I. God was pleased to choose out certain places to stand in a special relation of holiness unto himself under the Old Testament. This holiness of places was two-fold, either transient and merely for the present time, or else more permanent.
1. The transient holiness of places was where the Lord gave visible appearances of Himself in His glorious majesty to the eyes of His servants; such places were holy during the time of such Divine appearances (Exo_3:5; Exo_19:11-25; Jos_5:152Pe_1:18).
2. There was also a more abiding holiness of places under the law.
(1) The land of Canaan (Zec_2:12).
(2) The cities of refuge.
(3) The tabernacle, the temple, the ark, and all the places where they came (2Ch_8:11).
(4) Jerusalem was very eminent as being the place of the temple, and ark, and all the public worship thereunto belonging (Psa_76:2; Psa_87:2).
II. What is the ground of this holiness of these places, and how are we to conceive of it?
1. The Lord is said to choose these places to set His name there, and therefore they are called His habitation.
(1) Here were the standing symbols and tokens of His presence.
(2) In these places were visible appearances of His glory upon special occasions (Exo_40:34; Num_12:5; 1Ki_8:10-11; Isa_6:1).
(3) These places had their typical significations of Christ and Gospel mysteries.
(4) These places were appointed by God to be parts, yea, principal parts, of His worship (Exo_20:24; Eze_20:40).
(5) They were, by God’s appointment, the seat of all the public church worship of those times.
2. “Thither shalt thou seek,” i.e. for answers and oracles from the holy places, and from the priest by Urim and Thummim (Exo_25:22; Num_7:8-9; Num_27:21).
3. “Thither shalt thou come,” i.e. at all the appointed festivals, three times a year (Exo_23:14; Exo_23:17), and whensoever they offered sacrifice (Deu_12:6).
Lessons:
1. The cessation of this holiness of places under the New Testament (Joh_4:21-23; Mat_18:22; 1Ti_2:8; Mal_1:11). Every place is now a Judaea, every house a Jerusalem, every congregation a Zion.
2. Learn to present your worship unto God by Jesus Christ, for He is the true Temple and Tabernacle (Heb_7:25; 1Pe_1:21; Joh_14:6; Col_3:17).
3. Remember that there is a church worship (Act_2:42; Act_20:7).
4. Labour everyone, that his soul may be a habitation for the Lord, a temple of the Holy Ghost. (S. Mather.)
