You Are the Gatekeeper

Among these were the divisions of the gatekeepers, among the chief men, having duties just like their brethren, to serve in the house of the LORD. 1 Chronicles 26:12 (NKJV)

The temple gatekeepers were a specially appointed group within the Levitical priesthood responsible for maintaining the sanctity, security, and order of the temple precincts in Jerusalem. Their primary duty was to keep unauthorized or ceremonially unclean people from entering the temple. Other duties included security, maintaining order in worship, protecting and managing the treasury and stores, and resolving disputes within the temple districts. They represented the boundary between holiness and profane, serving as a constant reminder of the need for purity and reverence in approaching God.

Just as the gatekeepers guarded the temple, we are called to be the gatekeepers of our personal temples. 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 says, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. Therefore, honor God with your body.” When we believed in Christ as our Lord and savior, we invited the Holy Spirt to come in a dwell with us and our temples are seen as pure by God. Like the temple guards, we need to keep anything that is "unclean" from entering our bodies so we can let the Holy Spirit work in us.

Choose to be the temple guard for your own body. What are you watching on tv and on your phone? Does it lead you to impure and immoral thoughts? Choose family friendly shows instead and those that inspire you to be a better person. Who do you hang out with and listen to? Make friends with people in your church community and invite them over for dinner. Join a home group and study the word with your Christian family. Becoming the temple guard of your body means making every choice, from what you eat to how you speak, rest, and serve flow from the truth that God’s Spirit lives within you.