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May 27, 2022
Jerusalem, The Place God Chose
Jerusalem Day is coming up when Israelis celebrate the reunification of Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty in 1967. King David chose Jerusalem to be His capital city for political reasons some 3,000 years ago. Why did God then choose Jerusalem to house the temple? It was not due to size or location. In fact, it is a perfect example of how God often takes what is weak, small, and insignificant to do something remarkable. On those days you do not feel up to the task, just remember Jerusalem, the small city on a hill, that became God’s dwelling place.
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Transcript
1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,760
Jerusalem Day is coming up when Israelis celebrate the reunification of Jerusalem under Israeli
2
00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:10,600
sovereignty in 1967.
3
00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:13,600
But why is Jerusalem so special?
4
00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:18,480
You might say because the temple was there, but why was the temple there?
5
00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:20,560
Why Jerusalem?
6
00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:26,280
Welcome to this week's Shabbat Shalom devotional when I try to share just a little inspiration
7
00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:32,440
and maybe bring a little peace to the close of your very busy week.
8
00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:37,440
Just before the nation of Israel entered the Promised Land, the Lord instructed Moses
9
00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:43,800
to tell the people that they were to meet the Lord three times a year in a place that
10
00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:47,680
he would choose to place his name.
11
00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:54,440
Over twenty times in the wilderness, God referred to this place that he would choose
12
00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:57,400
where they would go to worship him.
13
00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:04,880
But God does not reveal the identity of that place for four hundred years.
14
00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:12,240
And in response to King David's prayer and desire to build God a house, the Lord chooses
15
00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:19,680
Jerusalem but warns David that the house is to be built by his son Solomon.
16
00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:25,760
So when Solomon did build the temple and he dedicates it to the Lord, the Lord responds
17
00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:28,120
with these amazing words,
18
00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:35,800
I have consecrated this house which you have built to put my name there forever, and my
19
00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:41,480
eyes and my heart will be there perpetually.
20
00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:49,120
God chose the place and he loved it and said his eyes and his heart would always be towards
21
00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:50,760
that place.
22
00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:57,800
Now David chose Jerusalem based on what are probably political and geographical reasons.
23
00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:01,240
But why did God choose Jerusalem?
24
00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:07,000
Jerusalem, as geographically speaking, was not a significant city.
25
00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:09,600
It was not on the highest mountain.
26
00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:11,960
It was not the biggest city.
27
00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:15,560
It was not overlooking a fertile valley.
28
00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:19,840
It was not near any of the lucrative trade routes.
29
00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:27,200
Comparatively speaking, Jerusalem was just an average, ancient, near eastern city.
30
00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:34,880
Yet Jerusalem is where God chose to place his name and to make his dwelling place.
31
00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:42,080
Now there's two stories in the book of Genesis that seem to point to some pre-existing significance
32
00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:50,080
of Jerusalem, first is the story of the king and priest Melchizedek that had a worship
33
00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:52,720
site to the one true God there.
34
00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:58,440
The second story is the binding of Isaac, where Abraham took his son Isaac up on Mount
35
00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:04,040
Moriah to sacrifice him in obedience to the Lord.
36
00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:10,440
But the true significance for Jerusalem came later when it was God's choice for the temple
37
00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:15,160
and the meeting place for him and his people, Israel.
38
00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:17,720
The point is this.
39
00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:25,200
You may feel inadequately gifted or prepared for what God is calling you to do.
40
00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:30,040
Just look to the city of Jerusalem for your inspiration.
41
00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:39,720
God often takes what is weak, small, and insignificant to do something remarkable for his glory.
42
00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:48,320
Jerusalem, the small city, on an average hill, becomes God's dwelling place.
43
00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:56,360
As you take a Shabbat rest this weekend, contemplate that and let God use you to his glory.
44
00:03:56,360 --> 00:04:13,000
And with that I want to wish you Shabbat Shalom.
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,760
Jerusalem Day is coming up when Israelis celebrate the reunification of Jerusalem under Israeli
2
00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:10,600
sovereignty in 1967.
3
00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:13,600
But why is Jerusalem so special?
4
00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:18,480
You might say because the temple was there, but why was the temple there?
5
00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:20,560
Why Jerusalem?
6
00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:26,280
Welcome to this week's Shabbat Shalom devotional when I try to share just a little inspiration
7
00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:32,440
and maybe bring a little peace to the close of your very busy week.
8
00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:37,440
Just before the nation of Israel entered the Promised Land, the Lord instructed Moses
9
00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:43,800
to tell the people that they were to meet the Lord three times a year in a place that
10
00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:47,680
he would choose to place his name.
11
00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:54,440
Over twenty times in the wilderness, God referred to this place that he would choose
12
00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:57,400
where they would go to worship him.
13
00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:04,880
But God does not reveal the identity of that place for four hundred years.
14
00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:12,240
And in response to King David's prayer and desire to build God a house, the Lord chooses
15
00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:19,680
Jerusalem but warns David that the house is to be built by his son Solomon.
16
00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:25,760
So when Solomon did build the temple and he dedicates it to the Lord, the Lord responds
17
00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:28,120
with these amazing words,
18
00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:35,800
I have consecrated this house which you have built to put my name there forever, and my
19
00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:41,480
eyes and my heart will be there perpetually.
20
00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:49,120
God chose the place and he loved it and said his eyes and his heart would always be towards
21
00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:50,760
that place.
22
00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:57,800
Now David chose Jerusalem based on what are probably political and geographical reasons.
23
00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:01,240
But why did God choose Jerusalem?
24
00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:07,000
Jerusalem, as geographically speaking, was not a significant city.
25
00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:09,600
It was not on the highest mountain.
26
00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:11,960
It was not the biggest city.
27
00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:15,560
It was not overlooking a fertile valley.
28
00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:19,840
It was not near any of the lucrative trade routes.
29
00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:27,200
Comparatively speaking, Jerusalem was just an average, ancient, near eastern city.
30
00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:34,880
Yet Jerusalem is where God chose to place his name and to make his dwelling place.
31
00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:42,080
Now there's two stories in the book of Genesis that seem to point to some pre-existing significance
32
00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:50,080
of Jerusalem, first is the story of the king and priest Melchizedek that had a worship
33
00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:52,720
site to the one true God there.
34
00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:58,440
The second story is the binding of Isaac, where Abraham took his son Isaac up on Mount
35
00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:04,040
Moriah to sacrifice him in obedience to the Lord.
36
00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:10,440
But the true significance for Jerusalem came later when it was God's choice for the temple
37
00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:15,160
and the meeting place for him and his people, Israel.
38
00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:17,720
The point is this.
39
00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:25,200
You may feel inadequately gifted or prepared for what God is calling you to do.
40
00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:30,040
Just look to the city of Jerusalem for your inspiration.
41
00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:39,720
God often takes what is weak, small, and insignificant to do something remarkable for his glory.
42
00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:48,320
Jerusalem, the small city, on an average hill, becomes God's dwelling place.
43
00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:56,360
As you take a Shabbat rest this weekend, contemplate that and let God use you to his glory.
44
00:03:56,360 --> 00:04:13,000
And with that I want to wish you Shabbat Shalom.
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