fatal mistake was in not understanding the vital difference between the “outer Temple” and the “inner Temple,” for it was the latter that really mattered and really counted.

An external form of worship and dedication was all that mattered to them. They were not interested in personal devotion, repentance, and a heart for God, and were in fact very distant from God – in short, the “inner temple” of their lives had already long gone into exile. As a result, they distanced themselves even further from God, failed to soften their hearts, and maintained focus on their own life pursuits and pleasures. Ultimately, the entire nation would go into exile for want of the inner temple.

Many of our personal problems, issues, obstacles, and setbacks in life stem from a lack of attention to the “inner Temple.” Ultimately, no church, pastor, friend, icon or tradition is going to save us. What will save us is if we love and serve the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul and strength (Mk.12.30).