My House Shall be Called the House of Prayer - Matthew 21:13

Matthew the apostle wrote how, “Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves”, and in chapter twenty-one and verse thirteen of his book, Matthew shares how Jesus said, “it is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer” where we read:

And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer;

but you have made it a den of thieves.

The verse reads, “And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer;”. Matthew began with the words, “and said” or “and uttered, declared and proclaimed” “unto them” which means “to those who were buying and selling in the temple”, “it is written” or “the words are delineated as letters on a tablet, parchment, paper or other material” “My house” which refers to “God's tabernacle and dwelling place” “shall be called” or “will be given the name of, known and saluted as” “the house” which means “the tabernacle and dwelling place” “of prayer” or “pertaining to a place set apart or suited for the offering of worship, oratory and earnest prayer”. Matthew shared how Jesus referred to the scriptures concerning God's “house” being a place for “prayer”.

The verse continues, “but you have made it a den of thieves.” Matthew added the word, “but” or “nevertheless, nonetheless, moreover and” “you have made it” which means “the business people within the temple fashioned, constructed and formed the temple as” “a den” or “a cave, resort or hiding place” “of thieves” or that “which belongs to robbers, plunderers, free-brokers and brigadiers”. Matthew wrote how Jesus told the business people in the temple they turned the “temple of God” into a “hiding place” for “plunderers and robbers”.

When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we see how Jesus quoted the scripture found in Isaiah chapter fifty-six and verse seven that reads, “Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people”. These buyers and sellers were taking advantage of people by making them “exchange their money” for the “proper temple coins”, and they rejected all other forms of money. Their exchange rates were exorbitant, and they refused people's animals for sacrifice because they found flaws in them and made the people purchase their previously inspected “doves” or animals at inflated prices. God's house, His temple and His place of worship is not to be used for “business advantages”, and Jesus angrily put the temple back into it's proper position. Let all beware and take notice that Jesus knows what goes on in His place of worship, and those who violate His purpose of “prayer” should pay particular attention to His anger.

Next time Matthew shares how, “the blind and the lame came to him in the temple” when Jesus entered Jerusalem, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.

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