When I was about 10 or 11 years old I was a part of a little gang of friends in my neighborhood that played together faithfully day in and day out. There were 3 girls my age, Kim, Julie, and Sherry; and then the tag-a-longs (our little siblings). Ryan (my little brother) and Ashley (Julie's little sister) were always running around driving us crazy, so we would give them menial tasks in whatever game we were playing so that they would leave us alone. Anyway, one year in late winter/early spring we decided to build a treehouse. Julie's parents both worked and they were left alone everyday until about 6:30 in the evening. We raided her garage for stuff, and we got to work. At the bottom of the hill behind her house was a row of large pine trees; we decided to build the fort there. We nailed steps up the tree, and we put down ply-wood for the floor. Meanwhile, Ryan and Ashley had been carefully weaving dried pine needles through chicken wire so that we would have walls. They did this for days- their work ethic was beyond admirable. Finally, they had finished weaving pine needles through about 10 feet of chicken wire, so we carried it up the steps, wrapped it around the perimeter of our "house" and fastened it to the trees with nails.
Okay, so here's the genius part. Remeber that I told you it was around the end of February/beginning of March? It was chilly. So, we decided that since we now had walls, a fire would be a great way to heat our "house." Ryan ran home and got a coffee can (before those freeze-dried blocks) and some lighter fluid (from when you grilled with charcoal, not gas). We filled the coffee can with dried pine needles and some newspaper and we doused the whole thing extremely well with lighter fluid. Kim lit our little heater, and within seconds the walls that Ryan and Ashley had spent countless hours weaving together went up in flames. What happened next? We all jumped out of the tree, realized we weren't hurt, and then ran away in terror, but all of us were laughing every step of the way.
Life is a little different now- you don't see kids outside building treehouses anymore. Matter of fact- you don't see people building much of anything anymore (unless, of course, it's their job). But the thing is, the really important thing: we have been commanded to build something. Exodus 25:8 says, "Have them build a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them." God commanded Moses to have the Israelites build a temple that God could dwell in for the simple purpose of meeting with them. Yes, He (God) wanted to MEET WITH the Israelites.
Okay- so here's the cool part, in order to really "get" this verse you need to know what the author intended for us to understand.
- make: comes from the Hebrew word "Asah" which means to do, to obey, to create, to show faithfulness
- sanctuary: comes from the Hebrew word "Miqdas" which means to consecrate or set apart; the sanctity of these places was not to be profaned; it was used metaphorically to refer to a place of refuge; it is derived from a word that means to pronounce clean (ceremonially or morally); to hallow; to dedicate; to purify
- dwell: comes from the Hebrew word "Sakan" which means to reside; to inhabit; to rest
So, here's the deal. What God is saying is this: Have them obey, show faithfulness, and make a place of refuge that is dedicated, clean, and pure, and he will reside and rest there. How cool is it that God is living and resting in you?
Now, understand this: what is literal in the Old Testament very often becomes metaphorical in the New Testament. So, if you're wondering if the verse in Exodus really applies to you, check this out: 1 Corinthians 3:16 says "Don't you know you are God's sanctuary and that the spirit of God lives in you?"
- know: comes from the Greek word "Oida" which meand to know and approve or love; it implies adoration and obedience. It is not referring to the kind of knowledge that is learned or acquired. Oida is God-breathed knowledge.
- sanctuary: comes from the Greek word "Naos" which refers to a dwelling or temple; this specific word referred specifically to the building proper, and often denotes only the inner, most sacred part of the building; Paul used it to depict the "bodies of believers"
- spirit: comes from the Greek word "Pneuma" which means to breathe; of the vital breath; a life giving spirit; raising the bodies of his followers from the dead
- lives: from the Greek word "Oikeo" which refers to a dwelling; to dwell or live in
Do you see? The sanctuary you are to build is your heart. God has given you the inherent knowledge to understand that your body, your heart, is the sanctuary that God breathed life into. You have a life-giving spirit in your heart. What else is dwelling there? Girls- God doesn't co-habitate. Remember that I told you we literally burned down the walls of our house? Pay careful attention that you don't burn down the walls of your heart; your God is resting there. It took those two tag-a-longs several hours over a period of days to weave that treehouse wall together. It took seconds for it to go up in smoke.
Paul goes on to say: "If anyone destroys God's sanctuary, God will destroy him; for God's sanctuary is sacred, and you are that sanctuary." 1 Corinthians 3:17
- destroy: from the Greek word "phthio" which means to waste away; to corrupt; to bring to a worse state; to spoil in a moral or spiritual sense
- sacred: from the Greek word "Hagios" which refers to a matter of religious awe and reverence; separated from ordinary or common usage; brought into relationship with God; designated by Him as having a sacred purpose and special significance to him; marked as holy; of special interest to God; having conduct conforming to the character of God
Paul didn't mince words here- you are that sanctuary. That has been made clear to you- your heart has been separated from ordinary or common usage; you have been brought into relationship with God, and he designated you as having a sacred purpose and special significance to him. Don't let your worldly relationships waste you away or spoil you in a spiritual sense. You have been called and set apart to be different. Pray everyday to be different. The world is dying for someone to stand up and be different!
Be mindful of the guests you invite to inhabit the sanctuary- the walls can go up in flames in a second. Guard it girls!
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