Who's Guarding the Doors? by Ann-Louise
Posted April 17, 2010
Unless you live in cave, you have to enter a door to gain access to the place where you live. Most people guard the entrance to their homes in one way or another. Most will lock the doors when leaving and when going to bed at night. Some people have a dog or an alarm system for added security.
While reading through 1 Chronicles recently, I was intrigued by the fact that God had appointed guards over the doors of the tabernacle, the place where He dwelled. The Korahites “were over the work of the service, keepers of the gates of the tabernacle: and their fathers, being over the host of the LORD, were keepers of the entry… All these which were chosen to be porters in the gates were two hundred and twelve” (1 Chron. 9:19-22).
Exodus 27:16 indicates that there was only one entrance to the tabernacle. So, why were 212 men needed to guard the door? The Israelites were at risk of attack at any moment. The tabernacle was filled with all kinds of precious stones and many objects used in worship were made of gold and silver, which an enemy would love to get their hands on (and did later). Although 1 Chronicles 9 does not specifically say so, these men would very likely have been armed, much like the temple guards Jesus saw when He entered the temple.
The tabernacle was the place where God dwelled. God told Moses, “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.” (Ex 25:8). God tells us (believers in the Lord Jesus Christ) today, “…ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you” (1 Cor 3:16).
Every item God had placed within the tabernacle – from the brazen altar to the ark to the golden censers - was sanctified/set apart for God’s purpose and glory in the place where He dwelled then. Everything God has placed in your life and in my life – from our time to our gifts to our resources - has been sanctified/set apart for His purpose and glory in the place where He dwells today.
The tabernacle, the place where God’s glory dwelled, had armed guards posted at its entrance. Why? To prevent an enemy from entering and pillaging the things God had set apart for His glory. The enemy of our souls also comes to steal, kill and destroy. We, as believers, in whom the Spirit of God dwells, have also been given a place to guard. Our weapons are not physical, like spears and arrows. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds…” (2 Cor 10:4).
As the priests stood before the Lord and served Him in the tabernacle, they knew there were 212 Korahites faithfully guarding the doors. As we stand before the Lord and serve Him in our lives, who is guarding the doors? Look around at our brothers and sisters in Christ. As they stand before the Lord and serve Him, who is guarding the doors?
Guarding the doors for a brother or sister in Christ may sometimes mean being physically present to encourage, admonish or lift them up. Quite often, this guarding of the doors takes place on our knees, wrestling with God in prayer over another believer who is tired, discouraged, weary or who has just seen victory. In each of those times, we are all quite vulnerable.
Not once, but 4 times, Jesus said, “Watch and pray (Mt 26:41, Mk 13:3, 14:38, Lk 21:36).” Certainly we need to keep watch and pray in our own lives and we are also told in God’s Word to “pray one for another” (James 5:16).
Several prayers offered up by Paul for his brethren have been recorded for us to learn from. He prayed that God’s people would gain in righteousness, love and maturity. He prayed they would grow fruit, grow in wisdom and grow in their relationship with the Lord. His greatest desire was to see that “the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you” (2 Thess. 1:12).
Paul didn’t just pray for his fellow believers. He showed them how to glorify God in their lives by example. Paul was faithfully “guarding the doors” for his brothers and sisters in Christ and knew he needed faithful people “guarding the doors” for him also and asked 3 times, “pray for us.”
So what does “guarding the doors” mean for us today? It means being there, being involved, being an example and an encourager and being on our knees for one another.
If you asked an Israelite in David’s time, “Who’s guarding the doors?” they would have replied. “The Korahites.” If someone were to ask us today, “Who’s guarding the doors?” How would we reply?
I need people to “guard the doors” for me. You need people to “guard the doors” for you. We need to be faithfully “guarding the doors” for one another.
Who’s guarding the doors?
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While reading through 1 Chronicles recently, I was intrigued by the fact that God had appointed guards over the doors of the tabernacle, the place where He dwelled. The Korahites “were over the work of the service, keepers of the gates of the tabernacle: and their fathers, being over the host of the LORD, were keepers of the entry… All these which were chosen to be porters in the gates were two hundred and twelve” (1 Chron. 9:19-22).
Exodus 27:16 indicates that there was only one entrance to the tabernacle. So, why were 212 men needed to guard the door? The Israelites were at risk of attack at any moment. The tabernacle was filled with all kinds of precious stones and many objects used in worship were made of gold and silver, which an enemy would love to get their hands on (and did later). Although 1 Chronicles 9 does not specifically say so, these men would very likely have been armed, much like the temple guards Jesus saw when He entered the temple.
The tabernacle was the place where God dwelled. God told Moses, “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.” (Ex 25:8). God tells us (believers in the Lord Jesus Christ) today, “…ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you” (1 Cor 3:16).
Every item God had placed within the tabernacle – from the brazen altar to the ark to the golden censers - was sanctified/set apart for God’s purpose and glory in the place where He dwelled then. Everything God has placed in your life and in my life – from our time to our gifts to our resources - has been sanctified/set apart for His purpose and glory in the place where He dwells today.
The tabernacle, the place where God’s glory dwelled, had armed guards posted at its entrance. Why? To prevent an enemy from entering and pillaging the things God had set apart for His glory. The enemy of our souls also comes to steal, kill and destroy. We, as believers, in whom the Spirit of God dwells, have also been given a place to guard. Our weapons are not physical, like spears and arrows. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds…” (2 Cor 10:4).
As the priests stood before the Lord and served Him in the tabernacle, they knew there were 212 Korahites faithfully guarding the doors. As we stand before the Lord and serve Him in our lives, who is guarding the doors? Look around at our brothers and sisters in Christ. As they stand before the Lord and serve Him, who is guarding the doors?
Guarding the doors for a brother or sister in Christ may sometimes mean being physically present to encourage, admonish or lift them up. Quite often, this guarding of the doors takes place on our knees, wrestling with God in prayer over another believer who is tired, discouraged, weary or who has just seen victory. In each of those times, we are all quite vulnerable.
Not once, but 4 times, Jesus said, “Watch and pray (Mt 26:41, Mk 13:3, 14:38, Lk 21:36).” Certainly we need to keep watch and pray in our own lives and we are also told in God’s Word to “pray one for another” (James 5:16).
Several prayers offered up by Paul for his brethren have been recorded for us to learn from. He prayed that God’s people would gain in righteousness, love and maturity. He prayed they would grow fruit, grow in wisdom and grow in their relationship with the Lord. His greatest desire was to see that “the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you” (2 Thess. 1:12).
Paul didn’t just pray for his fellow believers. He showed them how to glorify God in their lives by example. Paul was faithfully “guarding the doors” for his brothers and sisters in Christ and knew he needed faithful people “guarding the doors” for him also and asked 3 times, “pray for us.”
So what does “guarding the doors” mean for us today? It means being there, being involved, being an example and an encourager and being on our knees for one another.
If you asked an Israelite in David’s time, “Who’s guarding the doors?” they would have replied. “The Korahites.” If someone were to ask us today, “Who’s guarding the doors?” How would we reply?
I need people to “guard the doors” for me. You need people to “guard the doors” for you. We need to be faithfully “guarding the doors” for one another.
Who’s guarding the doors?
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