The hymns we sing this week all include some form of “temple” or “priestly” imagery, picking up on many of the
themes in this week’s passage from Hebrews. The opening and closing hymns of the morning, Glorious Things Of Thee
Are Spoken and Within Your Temple, Lord—Psalm 48, both celebrate “Zion” as a place where God dwells: “go round
the walls on Zion’s mount … her splendors to recount,” and “He, whose word cannot be broken formed thee for His
own abode.” Both O Thank The Lord For He Is Good—Psalm 118 and Not Unto Us—Psalm 115 call for a blessing on
the priestly “house of Aaron,” and the latter also points to God’s heavenly dwelling place. We ask for God’s blessing
on our earthly place of worship in Christ Is Made The Sure Foundation, and we use the words of My Shepherd Will
Supply My Need—Psalm 23 to ask that the Lord would make His house our abode and place of rest. The Floods Have
Lifted Up—Psalm 93 testifies that God’s throne is eternal, “fixed of old,” and that “holiness, forever” becomes His
house. I pray that this would be true of our worship today, and for days to come—both here and in the “house” being
built up on Hallelujah Hill. —Henry C. Haffner
