Beyt YHWH: Where is the HOUSE of YHWH?

House: Beyt, masculine noun (Strong’s 1004).

Root: בּיִת

Sounds like: bait/vait

Last week I had the privilege of visiting my Greatx7 grandparents house that they built in 1722. Sarah Wells, at the age of 16, was the first colonial woman to settle on the Wawayanda Patent, New York. You can read about her adventures here. She married English stone mason, William Bull, in 1718. They would raise their family of 12 children in this home. I am a descendant of their youngest son, Richard, who was the only child to remain loyal to the King of England in the midst of the American Revolution. At the end of the war he and his wife, Jemima Budd Bull, and their young children, moved to (what is now) New Brunswick, Canada.

It must have been hard for Richard to stand by his convictions, when all his family believed otherwise. I imagine there was heartbreak on both sides as Richard said goodbye to his mother and siblings and headed off for new adventures up North. Richard received land from the crown and they settled near the Hammond River, outside of Saint John, New Brunswick. 

Back in Orange County, New York, Richard’s mother, Sarah, lived in the old stone house most of her adult life. She lived to the age of 102!

It was such a pleasure to walk through the old home with its thick stone walls, large doors, huge fireplaces and soft whispers of days gone by. I really did feel a sense of connection there, like I belonged.

YHWH’s earthly “house” (also known as the Temple) gave that same sense of connection to all the Jewish people who had the pleasure of visiting it in Jerusalem. Of course, it wasn’t always in Jerusalem. Before its permanent location was decided, YHWH’s “house” was a moveable tent (tabernacle).

The word house, in Hebrew, was beyt. Many place names included the word for house. Jacob had his dream about a ladder to heaven in Bethel (Beyt El), House of God; Yeshua was born in Bethlehem (beyt lekhem), the House of Bread; Mary, sister of Lazarus, anointed Yeshua’s feet with her hair in her hometown of Bethany (Beyt Ania), House of Affliction. 

Eventually David wanted to build a permanent House for YHWH in Jerusalem (which means the City or Cornerstone of Peace), but God had other plans:

1 Chronicles 28:2-8

Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people; I had intended to build a permanent home [beyt בֵּ֨ית] for the ark of the covenant of YHWH and for the footstool of our God. So I had made preparations to build it. But God said to me, ‘You shall not build a house [vayit בַ֖יִת] for My name, because you are a man of war and have shed blood.’ Yet, YHWH, the God of Israel, chose me from all the household of my father [beyt avi בֵּית־אָבִ֗י] to be king over Israel forever. For He has chosen Judah to be a leader; and in the house of Judah [u-v-veyt Y’hudah וּבְבֵ֥ית יְהוּדָ֖ה], my father’s house [beyt avi בֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑י], and among the sons of my father He took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. Of all my sons (for YHWH has given me many sons), He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of YHWH over Israel. He said to me, ‘Your son Solomon is the one who shall build My house [veyti בֵיתִ֖י] and My courtyards; for I have chosen him to be a son to Me, and I will be a Father to him. I will establish his kingdom forever if he resolutely performs My commandments and My ordinances, as is done now.’ So now, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of YHWH, and in the presence of our God, keep and seek after all the commandments of YHWH your God so that you may possess the good land and leave it as an inheritance to your sons after you forever.

David had shed too much blood and was associated with too much death to build God’s earthly dwelling place. YHWH was the God of life and living, not war and death. As a result, David’s son, Solomon, would be given the job as the project planner of YHWH’s house:

1 Chronicles 28:9-20

[David to Solomon:] “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind; for YHWH searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. Consider now, for YHWH has chosen you to build a house [bayit בַּ֥יִת] for the sanctuary; be courageous and act.”

Then David gave to his son Solomon the plan of the porch of the temple, its buildings, its storehouses, its upper rooms, its inner rooms, and the room for the atoning cover; and the plan of all that he had in mind, for the courtyards of the house YHWH [beyt YHWH בֵּית־יְהוָ֛ה], and for all the surrounding rooms, for the storehouses of the house of God [beyt ha-Elohim בֵּ֣ית הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים] and for the storehouses of the dedicated things; also for the divisions of the priests and the Levites and for all the work of the service of the house of YHWH [beyt YHWH בֵּית־יְהוָ֑ה] and for all the utensils of service in the house of YHWH [beyt YHWH בֵּית־יְהוָֽה]; for the golden utensils, by weight of gold for all utensils for every service; for all the silver utensils, by weight of silver for all utensils for every service; and the weight of gold for the golden lampstands and their golden lamps, with the weight of each lampstand and its lamps; and the weight of silver for the silver lampstands, with the weight of each lampstand and its lamps according to the use of each lampstand; and the gold by weight for the tables of the showbread, for each table; and silver for the silver tables; and the forks, the basins, and the pitchers of pure gold; and for the golden bowls with the weight for each bowl; and for the silver bowls with the weight for each bowl; and for the altar of incense, refined gold by weight; and gold for the model of the chariot, and the cherubim that spread out their wings and covered the ark of the covenant of YHWH.

“All this,” said David, “YHWH made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, all the details of this pattern.”

Then David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for YHWH God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of YHWH [beyt YHWH בֵּית־יְהוָֽה] is finished.”

David’s desire to build a house for YHWH was completed, through his son, but God’s house was more than just a temple to David; it was the place where he longed to be in constant communion with YHWH:

Psalm 27:4

 [David:] One thing I have asked from YHWH, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of YHWH [b-veyt YHWH בְּבֵית־יְ֭הוָה] all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of YHWH and to meditate in His temple. For on the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; He will hide me in the secret place of His tent; He will lift me up on a rock.

And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, and I will offer sacrifices in His tent with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to YHWH.

The House of YHWH (the Temple)  was a symbol of the Hebrew people’s faith and prosperity, but when they lost their faith, they lost the house that came with it. At first it was by their own choosing. Ahaz was a wicked king who turned to the pagan gods of his neighbours and literally closed the doors of YHWH’s house:

2 Chronicles 28:22-25

Now during the time of his distress, this same King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to YHWH. For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus who had defeated him, and said, “Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, I will sacrifice to them so that they may help me.” But they became the downfall of him and all Israel.

Moreover, when Ahaz gathered together the utensils of the house of God [beyt ha-Elohim בֵית־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֗ים], he cut the utensils the house of God [beyt ha-Elohim בֵית־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים] in pieces; and he closed the doors of the house of YHWH [beyt YHWH בֵּית־יְהוָ֑ה] and made altars for himself in every corner of Jerusalem. In every city of Judah he made high places to burn incense to other gods, and provoked YHWH, the God of his fathers, to anger.

Eventually, and not surprisingly, Ahaz fell to destruction. His son and successor, King Hezekiah, did the right thing and turned back to YHWH. He ordered the Temple to be cleansed and reopened:

2 Chronicles 29:16-19

So the priests went into the inner part of the house of YHWH [beyt YHWH בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה] to cleanse it, and they brought every unclean thing which they found in the temple of YHWH out to the courtyard of the house of YHWH. Then the Levites received it to carry out to the Kidron Valley. Now they began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they entered the porch of YHWH. Then they consecrated the house of YHWH [et beyt YHWH אֶת־כָּל־בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה] in eight days, and finished on the sixteenth day of the first month. Then they went in, to King Hezekiah, and said, “We have cleansed the whole house of YHWH [et kal beyt YHWH אֶת־כָּל־בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה], the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the table of the showbread with all of its utensils. Moreover, all the utensils which King Ahaz had discarded during his reign in his unfaithfulness, we have prepared and consecrated; and behold, they are before the altar of YHWH.”

Hezekiah cleansed and rededicated the house of YHWH and, in doing so, they rededicated their faith to YHWH.

But within a generations all had fallen apart. The people started to worship foreign gods and they abandoned their allegiance to YHWH. And, once again, it took a good king to come in and turn the people back to YHWH:

2 Chronicles 34:8

Now in the eighteenth year of his [Josiah’s] reign, when he had purged the land and the house [w-ha-bayit וְהַבָּ֑יִת], he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, Maaseiah an official of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the secretary, to repair the house of YHWH [et beyt YHWH אֶת־בֵּ֖ית יְהוָ֥ה] his God…

After consulting the prophetess Huldah, king Josiah went to the repaired Temple:

2 Chronicles 34:30-33

The king went up to the house of YHWH [beyt YHWH בֵּית־יְ֠הוָה] with all the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the Levites, and all the people, from the greatest to the least; and he read in their presence all the words of the Book of the Covenant which was found in the house of YHWH [beyt YHWH בֵּ֥ית יְהוָֽה].

Then the king [Josiah] stood in his place and made a covenant before YHWH to walk after YHWH, and to keep His commandments, His testimonies, and His statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that are written in this book. Furthermore, he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin stand with him. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem acted in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. Josiah removed all the abominations from all the lands belonging to the sons of Israel and made all who were present in Israel serve YHWH their God. Throughout his lifetime they did not turn from following YHWH God of their fathers.

However, once again, within a generation, the people abandoned YHWH, and this time YHWH left the building. The Babylonians came in, destroyed the Temple and dragged the people away into exile.

2 Kings 24:12b-14

So the king of Babylon took him (king Jehoiachin) captive in the eighth year of his reign. He carried out from there all the treasures of the house of YHWH [beyt YHWH בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה], and the treasures of the king’s house [beyt בֵּ֣ית], and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon, king of Israel, had made in the temple of YHWH, just as YHWH had said. Then he led into exile all Jerusalem and all the captains and all the mighty men of valour, ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained except the poorest people of the land.

However, all would not be lost. YHWH promised, after seventy years, to bring them back home with a chance to rebuild the House (see Jeremiah 29:10):

Jeremiah 33:10-11

“This is what YHWH says: ‘Yet again there will be heard in this place, of which you say, “It is a waste, without man and without animal,” that is, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, without man and without inhabitant and without animal, the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say,

“Give thanks to YHWH of armies, for YHWH is good, for His mercy is everlasting,”

as they bring a thanksgiving offering into the house of YHWH [beyt YHWH בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה]. For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were at first,’ says YHWH.

Eventually Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians. Under king Darius of Persia, the Hebrew people were allowed to return home (after their seventy year exile) and rebuild the house of YHWH, just as YHWH had promised:

Haggai 1:3-4, 7-15

Then the word of YHWH came to Haggai the prophet, saying, “Is it time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses [b-vatekem בְּבָתֵּיכֶ֣ם] while this house [w-ha-bayit וְהַבַּ֥יִת] remains desolate?”

…YHWH of armies says this: “Consider your ways! Go up to the mountains, bring wood, and rebuild the house [ha-bayit הַבָּ֑יִת], that I may be pleased with it and be honoured,” says YHWH. “You start an ambitious project, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home [ha-bayit הַבַּ֖יִת], I blow it away. Why?” declares YHWH of armies. “It is because of My house [beyti בֵּיתִי֙] which remains desolate, while each of you runs to his own house [l-beytow לְבֵיתֽוֹ]. Therefore, because of you the sky has withheld its dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. And I called for a drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the ground produces, on mankind, on cattle, and on all the products of the labour of your hands.”

Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of YHWH their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, just YHWH their God had sent him. And the people showed reverence for YHWH. Then Haggai, the messenger of YHWH spoke by the commission of YHWH to the people, saying, “‘I am with you,’ declares YHWH.”

So YHWH stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of YHWH [b-veyt YHWH בְּבֵית־יְהוָ֥ה] of armies, their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of Darius the king.

The house of YHWH was rebuilt, and this was the beginning of what is known as the second Temple period. This was the period in which Yeshua (Jesus) lived, the final years of the second Temple.

Yeshua made some interesting comments about the cherished House of God/Temple:

John 2:18-22

The Jews then said to Him, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and yet You will raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking about the temple of His body. So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.

Of course, Yeshua was speaking in a riddle. He wasn’t speaking of the literal temple; He was referring to His own death. He was the house of God that would rise up in three days.

Yeshua was also aware that the literal Temple had only a few years left to stand:

Luke 21:5-6

And while some were talking about the temple, that it was decorated with beautiful stones and vowed gifts, He said, “As for these things which you are observing, the days will come when there will not be left one stone upon another, which will not be torn down.”

In 70AD, the Temple would come crashing down under Roman dominion, never to be rebuilt again.

And it was never meant to be rebuilt, because YHWH changed His desired location. He didn’t need walls, He wanted hearts. He wanted a living, breathing, place to live. He wanted His children to become the new Tabernacle where the Spirit of God would dwell all over the planet:

John 14:16-20

[Jesus:] “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, so that He may be with you forever; the Helper is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him; but you know Him because He remains with you and will be in you.

I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you. After a little while, the world no longer is going to see Me, but you are going to see Me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I in you.”

When the spirit was given to humans, the man-made Temple was no longer needed. We, now, are the house of YHWH. We hold Him within us. This was the plan all along. We are His image bearers; He was always meant to be within us. Once He lived in the inner sanctum of the Temple (His house), then He came and “tabernacled” among us in the form of His Son, Yeshua, and then, finally, the Spirit of YHWH was sent to live within us. We (His children who follow Him) are His house. The collective body of believers are the new temple through which God can live and move and breathe.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

[Paul:] Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought at a price: therefore, glorify God in your body.

Yeshua paid our entrance fee to the heavenly Kingdom. But we can’t get there until our job on earth is done. To effectively do our jobs, we house the Holy Spirit within us, allowing us to be active and efficient witnesses to the world around us. God’s presence is within us, and we are to reflect that presence to the desperately needy world.

One day we will be in the heavenly home where we will see YHWH face to face, surrounded by all His people, amid the new Jerusalem, the place of peace:

Psalm 116:17-19

I will offer You a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call upon the name of YHWH. May it be in the presence of all His people, in the courtyards of YHWH’S house [beyt YHWH בֵּ֤ית יְהוָ֗ה], in the midst of you, Jerusalem! Praise YHWH!

Next week: Meet/Gather/Assemble