Posted by Chester Morton / Thursday, 2 February 2017 / No comments
The importance of the Temple of Jerusalem
Introduction
The Temple has been the nerve centre of religious activity
before, during and after the time of Jesus. It was the symbol of the presence
of God in the lives of the people of Israel.
IMPORTANCE
As the House of God
When Solomon built the first Temple, he dedicated it to the
Lord and the entire nation of Israel regarded it as the House of God. According
to David in Psalm 4:6, the Temple is “the Holy habitation of the Most High”
House of prayer and worship
The Temple has also been regarded as a place of prayer and
worship. Indeed, the nation of Israel congregated in the Temple for worship and
for prayers. Apart from praying as a nation to ask for special favours from
God, individuals also went to offer personal prayers to request God for one
thing or the other.
Place of sacrifice
The temple also served as a place for the offering of sacrifice
to the Lord God. The children of Israel came to the temple to offer different
kinds of animals to the Lord as sacrifice. The Priests led national sacrifices on the behalf
of the people to atone for the sins of the nation or to ask for favours in
battles etc.
Used for the celebration of festivals
The Temple was very important as a venue for the celebration
of Jewish festivals. Some of these important festivals include the Passover,
the Pentecost and the Tabernacles.
Offered accommodation to the High Priest
The Temple was also important as it served as the abode of
the High Priest and his family. They dwelt in the Temple as would any resident
pastor of today. This probably made his work of supervising the worship of the
Lord much easier than if he had to trek from a distance.
Place for carrying out justice
Another importance was that it served as place where the
citizens could receive justice if they were wronged or to exact punishment for an
earring Jew. The Sanhedrin sat in one of the chambers in the Temple to hold
trials.
Source of revenue
The Temple was important as a source of revenue. The revenue
was generated through the payment of Temple Tax by all male Jews who were
twelve years and above. Half of a shekel was charged per male citizen above 12
years per annum and was used in the maintenance of the Temple.
Dedication of children
Another essential element of the Temple was that children who
were born in Israel were dedicated to the Lord in the Temple.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
1. a. Describe the structure of the Temple.
b. In which four
ways is the Temple important in the history of Israel?
2. Highlight six ways in which the Temple of Jerusalem is
important to the Jews.
