After making an accusation yesterday that many of my previous preachers and teachers got it wrong about the events surrounding the selling of sacrifices in the temple, I thought it best to investigate my own assertions. Here are the results
Numbers 15 English Standard Version
Laws About Sacrifices
1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land you are to inhabit, which I am giving you, 3 and you offer to the Lord from the herd or from the flock a food offering or a burnt offering or a sacrifice, to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering or at your appointed feasts, to make a pleasing aroma to the Lord,
14 And if a stranger is sojourning with you, or anyone is living permanently among you, and he wishes to offer a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord, he shall do as you do. 15 For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you, a statute forever throughout your generations. You and the sojourner shall be alike before the Lord. 16 One law and one rule shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you.”
Obviously God wanted everyone to worship Him no matter their lineage. He ordered that all should be treated alike. God’s love is universal. (my opinion)
The next comments are taken from the records of the great Hebrew historian Josephus.
But in Herod’s temple there was such hatred of the gentiles that they were not allowed into the inner court. Jesus saw the signs – as did many of the early Christians. Stone blocks mounted on the wall that divided the “Court of the Gentiles” from the inner courts, where only Jews were allowed to enter, proclaimed in Greek: “No foreigner may enter … the sanctuary and the enclosure. Whoever is caught, on himself shall he put blame for the death which will ensue.”
The text of these warning signs was preserved by the ancient Jewish historian Josephus, and two of the actual signs still survive today in museums in Jerusalem and in Istanbul – so there is no doubt about what they said or the threatened punishment for any foreigner who attempted to enter the temple. (End of quote)
When we focus on words like den of thieves we might think about money and corruption and let our teachings be slanted in that direction. Human nature says corruption was likely and I am not saying that is not a possibility. I am saying that corruption isn’t a godly character. If we are to see what God is doing in the scriptures then we should not focus on the nature of man which is corrupt. We were all corrupt at one time and looking back keeps us from looking forward.