46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘AND MY HOUSE SHALL BE A HOUSE OF PRAYER,’ but you have made it a ROBBERS’ DEN.”
47 And He was teaching daily in the temple; but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to destroy Him,
48 and they could not find anything that they might do, for all the people were hanging on to every word He said.” Luke 19:45-48.
Notice the contrasts. Compare Jesus driving out the traders to Jesus welcoming the people to pray in the temple and teaching the people daily in the temple. Compare the chief priests, scribes, and leading men trying to destroy Jesus to all the people hanging on to every word Jesus said.
I start with this comparison of the contrasts to help us prepare for the ‘ HOUSE OF PRAYER’ Scripture to which Jesus refers.
“4 For thus says the LORD,
“To the eunuchs who keep My sabbaths,
And choose what pleases Me,
And hold fast My covenant,
5 To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial,
And a name better than that of sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name which will not be cut off.
6 “Also the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD,
To minister to Him, and to love the name of the LORD,
To be His servants, every one who keeps from profaning the sabbath
And holds fast My covenant;
7 Even those I will bring to My holy mountain
And make them joyful in My house of prayer
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar;
For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.”
Isaiah 56:4-7.
We could so focus on the driving out of the traders aspect of the Scripture for today that we dismiss or minimize God’s gathering and welcoming and helping the people in His house.
It seems to me that my devotion should focus on the aspect of God bringing and welcoming His people to His house, making them joyful in His house, and accepting their prayers in His house.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 