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Having Reverence for God's Sanctuary

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We are to have reverence for God's sanctuary.

Category: Godliness, Holiness & Righteousness

Type: Positive

Form: Explicit

Source dataset: Old Testament

Uniqueness: Not unique

Classical commandment: Yes

New Covenant Literal Application

Applies to Person Categories: Everyone

Mandated
Jewish Jewish male female
K'rov Yisrael K'rov Yisrael male female
Gentile Gentile male female
mandated for Gentile female, Gentile male, Jewish female, Jewish male, K'rovat Yisrael female, K'rov Yisrael male
More explanation about the icons and New Covenant Literal Application

The New Covenant Literal Application Code (NCLA) is an interpretive guide used by the authors to indicate which person categories a mitzvah applies to, and at what level of literal compliance.

Each card above groups one application level such as mandated or optional. The three people icons show whether that application is meant for Jewish, K'rov Yisrael, or Gentile believers, and the male or female symbols show whether it applies to men, women, or both.

Jewish
Jewish
Used for instruction directed to Jewish believers.
K'rov Yisrael
K'rov Yisrael
Used for non-Jewish believers living closely with Israel and Torah practice.
Gentile
Gentile
Used for instruction presented as applying to Gentile believers more broadly.
Male and female symbols
These show whether the instruction is directed to men, women, or both.

This code reflects the authors' interpretive opinion and is provided for prayerful consideration. The icon view is only a visual summary; the detailed codes and source explanation remain available below for careful study.

Detailed codes: GFm - Gentile female, mandated | GMm - Gentile male, mandated | JFm - Jewish female, mandated | JMm - Jewish male, mandated | KFm - K'rovat Yisrael female, mandated | KMm - K'rov Yisrael male, mandated

Read the full explanation from the source

Bible references

Key NT Scriptures
  • 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
  • 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
  • 2 Corinthians 6:16-17
Key OT Scriptures
  • Leviticus 19:30
  • Leviticus 26:2

Bible verses copyright: PUBLIC DOMAIN except in the United Kingdom, where a Crown Copyright applies to printing the KJV. See http://www.cambridge.org/about-us/who-we-are/queens-printers-patent

Commentary

Rabbi Michael Rudolph

This Mitzvah historically applies to having reverence for the Tabernacle of God and later for the Temple, for these were, according to Scripture, most holy. Today, we may apply this Mitzvah to any biblically authorized sanctuary in which God dwells or in which we worship Him. This includes edifices such as synagogues, churches and chapels, and may be extended to their furnishings and accoutrements that are set aside as holy objects used in worship. We must treat even the space of these sanctuaries with respect and not conduct ourselves in ways that demean their purpose. Some synagogue and church sanctuaries are temporary or convertible spaces that are used for other things besides worship. In such cases, the space ought to be ceremonially commissioned when it is about to be used as a sanctuary, and decommissioned, and its holy objects put away, when its use as a sanctuary is concluded. The 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Scripture is interesting in that it applies to our personal bodies and also to our corporate body, the body of believers. Having reverence for these bodies is not very different from how we are to treat sanctuaries of brick and mortar, in that we are to care for them and not subject them to, or use them for, unholy purposes.

Classical commentators

Maimonides and HaChinuch treat their respective mitzvot as only applying to the historical sanctuary of the Temple, whereas Meir applies it in a more contemporary way. He refers to synagogues and places where Torah is studied as "little sanctuaries" and states that we must not do ordinary and frivolous things in them like sleep, and engage in laughter and idle conversation.


Copyright © Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster, The Law of Messiah, Torah from a New Covenant Perspective, Volume 1 & 2

Related Law of Messiah commandments

Classical Commandments

Maimonides

Maimonides (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, 12th century) organized all 613 Torah commandments into a structured list. These linked items show where this Law of Messiah commandment overlaps with that classical framework.

Meir of Rothenburg

Rabbi Meir of Rothenburg (13th century, Germany) was a leading Talmudic authority. These reference numbers link this commandment to his halachic rulings.

Source and License

Based on The Law of Messiah - Torah from a New Covenant Perspective by Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster.

Volume 1 & 2 | Volume 3

License: CC BY-ND 4.0 (Attribution required, NoDerivatives). CC BY-ND 4.0

Disclaimer: the original content is authored by Rabbi Michael Rudolph and Rabbi Daniel Juster; additional notes or implementation details on this website are not part of their original work and do not represent their views.

Record source: The Law of Messiah - Torah from a New Covenant Perspective - Volume 1 & 2

Copyright note: Copyright © Michael Rudolph and Daniel C. Juster, The Law of Messiah, Torah from a New Covenant Perspective, Volume 1 & 2

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