Let Them Make Me a Sanctuary
Family is important. Babies need touch, children needs parents and people need relationships. God designed us to live, laugh and love together. It was always Gods purpose to be with His people.
From 1844 Seventh-day Adventists have been preaching the doctrine of the sanctuary. Did you know that the sanctuary doctrine is the only unique doctrine of the Seventh-day Adventist Church? That may surprise you but there are others that worship on Saturday, others that believe in soul sleep, and others that believe that Jesus is coming soon. But the Seventh-day Adventist Church is the only church to teach the unique aspects of the sanctuary. Why is the sanctuary so important? Why do we place so much emphasis on the sanctuary? Turn with me in your bible to Exodus 25:8. In this passage God is speaking to Moses, God’s chosen leader for Israel. The Israelites have been delivered from Egypt, they have made their way across dry land through the Red Sea and now they find themselves in the wilderness at the foot Mount Sinai. Here in the hot, dry and dusty desert at the base of a rocky mountain God speaks to Moses saying:
8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. Ex 25:8
Now that the Israelites were safe from their enemies. Now that they had received the law of God. God wanted them to build Him a sanctuary. Why did God want them to take the trouble to build Him a sanctuary? Wasn’t God already there? Why did He need a special place? The answers to those questions are the subject of our study today. Let’s turn to Jeremiah 17:12. Here the prophet Jeremiah gives us insight into the relationship between God and the sanctuary. He says:
12 A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary. Jeremiah 17:12
Jeremiah was speaking on behalf of the Israelites, but he was also speaking on behalf of you and me because the bible says:
… if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:29
We too are Israelites. Paul calls us the Israel of God. If we believe in Jesus we are heirs according to promise and descendants of Abraham. Isn’t that a wonderful thing? If we are heirs to the promise and Abraham’s spiritual descendants then we are spiritual Israelites and the promises and truths that belong to Israel belong to us. That means that according to Jeremiah the place of our sanctuary is a glorious high throne. Whose throne is Jeremiah talking about? He is talking about God’s throne. That means that God’s throne is the place of our sanctuary. Where is God’s throne? God’s throne is in heaven. That means that from the beginning our sanctuary was at God’s throne in heaven.
The implications of this are so important for us. If our sanctuary was at God’s throne from the very beginning then it was their before sin. That means that the sanctuary existed before sin. That means that the sanctuary must have more to it then simply being a place of intercession for sin because it existed before sin. Go back with me to Exodus 25:8. Again God says in Exodus 25:8:
8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. Ex 25:8
Right there in that passage God tells us the purpose of the sanctuary. He wanted the Israelites to build Him a sanctuary so that He could dwell among them. Isn’t that amazing? He didn’t say that He wanted a sanctuary so that lambs and goats could be offered. He said that He wanted a sanctuary so that He could dwell among them. God wants to live with His people. Isn’t that amazing?
Back in ancient times it was common for homes to be multigenerational. When a man would have a son and his son grew up he would get married and bring his wife back to his home. Then they would build on to the home. When Abraham’s son Isaac grew up he married Rebecca and then Isaac and a Rebecca lived with Abraham until he died. Because Abraham lived in a tent they would add rooms on to the tent. You can imagine that as the family grew the tent grew. Having so many generations living together may sound strange to some of you but it has been common practice for cultures all over the world.
On September 11 a new show debuted on The Learning Channel. The show is called Meet the Putmans. The Putmans are a multigenerational family that all live together. Bill and Barb Putman are the patriarch and matriarch of the show. Bill and Barb had four sons. When their fours sons grew up they got married and decided with their wives to live with Bill and Barb. Now along with their grandchildren there are 25 people living in the same house. The house is 6,000 square feet home in Caro, Michigan. But the Putmans are in the process of building a 34,000 square foot home where they will all continue to live together. Isn’t that amazing? It may sound unusual to you and I but it isn’t so far from what God has planned for us. Turn with me in your bibles to Matthew 14:1-3:
14 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. Matthew 14:1,2
Jesus tells us that in His Father’s house are many mansions. The word for mansions in this passage can also mean rooms. Jesus is telling us that within His father’s house there are many places to live. Places that He is going to prepare for us. God wants to live with His children. Isn’t that wonderful? Jesus continues in verse 3 saying:
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. Matthew 14:3
Jesus wants us to be where He is. You see God has always wanted to be with His children. From the very beginning in the sanctuary in heaven God wanted to be with His children. In the very beginning before there was sin His children came together to worship Him on the holy mountain of God. And when we are taken to heaven and we are brought back to the new earth that worship and that assembly of worship will be restored. Turn with me to Isaiah 66:22,23. Here God declares to us:
22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make,
Shall remain before me, saith the Lord,
So shall your seed and your name remain.
23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another,
And from one sabbath to another,
Shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord. Isaiah 66:22,23
God wants His people to be with Him and He wants to be with His people. He has always wanted that. How can a father be separated from His children? How can a parent be separated from His child? God wants to be with you and He wants to be with me. It was for this reason that God called to Moses and told the Israelites to build a sanctuary. He needed them to build a holy place. A place where He could dwell. A place where they could come and be with Him. Sin had defiled the heavenly sanctuary. Sin had defiled the garden sanctuary and sin had defiled the earthly sanctuary. God needed a place that would once again be holy because God is holy. God wanted to dwell with His people but He had a problem. A barrier had been created between Him and His children. A wall of separation had been constructed through the sins of humanity. But God would find a way to pierce through the wall of separation. He would find way to restore the relationship that had been lost.
Through the construction of the sanctuary God created a place that would begin to sanctify His people. Through the process of the sanctuary system God’s people would be restored to a relationship with God and through the restoration of the relationship they would be restored to His presence. As they confessed their sins and received cleansing in the outer court they would be brought closer. As the high priest brought their sins into the holy place he brought the people spiritually in with him. And on the day of atonement the high priest, representing all of Israel, made his way into the very presence of God in the most holy place. These Old Testament services symbolized the restoration of our relationship with God through the intercession of the high priest. But in the New Testament the shadow met the reality. In the New Testament Jesus our high priest went in before us. Through Jesus we have access to God. Now we have spiritual access but soon, because of Jesus we will have physical access when Jesus comes again. Turn with me to Hebrews 4:14-16. The apostle Paul says:
14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16
Through Jesus Christ we have access to the throne of God. Isn’t that amazing! That is what the sanctuary is all about. It isn’t about the blood of lambs and goats. It is about the sacrifice of the Lamb of God that brings us back into the presence of our Father. Through Jesus we are restored to a relationship with our Father. Through Jesus we can once again be in God’s presence. The bible tells us that:
…all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23
And that…
The wages of sin is death…Romans 6:23a
but because of Jesus Christ the bible says that:
…the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23b
Just this past weekend my sisters and I gathered at my father’s house down in Centerville, Ohio. My sister Emily and her husband came from Chattanooga with their little baby Judah. My sister Lissy, who lives close by came with her husband and their children. We were all there to take a family portrait. The house was filled with children as they laughed and played together. Amidst all of the excitement I turned to my father and said:
“Dad this is the first time that all of your children and grandchildren have been together under one roof.”
I can’t say for sure what my dad was thinking when I said that. But I am pretty sure that he was beaming with pride. His children and grandchildren were all their together with him. What could be better? Our heavenly Father wants to dwell with His children and He wants His children to dwell with Him. If you will invite Jesus into your heart God can dwell with you. Jesus says:
I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6
If you want to be with God then allow Jesus into your heart. He is the way. And and as the bible says in Psalm 77:13.
Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary:
Who is so great a God as our God? Psalm 77:13
Jesus is the way to God and the way to God is found in the sanctuary. Your heavenly Father wants you to be with Him. Come and be with Him in His sanctuary. Amen
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