What does "built His sanctuary" reveal about God's presence among His people? Rooted in the Text Psalm 78:69 — “He built His sanctuary like the heights, like the earth He established forever.” God Himself Takes the Initiative • “He built” — the action is God’s, not humanity’s. • Exodus 25:8: “They are to make a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them.” • God’s presence is never a human achievement; it is always God coming down to dwell with His people. Lofty Yet Accessible • “Like the heights” pictures the sanctuary as towering and majestic, reflecting heaven itself (Isaiah 66:1). • Though exalted, God locates this lofty dwelling among His covenant people, inviting them upward in worship (Psalm 24:3-4). Permanent and Unshakeable • “Like the earth He established forever” links the sanctuary to the solidity of creation. • God’s presence is meant to be stable, not momentary. 1 Kings 8:13 shows Solomon echoing this permanence: “I have indeed built You an exalted house, a place for You to dwell forever.” • The sanctuary’s durability reassures Israel—and us—of God’s enduring faithfulness (Malachi 3:6). Foreshadowing the True and Greater Sanctuary • Every earthly sanctuary points ahead to Christ: “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us” (John 1:14). • Jesus is “God with us” (Matthew 1:23), the ultimate fulfillment of the dwelling theme. Extending to the Church Today • After the cross and resurrection, believers themselves are called God’s sanctuary: – 1 Corinthians 3:16: “Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” – 2 Corinthians 6:16: “We are the temple of the living God.” • The permanence and loftiness once tied to stone now describe the indwelling Spirit within every believer. Looking Ahead to Final Fulfillment • Revelation 21:3 promises the climax: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them.” • The sanctuary theme moves from tabernacle to temple to Christ to the church—and finally to the new creation where God’s presence saturates everything. What “Built His Sanctuary” Reveals • God’s presence is His gift, initiated and secured by Him alone. • It is majestically high yet intimately near. • It is as enduring as the created order. • It culminates in Christ and continues through the Spirit in believers, reaching its fullness in eternity. |
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