Hiding in the temple

In Nehemiah 6, one of the ways the enemy tried to trick him was to try to convince him he should go hide in the temple. It seemed innocent enough. The temple should be a safe place and a strong refuge. But it was a trick. Nehemiah’s enemies had hired Shemaiah. The plan was to lie to Nehemiah and trick him into hiding so they could sabotage him and kill him. The goal was to stop the work on the walls.

What is the “church”?

Let’s talk a minute about the temple and its real-life parallels. In our culture, it would be representative of the “church.” Now, before I go on, let me explain. The “church” is not a building on the corner where believers meet with common spiritual interests. The Church is the living, breathing body of Christ, and it covers the entire world and extends from the beginning past the end of time.

Today, the church is a religious epicenter. The temple in Nehemiah’s day was still standing, but it was a shell of what it had been. There were no sacrifices, offerings, or priests to perform the duties outlined in the Old Testament. I dare say much of what we refer to as “church” today is largely the same, spiritually. But for those who do choose to run from God’s call and purpose, it can feel like a very safe place to hide.

Eli’s Sons Hid in the Temple

Eli’s sons hid in the temple. They abused their positions to “fleece the sheep.” But they were up to no good and were not performing the proper duties of the priest as God had outlined. I Samuel 2:17 says their sin was “very serious” (NLT) in God’s sight. They treated their offices and the offerings with contempt (I Samuel 2:12-17). They took what they wanted, and more than they were due. It was a contemptible den of deception and manipulation. There was no regard for the significance of the sacrifice. Instead, they were using their position against the people.

Eli knew that his sons were acting badly and were evil at heart. I Samuel 2:22 says that their father knew they were seducing young women, and more. But he did nothing. His sons and their sins were hidden in the temple.

Still Happening Today

I don’t know about you, but over the last few months there have been many such schemes that have come to light. I’ve heard of youth pastors who have molested and abused the young people they were supposed to be nurturing. There are pastors who have lived second lives and have hidden affairs. We won’t even talk about the financial fleecing of the sheep that is all too common in religious settings. It’s all being done in the name of ministry. In reality, it’s a shame.

It’s easy for us to shake our heads at these behaviors. They are atrocious and disgusting, and are quickly condemned. Sadly, many of these instances are hiding right in our midst for years, and we don’t know about them until they come to light or God reveals them to us. (It can happen!) Think about Nathan the prophet who came to David after he’d been with Bathsheba. We need more of this in the church today. Prophets who will stand up and share what God shows them. Unfortunately, many of them are hiding in the temple too.

The Sad Reality

The “temple” sounds like a safe place, and it should be. But it should also be a place where we learn to hear God, not hide from what He is saying. It’s become a place of complacency where we have little bless me parties and practice prophesying confirmations and “good jobs” to each other, instead of speaking the heart of God and bringing about change.

It’s easy to hide behind the religious shroud so we don’t have to take full responsibility. We hide behind the skirts of the priests who shout submission. But so much of the time it is control and manipulation as they build their own little kingdoms rather than having the Kingdom of God at heart. It’s easier that way. Or so it seems.

If you are hiding in the temple from the call of God on your life, what will you tell God on that Great Day? “My pastor said, ‘ No’. “? Is it easier to submit to man than to take orders from God?

A Force to Be Reckoned With

Please don’t get me wrong – I am not anti-church. The church is supposed to show the wisdom of God to the rulers and authorities in heavenly realms. (Ephesians 3:10) My question is: are we doing that? Or are we too busy hiding, singing Kum by Ya, and having get-togethers so we can say we are “united”?

The church should be a force to be reckoned with on the earth today. Are we? Or are we hiding behind a religious shroud where we feel safe?

Here’s a real-life example. I honestly believe I missed this assignment. The dream was to open a house for troubled girls. I hoped to catch them before they got lost in the system. The whole thing had come together in my heart. I had the whole household setup. There were rules and guidelines, chores and responsibilities, Bible studies and church. I could still work as a teacher to support it and tutor the girls so they could achieve academic success. All I needed was a house. I had mentioned it to the pastors where I was attending at the time.

Then, the unthinkable actually happened. I was offered a house – FREE. What? Yup. I’d be working with another ministry that was helping pregnant teens. I’d taken a counseling course through them, so I knew them well.

Submission?

Up until that point, I’d been drilled on submission. So, I asked for a meeting with the pastors. I excitedly told them more details and told them I had a house and just needed to sign paperwork. They offered no advice. There was no warning. They didn’t say they didn’t feel like it was God or that I was missing it. Nope. They said. We would really love for you to do this, but, we’d like for it to be only through our ministry. It needs to be under our church.

I look back on that and wonder a lot. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. Or maybe I missed it altogether. In my opinion, it was about control. How dare I join another ministry that is working with teen girls? Right? The nerve. LOL. But since I was hidden in the temple, I felt like I had no choice. I would be “risking” being a Jonah and running out from under what was deemed the “proper cover.” What a shame. What a sham.

Maybe it was divine protection. Perhaps it was God’s way of protecting me. But just maybe I missed something great because of the submission rule. i.e., control, manipulation, and the misuse of power.

Time to Go!

We are not to be hidden in the temple – the whole point of the cross and the book of Acts is to Go! The church today should be a center of equipping and sending. Are there times to hide there? Absolutely. When someone is first saved and being discipled (to Christ, not to the church), they need to be protected like an innocent lamb. But there should come a time when they are mature and capable of going.

Nehemiah knew Shemaiah was lying. He refused to go hide in the temple, because he was doing what God said. Had he taken that detour, the work would have halted, and the temple would not have been restored. (Nehemiah 12:44-47) The “church” isn’t a place to hide from the work God has assigned us to do. It is supposed to be a place where we are equipped for the work. (Ephesians 4:11-16)

Is the Church a Womb or a Tomb?

Please don’t run away from the “church” or go hide in the “church.” Let God lead you to a church that equips the saints. One that offers oversight to the work God has given you to do. (Watch that the church doesn’t give you “busy work” to distract you from ministry.) A church shouldn’t become the voice of God to you – but they should be able to offer wise, spiritually based counsel. Leadership should equip you for the call God has placed on your life. They should be encouraging the gifts given by the Holy Spirit, not trying to minimize and control them.

The church should be like the womb of God, helping you grow and function in what God has placed in you. When we hide in the temple (church) to get away from the call and reduce the weight of the responsibility He is putting inside us, it’s easier for sure. But that womb becomes a tomb – the place where dreams die, and God’s voice becomes faint or filtered through the guise of leadership.

Know where God sends you. Go there and don’t let anyone try to provide a “safer” place than where God has ordained and called you to be.