The cleansing of His house

John 2:14 And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. We read today about a tremendous demonstration of Jesus’ love for God, the people, and holiness. This is one of two times Jesus cleansed the temple of corruption. Both times were necessary according to the Law of Leviticus 14:34-40. When you enter the land of Canaan, which I give you for a possession, and I put a mark of leprosy on a house in the land of your possession, then the one who owns the house shall come and tell the priest, saying, “Something like a mark of leprosy has become visible to me in the house.” The priest shall then command that they empty the house before the priest goes in to look at the mark, so that everything in the house need not become unclean; and afterward the priest shall go in to look at the house. So he shall look at the mark, and if the mark on the walls of the house has greenish or reddish depressions and appears deeper than the surface, then the priest shall come out of the house, to the doorway, and quarantine the house for seven days. The priest shall return on the seventh day and make an inspection. If the mark has indeed spread in the walls of the house, then the priest shall order them to tear out the stones with the mark in them and throw them away at an unclean place outside the city. When Jesus came into the temple, He found a mark of leprosy in God’s house of prayer. And by the way, He owned the house. The Law commanded that the house be cleared of the mark and then quarantined for a period of time to see if the house needed to be condemned and destroyed. If after the house was cleansed, the corruption returned, then God was condemning the house to destruction, and they were to tear out the stones that were infected. Notice in the passage that it was God who put a mark of leprosy on a house. We will read the next couple of days how His zeal, His love for His Father, and the blessing of His people who were to come to pray consumed Him. As He lived to love with His Father, His Father displayed His love for the nations and the holiness of His house. Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 56:6-7, Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to Him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants, every one who keeps from profaning the sabbath and holds fast My covenant; even those I will bring to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.” My dear Gentile brothers and sisters, Jesus loves us! He loved us then, and He loves us today. He has brought us by His blood to His holy mountain, the place of salvation, the new Eden, the holy space where God in heaven has fellowship with redeemed mankind on earth. We have access to God in prayer because we are His house—cleansed, holy to the Lord, if we hold fast our confidence in Christ and the boast of our assurance firm until the end. We do that as we live to love with Jesus. I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of “giving it forward,” so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.