El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-09-06
GOD In THE TEMPLE
BY REV. OSCAR J. COHEN.
Sermon Mt Sinai Temple FL paso Texas
September 3d. 1899

Thou shall make me a sanctuary, aud
shall dwell in their midst.''-Exod 25:S.
This was the divine command and
the divine promise that Moses brought
to his people during the desert wan-
dering. No sooner were the words
spoken than all with eagerness brought
whatever materials they had tnat
could be used for the construction OF
the sacred tabernacle; and In snort
time that movable sanctuary, the Wis
ible symbol of Gods presence, march
ed at their head to guide them through
the trials and hardships OF their TOLL
some Journey. When the promised
land was theirs, but not until after
manv years of warfare against 1mpla-
cable enemies, they had secured peace
and prosperity within their borders,
they wished again central sanctuary
to assure the united tribes that God
dwelt in their midst.
The wise and erstwhile pious king
deyored the abundance with which he
was blessed to the erection OF the mag
nificent temple on Jerusalem. The
fervent prayer at its dedt cation we
have heard read. But Solomon's tenn
pie was 420 years later reduced to asnes
by the Babylonians aud the remnant
of the people carried captive. Fifty
years of exile elapsed, during which
from q distance. Then came Cyrus's
decree permitting the Jud cans to re-
turn TO their land. Their first work
was to rebuild the temple on
lions height. Nearly 600 years
it stood and summoned the faithful
of Israel to the worship OF God. Then
it, too, fell, turned into ashes by the
torch OF the Roman legions and arose
again when the people were permitted
TO restore it. BUT the spirit of devotion
was not quenched. Throughout the
lands in which they were scattered,
synagogues arose. These houses of as
sembly for prayer and worship were
just as sacred as the grandest edlhce
in the capitol city, because they were
reared in plety and brought the com
forting thought of Gods nearness to
those who worshipped within them.
Wherever Israelites found q home,
there they erected a sanctuary, and
you in this city who cherish the IL
heritance of your forefathers, have In
like devotion built q temple for the
worship of God and the teaching OF his
law. On this day which witnesses the
com pie ton of your work and the con-
secration OF this place to its sacred
uses, you may well repeat the ancient
formula ct thanks: "Praised be Thou,
o Lord, our God, ruler of the universe,
who hast kept US alive, hast sustained
US and permitted US to reach this
time" This is indeed An occasion for
which TO be grateful, an suspicious
moment in your lives and in the history
of the entire community. You have
carried out the divine command and
reared this sanctuary, and surely God
will fulfill his promise and dwell In
your midst.
How shall we understand those
words? Do they mean that God was
not with you before, or that
he abides only in temples and church
es? Certainly not. Did not Solomon
himself, when in the pride and JOY OF
to God, exclaim: "Will God indeed
dwell in this house? Behold tho heavens
and the heaven of heavens cannot con-
tain Thee; how much less, then, this
house that have builded?."Isaiah re-
iterstes the sameremonstrance in the
words: "Thus saith the Lord: Heaven
is my throne and the earth is my foot
stool; what house, then, can ye build
for me, or what place for my rest!
1t is very narrow, yea, very
false religion that can find God only In
the place devoted to reli gious service.
The truly religious mind recognizes
the Omnipotent and Onn1sc1ent power
in every corner of the vast universe.
''The heavens declare the glory of God;
the hrmament SnOWeCn dis manu-
work" The earth is the Lords and
The fullness thereof, the world and they
tn at dwell therein In land aud ocean,
mountain, river and plain, in the
flaming sun and glittering star, in lof-
~ tree and tiny flower appear the
beauty, the wisdom, the imminent
pre sence of the divine creator. Yea,
also in the career of mankind and
.he marching destiny of every ipdivi-
duel, in very place. of human toll or
suffering or struggle or triumph, God
is seen.
He is not only in the house of pray
er and worship, but in the home, IN the
workshop, in the mart land the thinkers
closet, the scientists studyand'the phi
lanthropist's, Office. Religion is worth
less if it makes US think of God
only In certain places. on certain
day. and for few hours, if we remem-