Month: July 2023

Sanctuary

~ ForCommonGround ~ Leave a comment

When you hear the word sanctuary, what comes to mind? Some may have thought of a part of the church..but why do we call it that? Many may think of a safe place or place of peace. The dictionary definition of a sanctuary is a place of refuge or safety, and also use in terms of a nature preserve. I’m sure it’s not surprising to hear but the concept of a sanctuary is intertwined throughout the Biblical story. In fact, I would offer up that it is one of the key themes being told by God. What I want to do in today is trace that theme throughout the Biblical narrative. So where better to begin than at the beginning?

Sanctuary in Genesis

“then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.”

Genesis‬ ‭2‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

God creates this separate place called Eden and places man there. It’s safe to say that man was not created in Eden, but was brought by God to join with Him there in mission. If a Sanctuary is a meeting place with God, the Garden of Eden would have to qualify. This event sets the tone and stage for what God intended for humanity. That is, to be with Him.

But humanity screws it up as we know. They are exiled and not allowed to enter. But God doesn’t close the book on His plan. Instead, He goes out of the Garden to meet with them. We see that with Cain and Abel. Again with Noah. Proving that God’s desire to meeting with humanity is still very much His plan.

Sanctuary in Exodus

“Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.”‬‬

Exodus‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV

This may seem like much smaller scale than the Garden, but look at how God describes the meeting place…holy ground, denoting that it was in fact His presence there before Moses. This moment sets up God establishing a more physical representation of His presence. Lets fast forward to the post plague and Red Sea.

“And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.”‬‬

Exodus‬ ‭25‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭ESV

This is pretty clear evidence that God is wanting to be in our midst. We actually see the word sanctuary used here. It is the Hebrew word: mik-dawsh’ meaning sacred, holy place where God’s presence is. And this holy place would go wherever Israel went. It would serve as a constant reminder of God be among His people. And from then on to the time of David, the children of God would seek Him there.

“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,”

Psalm‬ ‭63‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭ESV

This tabernacle would later become the temple. And for Generations, that is where people would seek to meet with God and His presence would reside. Take a look at Solomon’s dedication of the new temple.

“As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house. When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.””‬‬

2 Chronicles‬ ‭7‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭ESV

This would all point to a new and greater sanctuary to come. Isaiah prophesied of it. Isaiah 7:14 calls Him Immanuel, meaning God with us. And again in Isaiah 9:6-7 where He is labeled as Mighty God. Luke 1:35, again showing Jesus to be Holy (hagios in greek meaning most holy thing). Who is the most holy thing but God? It is with Jesus that God has demonstrated the concept of Sanctuary the most.

Sanctuary and Jesus

We’ve established how a sanctuary is a holy place, where God’s glory is and where we meet with Him. What better way to demonstrate that than in the person of Jesus? Several passages in the New Testament build on this idea of Jesus being the sanctuary of God.

  • Fullness of God (Col 1:19)
  • the Word made Flesh (Jn 1:1-14)
  • He and God are one (Jn 10:30)
  • Fullness of deity dwells and all authority (Col 2:9-10)
  • Jesus is the way to God (Jn 14:6)

It is safe to say that where is Jesus, God is. He is the ultimate Sanctuary. And much of Jesus ministry demonstrates that. Matthew 11:28-30, He says in Him we find rest and we learn what it means to live in God’s light. If we are burdened and bogged down, if we aren’t growing more in our understanding of God’s call on our lives, then maybe we aren’t listening to the call from the Sanctuary.

In John 15:4-6 it explains how taking Sanctuary in Jesus establishes a relationship that produces changes and goodness in us. If our life isn’t growing and maturing spiritually, if we aren’t producing a harvest of godliness and love, then perhaps we have neglected the holy place.

Jesus also set a pattern of what it looks like to enter the sanctuary. Often, Jesus entered into long periods of prayer and solitude. In Mark 6:31, Jesus invited His disciples to come away to a desolate place and rest and pray and rejuvenate. If we are not taking time to be alone with Him, then we need to reshuffle some priorities.

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭19‬-‭25‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Not only is Jesus the Sanctuary of God, His life, death, and resurrection has granted us permanent access into God’s presence. Which means, wherever we are, we can meet with Him. We are without excuse. No job, no hobby, no relationship, nothing should ever prevent us from entering in with God. And by no means should we ever forget the price it cost to grant us such access

“Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭24‬ ‭ESV‬‬

To enter the sanctuary of Jesus is to lay aside any and all selfishness. It is to trade in our life for His. It is to live sacrificially and outwardly. Throughout scripture, to enter the sanctuary first required sacrifice. That has not changed. The atonement has been taken care of. But our pride and sinful wills must be laid on the alter.

As Christ begins to live in us, everything about us begins to change. Our minds change. Our desires change. Our wills change. Our relationships change. Ultimately, our reason for living changes. Possessions and position are no longer our priorities. Comfort and security are no longer our concerns. Safety is no longer our goal, because self is no longer our god. We now want God’s glory more than we want our own lives.

David Platt

Doesn’t that seem to be in line with God’s whole purpose from all the way back in Genesis? God wants us. He wants you. He has made a way for me and you to enjoy His presence. To receive His healing from the brokenness. To be transformed and made new. To win the war against sin. To live out our purpose here on Earth as stewards, sharing His love, truth, and goodness. To know our place and identity and His children. Now we must want that more than our own lives. Because in laying down our lives and the feet of Jesus, the entrance of the Sanctuary, there we find true life.

Peace in Christ brothers and sisters.

Misconceptions on God’s design for husbands and wives

~ ForCommonGround ~ Leave a comment

Other than humanity’s standing with God, what relationship was first rocked by their sin? The union between Adam and Eve. And what has resulted for millennia, is a faulty approach to the marriage relationship ever since. Not to say that some haven’t gotten it right. But I believe that the world, and even many in the church, have been getting it wrong for centuries. That stems from a wrong reading of the text. If you trace our history back you will see sermons telling the women to stay in their place and to follow their men. Even in America, women faced oppression for nearly all of our existence, much of which was justified using faulty interpretations of God’s design. The Bible itself is full of examples of how men and women screw things up. Let’s read over the wives and husbands commissions found in Ephesians five in light of the garden events from Genesis 2 and 3.

“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.”‬‬

Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭ESV

Some misconceptions can be traced back to Genesis 3 where God is pronouncing the consequences of sin. We can view Ephesians 5 as a call back to a pre-fall relationship. The first big misconception is in the terms of the “wives submit” terminology. The word submit used here is idios in greek. This means to treat as one’s self. Literally unite with. This is never once used to denote an inferior position. In fact let’s look at the origins of Eve. She is described as a “help meet” ( Gen 2:18&20). The word ezer, (Strong’s concordance #5828) means a shield, a form a saving. God is described often as an ezer. So that’s the pre-fall purpose for wives. That’s the intent of God. For wives to be united with husbands, to be one with them, to walk along side them (not under or behind them) to help shield them and be an essential role in the mission of God.

The post fall narrative, on the other hand, is much different (Genesis 3:16-17). We see the words ruling and desire used in this portion of Genesis. Both are prescribed in the midst of negative consequences from Adam and Eves actions. Nowhere does it alude to this being God’s plan or ideal. To say that, would be like saying God wanted brokenness and screwed ip relationships. If anything, the context of these verses makes it apparent that it is opposite of how God designed things. The next time this word for desire is used its to describe sin’s desire for Cain.

Can you think of examples when women and men from the Bible showed this fallen narrative? Times women subverted and disrespected or preyed on men. How about Rebecca and Sarah? Times men ruled as jerks and treated woman like animals? Maybe Isaac and Abraham? These relationships, while containing some good elements, were not models to follow, but illustrations of the brokenness of the fall. If anything, God was heartbroken over this.

Ephesians 5 is a picture of the reality of God’s design, opposite of that of the Genesis 3 fall motif. Wives are designed as an ezer, or defense, shield, life-giver, unified with her husband. Not a submissive, second-rate counterpart to do her husband’s bidding.

Now let’s address husbands.

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,”‬‬

Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭25‬-‭29‬ ‭ESV

Husbands, also, are meant to lead, not as Genesis 3 states, but as Christ does. As a servant, in humility. Ephesians 5 uses the comparison of washing the bride with the word. Looking back at Genesis, Adam should have intervened when the serpent was twisting God’s words. Adam, by all accounts, was there, being passive, and not leading. He was also flattered and deceived by the serpent. He was meant to be a guardian, a shepherd, in pursuit of God’s mission. And so are men today.

Ephesians five uses some powerful words to define husband’s role. It says for husbands to love, give themselves up for, to cherish, and to nourish. If Adam had done that, the serpent would have lost his head that day. The leadership of men is a selfless leadership. It is wholehearted leadership. The leadership of a husband seeks Christ first and the heart of his wife second. The husband must lead from his knees not from a pedestal. My how world history would be different if men actually did that. -Men, we must be committed to seeing our wives thrive just as Christ seeks that for His bride. If Christ’s love and commitment to His bride is our example for loving our brides, then we have to step it up. And we do that by surrendering more of ourselves to Christ and His leadership in our personal lives.

God obviously doesn’t want us living in the Genesis three story. And we will be opposed. The serpent isn’t gone. The next chapter of Ephesians addresses the spiritual war that still rages on and how we are to fight. Enter Jesus. He is our shield of faith, our breastplate of righteousness, our belt of truth, our helmet of salvation. He came to be our example. He came to crush the serpent. He came to restore right relationships. He came to heal our broken approach to life and to love. He came to impart God’s wisdom. For Jesus is, ““He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power…” Hebrews 1:3 ESV and, ““And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image…” 2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV and, ““whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” 1 John 2:6 ESV

Whether we are single, married, wives, or husbands, our call is to be like Jesus…abiding in Him…unified with Him…and then we will see God’s kingdom come in our homes and in our relationships.