Build Me a Sanctuary...

"And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them."

Exodus 25:8 NKJV

       When God said to Moses, build me a Sanctuary, He wasn’t just giving him a command but God was expressing His deepest desire, He was revealing and expressing His very own heart and the desire of God’s heart was for Him to have a dwelling and resting place among His people. 

       

       King David knew the heart of God for we read that when God gave him peace David said; Here I am living in this beautiful palace but the Ark of the Lord is out in a tent.... (1Chronicles 17:1) so David made this vow unto God saying that he will not go home, he will not give himself rest, he will not sleep until he finds a place for the House of the Lord. (Psalm 132)

       It is interesting to think that God who is high and lofty, God who doesn't dwell in houses made by human hands (Acts 7:48)  God who says "Heaven is My throne and earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest?" (Isaiah 66:1) is the same God who expressed a desire for a sanctuary, temple, house, a dwelling place among His people.

       That this wasn't something that was written, said and commanded in the Old Testament only we can read in the New Testament:

"Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you."   1Corinthians  3:16

"Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?" 1Corinthians 6:19

"...you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." 1Peter 2:5

"...in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." Ephesians 2:21,22

       From all these verses we can see that the outside look and appearance of the temple has changed from the Old Testament where it was one building in one specific place to the New Testament where our bodies are being called a temple, where we as believers and saints joined together as church are being called a temple of God. But we can also clearly see that the desire of God's heart for a house, for a dwelling place hasn't changed. That also leads us to conclude that the practice inside the temple hasn't been done and finished with, hasn't stopped but it has changed, transformed from visible and material service to spiritual and sincere service. The service in the temple is no longer the thing of the hand but of the heart. It is no longer consisted of endless offerings of animal sacrifices but we offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

     

       God always gets what He wants and what He desires and we read in Revelation; "...behold the tabernacle of God is with men and He will dwell with them... Revelation 21:3

This desire of God is still on His heart for our time and for our generation.  

Moses knew the desire of God’s heart and he responded to it...

David knew the desire of God’s heart and he responded to it...

       Will we respond to the desire of God’s heart and will we build a dwelling and resting place for God in us, in our homes and families, in our gatherings, in our churches, cities, nations....

       It is our desire and prayer to see the body of Christ being awaken for the desires of God’s heart and becoming a dwelling and resting place for Him so that out of that place of intimacy and ministry unto Him we would be able to go out and reach the people around us with His love and compassion.