HEBREW WORD STUDY – HOUSE (PLACE OF THE HEART) – BAYITH בית Beth, Yod Taw

Psalms 127:1: A song of Ascent for Solomon: “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain that build it.”

Solomon’s Temple was called “Solomon’s” Temple for good reason. This was more Solomon’s temple than it was God’s temple with regard to the construction. Up until recently, all we really knew about the first temple was what we were able to glean from Scripture. Since the return of the Jews to Israel and Israel gaining control of Jerusalem, there has been and continues to be extensive research going on with regard to Solomon’s Temple.

For one thing, we know that the temple was built on the backs of slave labor. We find that Solomon taxed the people to the point of rebellion to finance the temple. We have discovered that there was no silver used in the temple although it was commanded by God that certain things be made of silver, Solomon chose to make them of gold. Some of the things that were supposed to be made of gold, Solomon commanded they be made of brass or copper. This ended up being more of a monument to Solomon than to God. By the time of the dedication of the temple, Solomon had married a number of pagan wives who brought idolatry into Israel. It was barely more than 5 years after his death that his son, Rehoboam took much of the gold from the temple to bribe the Egyptians. In less than one lifetime after the dedication of the temple, it was in decline.

Prophets arose to warn of coming judgment. The people would mock and say: “Why look at the temple, we are the people of God, do you honestly think God would allow this beautiful monument to Himself to be destroyed? Come on use some common sense.” Common sense or not, it was destroyed.

Yet, when the temple was dedicated we learn that God’s presence filled it. Many traveled to the temple to sincerely worship God and God’s glory filled the house despite the fact that it was not built according to His specifications and despite the fact that there was corruption among the priest.

“Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain that build it.” The word we translate as unless is the Hebrew word which is more commonly rendered as if. The syntax is a little confusing. You have two constructs together. “If Jehovah” and “he is not building.” It appears the KJV is right on target with the syntax, except there is no definite article on the word bayith (house) and hence we should add a personal pronoun to our rendering: “If Jehovah is not building His house.” The word house, bayith, in Jewish culture also expresses the idea of the place of the heart. You know the old saying: “Home is where the heart is.” The sages point to a secondary spiritual meaning by rendering this as: “If Jehovah is not building a place within His heart…”

Then we add the last part, “they labor in vain who build it.” This gave me pause in my quest for the heart of God. The temple was meant to be a place where you entered the heart of God. Yet, man corrupted the place, Solomon filled it with his own designs and yet God still let his presence be known, even though it was in a steady decline. The Apostle Paul tells us our bodies are the temple of God. The heart of God is meant to reside in us. Indeed we do labor to build and maintain this temple. Often our labors are to bring glory to God in ministry. Yet, like Solomon, we can not help but put a little of our own design into this temple. We can not help but build a monument to ourselves. Sure, we seek to bring honor to God in our ministry, but deep inside we also want a little of that honor for ourselves, we want maybe to make a good living at it, or develop a reputation and a following. So, what is so wrong with getting a little praise and honor for our labors? Maybe nothing is wrong with that except we do run the risk of a legacy that becomes “Solomon’s Temple” and not “God’s Temple.” If that is the case all our labors whether in ministry or at secular jobs are in vain. The word vain in Hebrew is shave which has the idea of desolate or waste. Our labors to build a place within God’s heart is all a waste.

I’ve spent the last 13 years searching for God’s heart. I have come to realize that the first day I began my search, God’s heart was open to me. However, I kept adding my own desires, my own wishes, and my own pride into the many rooms of God’s heart. Quickly, I had moved so much of my “stuff” into God’s heart that I could not even recognize His heart. After 13 years I am still trying to clear my stuff out of God’s heart so all I can see is His heart and His heart alone.

Jesus said in John 14:2: “In my father’s house are many dwelling places. I go to prepare a place for you.” Jesus spoke in the Old Galilean dialect of Aramaic. The Aramaic Bible, Peshitta, uses the word bt which we render as house, yet, like the Hebrew, bt could also be used to express the idea of the place of the heart which is identical to the Hebrew word bayith (house) which is the word used in Psalms 127. Jesus may very well have said: “In my Father’s heart are many rooms.” Only He can build that place in His heart for us. If we try to build that place with all our ministries and monuments to ourselves, our labors are all wasted.