Sanctuary – Lamentations 1:10
10 Enemies have stretched out their hands
The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), La 1:10.
over all her precious things;
she has even seen the nations
invade her sanctuary,
those whom you forbade
to enter your congregation.
Most of us have things that we consider our own, private, and often held closely. Sometimes, for example, this is our family. Sometimes it is our family home.
A few months ago Jody and I experienced an attempt to break into our house by someone who intended to do us violence. The individual was experiencing mental issues that made him feel we were a threat. The situation worked itself out, but we still have habits that were changed due to that experience. Somehow, we don’t feel quite as secure. Someone didn’t enter, but did seriously threaten our home, our sanctuary.
Often when we discuss safety, we emphasize the safety of our property and most importantly our home. In communities a century or so ago in the United States you might have just one church, and in times of trouble, that church might be regarded as a sanctuary.
Judah had a sanctuary, the temple in Jerusalem. They believed that many bad things might happen to them, but the temple was secure. As long as the temple was there, they could never be completely destroyed. Jeremiah (chapter 7) tells them that if they are far from the Lord, they can’t depend on the Lord’s temple to save them.
As Christians we speak of Christ being in us, and us in Christ. In 1 Peter 2:5 we’re called to be living stones, to be built into a spiritual house. For us, there is to be a sanctuary in us and around us that travels with us. It’s the presence of Jesus with us.
Are you living as a spiritual house? A sanctuary?
