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In the Old Testament, God instructed Moses to build Him a house. “Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them,” God said (Exodus 25:8, NASB). Accordingly, we refer to the tabernacle or the subsequent temple as the house of God. This podcast episode focuses on God’s plan for this special place.
It is ironic that the sanctuary was called the house of God. We know that no building can contain God. Not even heaven can contain Him. “For in him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28, KJV). But the designation as the house of God denotes that special place where God meets His people. It is important to note that the sanctuary was God’s idea and not that of man. It was His desire to dwell among His people. Similarly, today, we don’t need to beg God or try to game Him to show up. God wants to be in the midst of His people.
God gave Moses the plan for how the sanctuary was to look and for the furniture and its utensils. “According to all that I am going to show you, as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, just so shall you construct it,” God said (Exodus 25:9).
The plan for the tabernacle was dictated by how God intended for the tent to be used for worshiping Him. Today, the church building is the place where we are edified, equipped for Kingdom work and for experiencing fellowship with God. Jesus promised that when we gather in His name, that He will be in our midst (Matthew 18:20). It is because of His presence among us that we should regard the church building as a sacred place.
