After making an accusation yesterday that many of my previous preachers and teachers got it wrong about the events surrounding the selling of sacrifices in the temple, I thought it best to investigate my own assertions. Here are the results

Numbers 15 English Standard Version

Laws About Sacrifices

1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land you are to inhabit, which I am giving you, 3 and you offer to the Lord from the herd or from the flock a food offering or a burnt offering or a sacrifice, to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering or at your appointed feasts, to make a pleasing aroma to the Lord,

14 And if a stranger is sojourning with you, or anyone is living permanently among you, and he wishes to offer a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord, he shall do as you do. 15 For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you, a statute forever throughout your generations. You and the sojourner shall be alike before the Lord. 16 One law and one rule shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you.”

Obviously God wanted everyone to worship Him no matter their lineage. He ordered that all should be treated alike. God’s love is universal. (my opinion)

The next comments are taken from the records of the great Hebrew historian Josephus.

But in Herod’s temple there was such hatred of the gentiles that they were not allowed into the inner court. Jesus saw the signs –  as did many of the early Christians. Stone blocks mounted on the wall that divided the “Court of the Gentiles” from the inner courts, where only Jews were allowed to enter, proclaimed in Greek: “No foreigner may enter … the sanctuary and the enclosure. Whoever is caught, on himself shall he put blame for the death which will ensue.”

The text of these warning signs was preserved by the ancient Jewish historian Josephus, and two of the actual signs still survive today in museums in Jerusalem and in Istanbul – so there is no doubt about what they said or the threatened punishment for any foreigner who attempted to enter the temple. (End of quote)

When we focus on words like den of thieves we might think about money and corruption and let our teachings be slanted in that direction. Human nature says corruption was likely and I am not saying that is not a possibility. I am saying that corruption isn’t a godly character. If we are to see what God is doing in the scriptures then we should not focus on the nature of man which is corrupt. We were all corrupt at one time and looking back keeps us from looking forward.

• Matthew 21:13
  And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
• Mark 11:17
  And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.
• Luke 19:46
  Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.

John 2:16

And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.

In verse 14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: it can be seen that Jesus was more upset about where they were doing it than what they were doing. This occurred in the outermost court, the Court of the Gentiles, which was where the buying and selling of animals took place.

Non-jews were allowed to worship God in only one area of the temple and the leaders of the temple pushed them out in favor of the sellers of sacrifices since people were coming from great distances and did not bring their animals for fear of thieves on their journey.

Much has been said about the reason for the leaders making that decision because of one verse of text.

Mark 11:18 King James Version

18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.

Because this verse follows Mark 11:17 so closely some accuse those scribes and priest of corruption, taking a portion of the profits for themselves. There is no scriptural evidence of that but we can see that they were losing influence over the people who began believing Jesus.

It is my personal opinion that Jesus was more upset with them denying the gentiles an area to come and worship God. His mission from the beginning was all about true worship of His Father.

The placement of this event up front in John’s gospel as opposed to the late entries in the synoptic gospels tells me that God hates those who deny others the right to worship Him.