That I May Dwell in the House of the L-rd Forever
- Pat Adamson
The hope of Israel and the hope of the world is a shared hope of ultimate redemption through the sacrifice of Yeshua. His once-for-all atonement seals us in the Book of Life now and in the world to come. I believe this is what King David referred to when he prayed that he (David) would “dwell in the House of the L-rd forever” (Psalm 23:6b).
G-d’s House is holy and all those who are part of that Household must also be holy. For followers of Yeshua, it is commonly understood that having forgiveness of sins imputes His holiness to us (His holiness is credited to us).
The Gospels record the history of Yeshua’s last Passover meal. He broke unleavened bread (Numbers 9:11-14), gave thanks and lifted the cup of wine, symbolic of the blood He was about to shed for the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:26-29). There can be no fellowship with G-d apart from this sacrifice because it is impossible for a human being to merit or attain holiness.
“Indeed, without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Hebrews 9:22b (CJB)
“All the Prophets bear witness to Him, that everyone who puts his trust in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His Name.” Acts 10:43 (CJB)
Therefore to dwell in the House of the L-rd forever . . .
1. Requires holiness
2. Holiness requires the blood sacrifice provided by Yeshua.
The bodily sacrifice of Yeshua is the physical act that HaShem demands for the forgiveness of sins. Internalizing the reality of this Truth brings forth a spiritual awakening of the heart. In effect, when a person takes hold of this Truth, and even though that person may have never read the Passover story, he/she is spiritually “applying the blood” of the sacrificial Lamb on the “doorposts” of their heart (Exodus 12:7). HaShem cannot grant atonement without a person’s heart humbly surrendering to receive the atonement provided, which is Yeshua.
Therefore, to dwell in the House of the L-rd forever . . .
3. Requires our agreement and humble surrender (in faith) to His plans and purposes for:
a. Repentance – Rejecting sin and turning to follow G-d (Lk. 24:46-47)
b. Forgiveness – (Eph. 1:7)
c. Atonement – Being “at one” with G-d (Lev. 17:11 and Heb. 9:22)
d. Redemption – Bought back (redeemed) with a price (Rom. 3:24)
e. Justification – “Just as if I’d never sinned.” (Rom 5:1)
“That’s great Pat. But what do we do when a friend or loved one is facing death? What is our responsibility?”
Our responsibility is to pray earnestly on behalf of the person. Our responsibility is to bear witness to the Truth (above). If the person is unresponsive or combative, it is better to be silent while continuing to pray. In doing this, there is acknowledgement of G-d’s omnipotent (all powerful) ways. He is able to bring people and circumstances (even hospital staff) that can turn a person’s heart completely around. Responsibility for salvation does not rest on the shoulders of one person, it is G-d’s doing (and His shoulders are pretty big!) – His ways are infinitely beyond our human capabilities.
But what about not knowing – how can we still have peace? I would offer one example from Scripture. This example was not recorded by accident but was placed in Scripture at the time of Yeshua’s execution so that our faith would be encouraged.
When you think of it, there were probably many people gathered on the hill at Calvary when Yeshua was executed. On either side of Yeshua, there were two thieves. One had an arrogant and hardened heart – he told Yeshua to save Himself. The other had a humble and receptive heart and his surrender was so genuine that Yeshua welcomed him into Paradise that day (Luke 23:43).
With all the people standing around, it’s very likely the repentant thief’s words were never heard by most of the people. To them, he was just as sin-filled and hopeless as the other and based on their perception, neither would enter the forgiveness of the L-rd. Supposing they couldn’t hear the words of the thief, would that, in any way, change the reality of Yeshua’s promise to Him? This moment was between the repentant thief and Yeshua, and such should be the end of every person’s life. We don’t need to understand, but we do need to respect that very personal moment and continue to place our trust in HaShem.
If, G-d willing, you are able to be with a dying person at the time of their repentance, obviously, it is a gift you will always treasure, but whether you are present at that moment or not has no bearing whatsoever on its reality.
Psalm 23 ends with the words, “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life that I may dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
If “goodness and lovingkindness” pursued David throughout the course of his life, we can be sure that the love of G-d is relentless, even to the end of a person’s life when he draws his last breath. While we may, at times, feel helpless and that we have somehow failed, G-d will not fail and He will be glorified in the end.
