A Space for God

March 9, 2025 Background Scripture: Exodus 25 27 Lesson Passage: Exodus 25: 1 - 9; 26: 1, 31 - 37 "And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them." , Exodus 25:8 This is a simple and yet profound statement. That's an indication that there is more to this than initially comes to mind. The God who exists everywhere requested the construction of a physical sanctuary to dwell in among His people. Can omnipresence be restricted to a single location? Also, God is holy, and His people are unholy. If God is to dwell among His people, either they must be made holy, or there must be a boundary to separate holiness from unholiness. God showed Moses the pattern of the tabernacle. God also gave Moses the specifications to use for the construction of it. Those specifications included three boundaries established with curtains to provide physical separation between God and His people, yet He still desired to dwell among them. That sanctuary was declared to be a place for God to dwell in and not a place for His people to gather to worship in. God gave the complete design details to Moses for the construction of the tabernacle and its furnishings. God specified the materials to be used for the construction and the exact dimensions to be adhered to according to the pattern He had shown Moses. The materials were the most luxurious and expensive materials known to man. All the materials for the construction of the tabernacle and its furnishings were to be received as a freewill offering from the people of God. God instructed Moses to inform the people to ask the Egyptians for articles of silver, gold, and clothing prior to their departure from Egypt. The Egyptians granted them what they requested, and those items became the spoils of war as they departed Egypt. They collected the spoils of war despite the people never having to fight against the Egyptians. The people requested what they wanted as they were instructed to by Moses, God did the fighting, and His people received the spoils of war. They and their ancestors had been slaves in Egypt for four hundred years. No doubt, they were the source of much of the Egyptian wealth. Much of that wealth became the spoils of war for Israel. Those spoils of war became their freewill offering to God. God requested what He knew the children of Israel possessed because He had given it to them. In addition to the instructions for the construction of the tabernacle, God gave the geographical orientation for pitching the tabernacle. God even specified how each piece of furnishing was to be constructed and where each piece of furnishing was to be placed within the tabernacle. The tabernacle was a space for God to dwell in. Therefore, He gave the specifications He desired. Now, back to the question, "Can omnipresence be restricted to a single location?" The answer is no. However, God does allow His presence to be experienced in a specific place. This is what He did as a cloud and fire on top of the mountain, and this is what He was about to do as a cloud and fire resting atop the tabernacle they were instructed to make. That physical tabernacle with its separation of holy from unholy and most holy from holy was a representation of something to come that was much greater. The tabernacle was a physical space where God could dwell among His people in this world. They would experience God's presence in their midst. As we consider the tabernacle with its furnishings and boundaries, let us also consider the hearts of God's children. The ultimate is for God to dwell within His people in this world. Have we prepared our hearts to be sanctuaries for God to dwell within His people? Do we understand the furnishings and boundaries? Afterall, the heart of a Christian is a space for God! Robert C. Hudson February 27, 2025