For All Nations

"I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer. I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices, because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations." - Isaiah 56:7

"Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” declares the Lord." - Jeremiah 7:11

"Then Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. He said to them, 'It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a den of robbers.'” - Matthew 21:12-13

Jesus is indignant that the greed of the coalition of Herodian-Roman surrogate political powers and religious priests of His people and faith has conspired to exclude the people God chose to include from worshiping at the temple. By design, there was an area designated for the nations to come and worship YAHWEH. The temple establishment had created a marketplace there for the express purpose of profiteering off the temple taxes, offerings, and religious obligations of people who were coming to meet God.

This was, to him, a desecration of both what was holy and of people who were who were being invited by God, to pray.

God is never impressed with our greed or disregard of the dignity of people or of His sacred spaces.

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