Exodus 25:8
And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
God’s intention was to dwell with His creation. We find this in the Garden of Eden, however, sin separated mankind from God. This did not catch God unawares, for our God is omniscient, all knowing. He had a plan for just such an occasion. He had a plan to retore this relationship with Him.
I Corinthians 15:1-4
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
These verses show the Gospel plan is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the plan God had for restoration of His relationship with mankind. We see it come to fruition in the following verse.
Acts 2:38
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
At the birth of the NT Church, God poured out His Spirit to 120 in an upper room. When this news was spread many began to question what was happening. Peter gave the first sermon in the Church and preached Jesus. In conclusion, he told the listeners they had crucified their messiah, Jesus Christ. In response they asked how they could get right with God. Peter gave them the gospel message – repent (death) be baptized in Jesus’ name (burial) and receive the Holy Ghost (resurrection). This was God’s redemption plan for mankind so they could have relationship with Him.
The Old Testament contains a lot of foreshadowing for the New Testament. When we look back at the Israelites in Egypt, we find this bondage of slavery was a foreshadow of sin and the bondage it presents for humanity. Upon breaking free from this bondage, they were to put the blood of a lamb on their door posts. They then crossed the Red Sea, which is compared to baptism (I Corinthians 10:20). After they crossed the Red Sea, God brought them to Mount Sinai and gave them the law. This is comparative to receiving the Holy Ghost as now God writes the law on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33).
Most people stop here when showing the foreshadowing of salvation in the Old Testament. However, after the giving of the Law, God commanded them to build a sanctuary:
Exodus 25:8-9, 22
And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.
And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.
This sanctuary was a place which was set apart and dedicated to God. It was for God’s use, it was a Holy place. Is it possible, that the foreshadowing of the New Testament didn’t stop with the giving of the law, but rather, God, in his infinite wisdom, was showing what He was going to do in the future?
I Corinthians 6:19-20
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
After Israel put the blood on their door posts (repentance), passed through the Red sea (baptism) and received the law (Holy Ghost) then God told them to build Him a sanctuary.
Today, after we have repented, been baptized in Jesus name and filled with the Holy Ghost, God is still commanding we build Him a sanctuary. In the Old Testament God desired a physical sanctuary, today, God is building a Spiritual sanctuary.
Is it possible we are missing what God is trying to build? Are we still focused on building a physical sanctuary, we are concerned of what our building looks like, the carpet, walls, décor, etc. Is God saying what Paul wrote to the Church in Corinth? WHAT? Don’t you know your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost? WHAT? Are we so focused on the physical material in this world we miss what God is really seeking to build?
Exodus 25:8
And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
Are we allowing God to build His sanctuary?
