34We, the priests, the Levites, and the people, have likewise cast lots for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to our fathers’ houses, at times appointed, year by year, to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the Law. 35We obligate ourselves to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of every tree, year by year, to the house of the LORD; 36also to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God, the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and of our flocks; 37and to bring the first of our dough, and our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the wine and the oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and to bring to the Levites the tithes from our ground, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our towns where we labor. 38And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive the tithes. And the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse. 39For the people of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of grain, wine, and oil to the chambers, where the vessels of the sanctuary are, as well as the priests who minister, and the gatekeepers and the singers. We will not neglect the house of our God.”
What is the “house of God” in our modern-day setting and how would we care for it?
Consider more than just a physical aspect, share how you would apply what you learned here to the group
Throughout the history of Israel, the temple, or the tabernacle before that, was called the house of God. God signified His presence there by the shekinah glory that was located in the Holy of Holies. Today, under the New Testament, no building is ever to be called the house of God. This has been ignored by churches throughout the centuries, and temples, cathedrals, tabernacles, and church buildings have all been called the house of God. If you look at the teaching of the New Testament, however, you will find that it is not a building but the people who are the house of God. At one point, we even changed the sign in front of our building to reflect this truth. Where it says Peninsula Bible Church, we added the words Meets Here. Thus, it is not the building that is the church–it is the people who gather here. They are the house of God.
Notice the commitment of these people to attend faithfully the worship services of the temple. We all need the ministry of the saints. Paul prayed that the Ephesians may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:18-19). You cannot do that without the ministry of other people. Hebrews has a specific admonition to that end: Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:25). The writer is referring to the return of Jesus. As we see it nearing, we need all the more to gather together because we need each other’s support.
Two men of widely different temperaments work together. Normally they would not get along very well, and they might not even like each other. But they work together, and both agree that having to work with someone with whom they do not particularly have an affinity has been a blessing to them. They have learned how to appreciate someone different from themselves. They have learned how to be tolerant and patient with one another. Though it has been a struggle and they have had their moments, they both agree that God has used this to teach them how to grow. So even those in the house of God who irritate us can be of benefit to us.
Have we learned patience and received blessing from believers who are different from us? Are we faithfully meeting and ministering with others in the body of Christ?
The first image that comes to my mind of the House of God is our church. We can care for our church by being active members through our time of worship, service, and fellowship. Being apart of the body of believers, we can also be seen as the House of God. We can care for other believers in our community by praying, serving, and spurring each other on towards love and good deeds.
The house of God in the past is the actual temple. But the house of God today is not about the church or the building itself, but it’s the people in it. The people who has the same hope and believe in Jesus Christ. To take care of the house of God today, we have to take care of the foundation, which is the people of God. We have to pray with one another, check to see how each other are doing, both in real life and in spiritual life. And we have to help each other grow more in Christ so that we can experience His love for us more everyday 🙂
I believe the “house of God” in today’s setting is what it literally means, the church/the place where people gather to worship. The way I care about my church is take ownership of it and care for its members. I also would want to participate in worship, in giving, offering, and trying to be used by God.
From brother Don
To answer the first part of the question directly, the “house of God” in our modern day setting is the church- His body of believers. The people of God make up His temple. “For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people,” (2 Corinthians 6:16).
As for the second part of the question, which asks how we would care for it, (the house of God), I had two distinct observations from this passage of Nehemiah. First, we see the “casting of lots” to choose those who would carry the wood for the constantly burning altar. This had formerly been the duty of the Nethinim, but since few of them had returned from Babylon, the gap had to be filled. This would suggest to me that the first step to caring for the church would be to notice what is needed and lacking, then try to fill that gap. The second observation I made in this passage is the use of the words “firstfruits” and “firstborn,” which would implicate that the house of God, which for us today would be His church- the people that make up the body of Christ- would come first. It would suggest that our obligations to God through His church should come before our own selfish ambitions and desires.
Lord, thank You for bringing us into Your body, and using each of us in the building of Your eternal kingdom. Help us to see what is required and to fill the gaps. Forgive me, Lord, for placing other things before You and Your house. Help us to remember that we live to glorify You, and You are more than worthy of all our “firstfruits.” Let all that we have, even our suffering, be devoted to You, that we would be used by You to further Your kingdom here on earth until You come again!
The house of God refers to the community of believers, at least in present day context. We don’t have a temple or tabernacle where the literal presence of God presided so it’s among the people rather than a physical building. Concerning how we care for it, i think it’s fairly obvious. We have to care for our brothers and sisters who make up the church. How we care for them may differ on a case by case basis, but as it took the Levites and Israelites sacrifices, we also have to be willing to give in order to keep our version of the house of God healthy. I believe that without a giving heart the church would crumble due to selfishness. And it’s not just money. Time, effort, and yes money, but the willingness should be there