God sets Up HIS first Sanctuary with Man
Required Free will offering
Required Purpose
Requirement for the Word of Testimony
Exodus 25:1-22, DBF Sunday Sermon, 1/26/03
What is a home?
Many people automatically go to “home is were the heart is”. Others would say “home is were my mom is”. Home sweet home, may it ever be so humble.
Encarta Encyclopedia simple defines home as: House (architecture), dwelling place, constructed as a home for one or more persons. Whether a crude hut or an elaborate mansion, and whatever its degree of intrinsic architectural interest, a house provides protection from weather and adversaries.
The physical characteristics of a house depend on the surrounding environment (climate and terrain), available building materials, technological know-how, and such cultural determinants as the social status and economic resources of the owner or owners. In rural areas until modern times, people and animals were often housed together; today’s houses frequently include storage, work, and guest areas, with several separate spaces for different activities. Houses can be wholly below ground level, dug out of the earth, or can be partly below and partly above the ground; most contemporary houses are built aboveground (over cellars in cold climates). The primary structural materials employed are wood, sod, brick, and stone, with concrete and steel increasingly used, especially for city dwellings; many of these materials are used in combination also. Choice of material depends on prevalent style, individual taste, and availability. Depending on climate and available fuels, provisions may be made for heating. In modern industrialized areas, running water and interior toilets are common. Whatever its size and conveniences, a house both contains and stands for the basic human social unit.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines home as: Main Entry: 1home
Pronunciation: ’hOm
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English hom, from Old English hAm village, home; akin to Old High German heim home
Date: before 12th century
1 a : one’s place of residence : DOMICILE b : HOUSE
2 : the social unit formed by a family living together
3 a : a familiar or usual setting : congenial environment; also : the focus of one’s domestic attention
4 a : a place of origin
5 : an establishment providing residence and care for people with special needs
6 : the objective in various games; especially : HOME PLATE
- at home 1 : relaxed and comfortable : at ease
We will see that God did not build HIS home or sanctuary with man with no requirements as seems to be what is practiced around us daily.
God directs Moses in requirements of HIS dwelling place with Israel. Let us walk with Moses and seek what God would lead us to this week and in our lives.
Required Free will offering
Exodus 25:1-7 (KJV)
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, [2] Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. [3] And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass, [4] And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair, [5] And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood, [6] Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, [7] Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.
So God starts HIS building process with man, and HE asks for an offering? Not just anything or any offering, but HE does set requirements.
Well, some might ask “What does the requirements of God to the Ancient people of Israel have to do with me?”
Do you know that God gives us over 55 references to offerings in the Old and New Testaments directly and 27 are references to “free will offerings”.
What kind of offering does God want you to bring to HIM?
Exodus 35:5 (KJV)
Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the Lord; gold, and silver, and brass,
Exodus 35:29 (KJV)
The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.
Exodus 35:29 (KJV)
The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.
Exodus 36:3 (KJV)
And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it withal. And they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning.
Young’s literal translation states…and they take for Me a heave-offering; from every man whose heart impelleth him ye do take My heave-offering.
Whose heart impelleth or causes him to do so. Wow. Have you been listening to your heart lately? Have you been giving from your heart lately?
You see the public serve to Jehovah was to be instituted with a freewill offering, not by an enforced tax. God’s people responded with zeal and continued to do so.
I thank God for the generous benefits we all receive as part of the Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention, yet when I observe what is being done in other states I know in my heart of hearts that Alaska could do so much more and that should be our challenge to seek and to do the will of God in Alaska and throughout the world.
Let us respond with “zeal” as even the nation of Israel did in response to God’s challenge. Even though most of this current nation died in the “wilderness” wandering, they gave as their hearts moved them.
What are they asked to bring? And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass, [4] And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair, [5] And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood, [6] Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, [7] Onyx stones, and stones…
There were three kinds of metals:
1. GOLD, áäæ zahab
2. SILVER, óñë keseph, from casaph, to be pale, wan, or white; so called from its
well-known color.
3. BRASS, úùçð nechosheth, because brass was capable of so fine a polish as to become exceedingly bright, and keep its lustre a considerable time.
Blue—úìëú techeleth, generally supposed to mean an azure or sky color; a sky-blue or
deep violet.
Purple—ïîâøà argaman, a very precious color, extracted from the purpura or
murex, a species of shell-fish, so costly, and so much celebrated in antiquity.
Scarlet—úòìåú tolaath, “Thy robes the twice dyed purple stains.”
Fine linen—ùù shesh
Goats’ hair—íéæò izzim, goats ’ hair. In different parts of Asia Minor, Syria, Cilicia, and Phrygia, the goats have long, fine, and beautiful hair, in some cases almost as fine as silk, which they shear at proper times, and anufacture into garments. From Virgil, Georg. iii., v. 305-311, we learn that goats’ hair
manufactured into cloth was nearly of equal value with that formed from wool.
Rams’ skins dyed red—íéîãàî íìéà úøò oroth eylim meoddamim,
literally, the skins of red rams.
Badgers’ skins—íéùçú úøò oroth techashim.
Shittim wood—supposed to be the finest species of the cedar; by others, the
acacia Nilotica, a species of thorn, solid, light, and very beautiful. This acacia is
known to have been plentiful in Egypt, and it abounds in Arabia Deserta, the very place
in which Moses was when he built the tabernacle; hence it is reasonable to suppose
that he built it of that wood, which was every way proper for his purpose.
Oil for the light—This they must have brought with them from Egypt, for they could
not get any in the wilderness where there were no olives; but it is likely that this and
some other directions refer more to what was to be done when in their fixed and settled
residence, than while wandering in the wilderness.
Spices—To make a confection for sweet incense, abounded in different parts of these
countries.
Onyx stones—the stone called íäù shoham, some think the onyx, some the sardine, and some the emerald, is meant. Whatever the specific stones they were to be selected to be set in the ephod—íéàìî éðáà abney milluim, stones of filling up. Stones so cut as to be proper to be set in the
gold work of the breastplate.
These are the requested items by God, to be brought willingly by the heart of HIS people.
What are we asked to bring today, our very temple is our bodies that are to be presented to God?
If you will acknowledge that all that you are, have and will ever have is given by the grace of God, then HE is the rightful possessor of all that you have. All HE asks is that you give HIM by tithes 10 percent of the 100 percent HE gives to you, and that when your heart is moved by HIM that you offer an appropriate heart offering to the architect of your temple.
Required Purpose
Exodus 25:8-9 (KJV)
And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. [9] 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.
What was God’s purpose in asking for the offering?
During the forty days Moses remained on Mount Sinai, God gave him a pattern for the tabernacle. God did not want Israel to remain at Sinai. They were to continue on to the land of Canaan and God was to journey with them. He was to dwell in the midst of His people.
The pattern for the tabernacle was the first ordinance given to Moses since the giving of the Law.
As great as having God in their presence must have been for them, we as “Born Again” believers in Christ are afforded so much greater benefits.
Because of the blood of Christ’s cleansing affect in our lives we are able to have continuous open contact with our God and Creator. The tabernacle showed how great it would be for us when we had the very presence of God within our hearts, where Jesus resides in true believers.
Hebrews 8:2 (KJV)
A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.
Hebrews 9:11 (KJV)
But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
Do you consider yourself this sanctuary today?
Romans 12:1 (KJV)
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Are you able to say with confidence today that you are rendering yourself a perfect sacrifice?
This is your reasonable or minimum service.
I challenge you through God’s call upon your heart to freely give HIM the service which HE seeks of you. Remember, the amount of what the people gave was not stressed, but the right motive for giving was.
Requirement for the Word of Testimony
Exodus 25:10-22 (KJV)
And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. [11] And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about. [12] And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it. [13] And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. [14] And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them. [15] The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it. [16] And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee. [17] And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. [18] And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. [19] And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. [20] And the cherubim shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. [21] And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. [22] 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.
In HIS requirements around the Tabernacle God sets the “word” apart.
Do you think this was just something God arbitrarily or do you think it might be because God knows as HE shows us throughout HIS word the value and center place of the “Word of God” and where HE seeks for it to be in our life.
You see, as we have often said, God shows us through the life and walk of Moses the a pattern for the better Covenant, tabernacle, and Word to come in and through Christ Jesus.
Jesus is the means by which we receive the merciful grace of God.
The angels that or described do not look after themselves are after man as the world would have you believe. No, notice that the eyes of the angels, even in the tabernacle are Godward, striving to accomplish what is that “good and perfect” will of God.
The foundation of our life in God is Christ, the living Word of God.
Have you come to the place of refuge, sanctuary, peace in your life?
Do you have need to come out of the storm of life?
Do you seek to bring God into your midst?
Then you must start by understanding this one thing: It is necessary for one to truly know God to know and do HIS will.
You must call upon the name of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, we invite you to do so today.
It’s easy—
A. admit to God that you are a sinner…God’s word says “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God..
B. believe that Jesus is God’s only son that came down from heaven, took on the form of man, was crucified, died and was buried and on the third day rose again for you and your salvation
C. commit your life to the Lord above and ask him to fill you up with HIS love.
If you would like to do this today we ask you to come forward at this time.
If you need prayers or would like to pray with someone we would ask you to come forward or to let us know how we can pray for you and your loved ones.
Remember, wherever you find yourself today, God wants to offer you sanctuary, HE has a perfect plan for your life if you will only seek Him first.
Closing Prayer.
