August 27 Daily Devotional

Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy. God desired to dwell in the midst of his people in such a manner, as not only to direct their thoughts to the outward temple and to the ark of the covenant, but rather to elevate them to things above. Hence the term house or dwelling-place tended to impart courage and confidence to them, that all the faithful might have boldness to draw near unto God freely, whom they beheld coming to meet them of his own accord.

But as the minds of men are prone to superstition, it was necessary to check this propensity, lest they should associate with their notions of God things fleshly and earthly, and their thoughts should be wholly engrossed by the outward forms of worship. The prophet, therefore, in calling the temple God’s footstool, desires the godly to elevate their thoughts above it, for he fills heaven and earth with his infinite glory. Nevertheless, by these means he reminds us that true worship can be paid to God no where else than upon mount Zion. For he employs a style of writing such as is calculated to elevate the minds of the godly above the world, and, at the same time, does not in the least degree detract from the holiness of the temple, which alone of all places of the earth God had chosen as the place where he was to be worshipped.

The design of the prophet is to distinguish between legal worship, (which was the only worship that God sanctioned,) and the superstitious rites of the heathen, and thus he summons the children of Abraham to the temple to worship God there after a spiritual manner, because he dwells in celestial glory.

Now that the shadowy dispensation has passed away, God cannot otherwise be properly worshipped, than when we come to him directly through Christ, in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells. It were improper and absurd for any one to designate him a footstool. For the prophet merely spoke in this manner to show that God was not confined to the visible temple, but that he is to be sought for above all heavens, inasmuch as he is elevated above the whole world.

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