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The Purpose of the Sanctuary, July 5
And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
Exodus 25:8
.
“I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God,”
“and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory” (
Exodus 29:45, 43
),
was the assurance given to Moses.
In the building of the sanctuary as a dwelling place for God, Moses
was directed to make all things according to the pattern of things in
the heavens. God called him into the mount, and revealed to him the
heavenly things, and in their similitude the tabernacle, with all that
pertained to it, was fashioned.
So to Israel, whom He desired to make His dwelling place, He
revealed His glorious ideal of character. The pattern was shown them in
the mount when the law was given from Sinai....
But this ideal they were, in themselves, powerless to attain. The
revelation at Sinai could only impress them with their need and helpless-
ness. Another lesson the tabernacle, through its service of sacrifice, was
to teach—the lesson of pardon of sin, and power through the Saviour
for obedience unto life.
Through Christ was to be fulfilled the purpose of which the taberna-
cle was a symbol—that glorious building, its walls of glistening gold
reflecting in rainbow hues the curtains inwrought with cherubim, the
fragrance of ever-burning incense pervading all, the priests robed in
spotless white, and in the deep mystery of the inner place, above the
mercy seat, between the figures of the bowed, worshiping angels, the
glory of the Holiest. In all, God desired His people to read His purpose
for the human soul. It was the same purpose long afterward set forth by
the apostle Paul, speaking by the Holy Spirit:
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of
God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall
God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”
1
Corinthians 3:16, 17
.
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