A House of Prayer - Luke 19:46

The beloved physician Luke wrote how Jesus, “went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought”, and in chapter nineteen and verse forty-six of his book Luke shared how Jesus said, “My house is the house of prayer: but you have made it a den of thieves” where we read:

Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but you have made it a den of thieves.

The verse reads, “Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer:” Luke began with the words, “saying unto them” or “uttering, declaring and proclaiming to the people He cast out of the temple”, “It is written” which means “it is delineated or formed in letters on a tablet, parchment, paper or other material”, “my house” or “my, God's, dwelling place, abode, domicile and home” “is the house of prayer” which means “dwelling place, abode, domicile and home pertaining to oratory and earnest offering of worship”. Luke shared how Jesus referred to how God declared His “sacred house” to be a “house of prayer”. (See Isaiah 56:7)

The verse continues, “but you have made it a den of thieves.” Luke added the words, “but you have made it” or “however, nonetheless, notwithstanding and moreover those who bought and sold in the temple prepared and caused God's house to be” “a den of thieves” which means “a cave, cavern and resort of robbers, plunderers, freebooters and brigands”. Luke shared how Jesus said the “buyers and sellers” within the “temple” actually made it to be a “cavern” for robbers and freebooters”.

When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we see how Jesus addressed the people who were making “merchandise” of the “temple of God”. God's “sacred place” of worship was to be kept and maintained as a “house of prayer”, and these people made it into a “cavern of robbers”. Price gouging, exorbitant exchange rates and deceptive judgment against sacrifices was being practiced right in the “house of God”. Jesus threw out every person who was involved, and when He made His declaration, no one stopped Him. God wants His place of worship to be used for “prayer”, and any merchandising of people that takes place within it will face the Lord's anger.

Next time Luke shares how Jesus says, “taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him”, 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. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".