'Built together' here in Greek is 'sunoikodomeo', which means 'being constructed, or composed together', and 'dwelling place' ('habitation' in King James Version) here is from the word 'kat(a)oikeo', which means 'to reside permanently, or to be housed permanently'.
In cross reference, let's look now at 1 Corinthians 6:17, and then 1 Corinthians 6:19. It says, 'But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him... Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?'
In 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, Paul wrote, 'Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells (lives) in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred (holy, set apart, separated unto God), and you are that temple'.
From the Scriptures above, it is clear that in the New Covenant, God dwells (lives) not in temples made of bricks and stones, but He dwells (lives) in you, the temple of the Holy Spirit. By the way, the word 'temple' mentioned in all the above verses here is called 'naos' (pronounced 'nah-os') in Greek, which simply means 'dwelling place'.
One can personalize Ephesians 2:22 this way: "In Christ, I am being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit."
People of God, do you see that now? You are being built together for what? What was the reason God 'constructed, or composed' ('sunoikodomeo') you in the first place?
The answer is so that He can make His home in you! For some people in this world, they live for eating, for some, they live for drinking, and still for some others, they live for all the pleasures they can ever get in this world, but God's Word says you are being 'built together' for God's glory (presence) to reside in you!
Note: There is nothing wrong with eating, drinking, and enjoying the good pleasures that God has given you, but I mean 'the kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking, but rather righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit' (Romans 14:17).
And when the glory of the Lord is in you, people will come looking for you because somehow they know you have the 'answer' to their 'questions'! That was exactly what happened when the temple of Solomon was being dedicated to the Lord! (see 1 Kings 8:22-63) 1 Kings 8:60 says, '(so) that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; and there is no other'.
The Old Testament is the 'shadow', and the New Testament is the 'substance'. So, let's go to the Old Testament now to find out the details of what a 'temple' is, and let Scripture interpret Scripture. In the context of our Bible-study today, the temple of Solomon is the 'shadow', and you (the temple of the Holy Spirit) are the 'substance'.
Note: The composition of the temple
'The inner sanctuary ('The Most Holy
Place' where the ark of the covenant is)' speaks of your 'spirit';
'The Holy Place' speaks of your 'soul';
and
'The porch and the outer court' speaks of
your 'body'.
Therefore, I can say that the temple of Solomon those days was a 'picture' of you today, the temple of the Holy Spirit.
1 Kings 6:22 says, 'The whole temple he (Solomon) overlaid with gold until he had finished all the temple; also he overlaid with gold the entire altar that was by the inner sanctuary'. When I see this word 'gold', one word comes into mind, and that word is 'precious'! And the Bible says, 'The whole temple of Solomon was overlaid with gold'! You know what this means? God is telling you today that you are precious in His eyes too, even if others may not see you that way! But God sees you precious! Period.
1 Kings 8:1 then says, 'Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the City of David, which is Zion'.
This 'ark of the covenant' speaks of Jesus Himself, the King of Glory. 1 Kings 8:9 says, 'Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there...' The 'two tablets of stone' here speaks of the 'Law' given to Moses. The Bible says 'Jesus has come to fulfil (satisfy) the Law...' (see Matthew 5:17-18). As a matter of fact, no one can fulfil (satisfy) the Law perfectly except Jesus who is perfect in all His ways.
Now, notice in 1 Kings 8:5, the Bible says, 'Also King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered for multitude'.
Before the 'ark' (which speaks of 'Jesus') was brought into the 'inner sanctuary' (which speaks of 'your spirit, or heart'), there was a sacrifice of sheep and oxen 'that could not be counted or numbered for multitude'.
Today, in the New Covenant, we don't need to sacrifice sheep and oxen any more, because Jesus (the Lamb of God) has already been sacrificed for you, once for all! Hebrews 10:10 says, 'By that (sacrifice) will we have been sanctified (cleansed, set apart, made holy) through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all'. So, what you need to do today is simply looking to all that Jesus has done for you at the cross. Many people see Jesus as just another 'religious' teacher or prophet, but what do you see Jesus as? He is THE Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29), and there is no other name by which one is saved but the name of Jesus! (see Acts 4:12) May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23), as you keep looking unto Him. Amen.
Indeed, His sacrifice on the cross some 2,000 years ago was a perfect sacrifice, greater than all the sheep and oxen being put together and sacrificed in this world! (see Hebrews 10:1)
Upon bringing the 'ark of the covenant' into its rightful place (i.e. the inner sanctuary), 1 Kings 8:10 says, 'And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud (speaks of 'the glory of the Lord') filled the house of the Lord (i.e. the temple)'!
Note: The glory of the Lord is His very presence, and where the presence of the Lord is, there is peace, rest, and joy.
As you open your heart for the 'ark' to come into your 'inner sanctuary', you too will be filled with the glory of the Lord who dwells in you! Never mind about the past, or what has happened in your past, but in Him, know that the blood shed on the cross for you has already washed and cleansed you from all your sins, curse, past and hurts the moment you receive Him into your life. Just as the temple of Solomon was dedicated, you too can have a brand-new start in life today! Will you give your life to Him anew and afresh all over again? A brand-new season of God's glory beckons if you do.
In amazement of the glory of the Lord that filled the temple, Solomon then said, "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built! Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O Lord my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying befire You today; that Your eyes may be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, 'My name shall be there,' that You may hear the prayer that Your servant makes toward this place." (1 Kings 8:27-29)
Beloved of God, God also wants you to know that His eyes are always open toward you too (His temple) night and day, for He never slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4), and therefore you can be assured that He is always watching over you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Not only that, because He makes you His home, His name shall also be in you, and He is your:
El-Shaddai (God Almighty and All-Sufficient to you),
El-Olam (God Everlasting and Eternal to you),
El-Roi (God who watches, who sees, and who is All-knowing to you),
El-Gibbor (God the great God to you),
Immanu-El (God who is with you),
YHWH Yireh (The Lord who provides for you),
YHWH Rapha (The Lord who heals you),
YHWH Nissi (The Lord your Banner of Victory),
YHWH Shalom (The Lord your Peace),
YHWH Raah (The Lord your Good Shepherd),
YHWH Tsidkenu (The Lord your Righteousness),
YHWH Shammah (The Lord who is always here for you, and Ever-present to you),
who lives in you.
And so, if He is in you, of whom (and what) shall you fear?
