Larry Siegle · Exodus 15:17, 18
Link to sermon video: The Sanctuary of God’s Dwelling – L Siegle
God’s “Sacred Space”
“The Sanctuary of God’s Dwelling”
(Exodus 15:17, 18)
Series: God’s “Sacred Space”
Thesis: There is a “sacred space” where God “dwells” with His people, in His everlasting Presence.
INTRODUCTION
1. We are beginning a special series of lessons in learning about God’s “sacred space” where He “dwells” with His people who come to live in His Presence.
2. The title of the series is God’s “Sacred Space”
3. The title of our message today is: “The Sanctuary of God’s Dwelling”
WHAT “SACRED SPACE” IS NOT
1. There are so many “mistaken” views of what exactly constitutes “sacred space” as opposed to “profane” (ordinary) space—‘secular, or non-religious’ in nature.
2. Although Palestine is sometimes referred to as the holy land (it is more properly called the Bible land) because that is where God brought Israel after leaving the land of Egypt (a “land flowing with milk and honey) (Deut. 6:3; 26:9, 15). We might refer to this as covenant geography or the “land of the living” (Psa. 27:13; 116:9; 142:5).
3. There are no physical “buildings” or “locations” in this realm that constitute sacred space (I Kings 8:27; II Chron. 2:6; 6:18; Acts 17:24, 25).
a. Church buildings are not what the Bible describes as sacred space.
b. The forest, the lake, a mountaintop, are some other quiet place is not what the Bible describes as sacred space.
4. The “tabernacle” or “temple” in Jerusalem was designated as the representative place to “meet God” and that His presence was represented there (II Sam. 7:1, 2).
a. The gods of the pagan neighbors of Israel constructed “temples” with idols inside and the people would call on these gods to bribe them with various gifts to get their attention and to provide something for them.
b. The tower of Babel (Gen. 11:1-9) was being built for the purpose reaching into the “heavens” and calling on God to do as they wanted (a majestic genie who would grant whatever they ‘wished’ for—God would not have it.
5. We could end this series right here and discover what the true picture of sacred space (according to the Bible) is, but we are going to work our way through the text—and I guarantee that if you stay with me, this study will be amazing
and meaningful in our understanding of relationship with God today and how it is so vastly different from what was seen in Old Covenant Israel.
THE “FEAR” OF THE LORD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT UNDERSTANDING OF AN ISRAELITE’
1. The verses in the OT that have reference to the “fear of the Lord” is the Hebrew word pachad and not even once does any lexicon define it as “reverence” or “respect”—the literal meaning of the word is “dread, terror, panic, a sudden
alarm” (Isa. 2:10, 19).
2. The Hebrew word Yireh (also translated as “fear” in our English Bibles), is defined as “awesomeness, reverence” (Psa. 111:10; Prov. 2:5). Interestingly, the variety of Hebrew expressions are uniformly rendered by the Greek phobia in the LXX.
a. The Jewish believers would be thinking like an Israelite and understand the expression in Hebrews “fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31; II Cor. 5:11).
b. The OT sacrificial system proclaimed God as “other” and therefore to be approached from a safe distance because there were severe consequences in just casually approaching God at the “tabernacle” or “temple” and it
was the ministry of the priesthood to make sure the worshipper was ritually pure in coming before the Lord.
c. I have been studying the book of Leviticus and it was complicated to approach God at the entrance of the sacred space of the “tabernacle” or “temple” and the Israelite was fearful of what could happen to him if we was
somehow impure (unclean).
THIS IS A STUDY THAT IS OFTEN IGNORED OR MISUNDERSTOOD
1. Our text from Exodus is a song of deliverance and victory that is called “the song of Moses” (Exod. 15:1-3, 13, 17-18).
a. Israel had just crossed the Red Sea with the Egyptians in “hot pursuit” and where they were sustained and protected as the waters parted and they cross over on dry land (Exod. 14:22, 23; Neh. 9:11; Psa. 78:13; Isa. 51:10; Isa. 63:12).
b. The ultimate deliverance and victory for the people of God is mentioned by the apostle John when believers sing both “the song of Moses” and “the song of the Lamb” (Rev. 15:3, 4).
2. In some past messages we discussed the concept of “holy ground” (Acts 7:32, 33).
a. The same designation of “holy ground” was given to where Moses stood (Exod. 3:5), and later to Joshua when Israel had entered into the ‘land of promise’ (Josh. 5:15), just before the fall of Jericho had taken place.
b. The term “holy ground” is another way of identifying sacred space that is where the Presence of God is manifested.
1) We might call this cosmic geography or covenantal geography—the “secret place of the Most High” (Psa 91:1, 2 NKJV)—the “shelter” (place of fellowship, favor, and Divine protection).
2) The Garden of Eden, in the beginning was “holy ground” where Adam and Eve had communion and fellowship with God (Gen. 2:8, 9; 3:8). Eden was referred to as “the holy mountain of God” (Ezek. 28:13-15)—
pictured as the “dwelling place” of God and His people.
a) Because of their ‘transgression’ Adam and Eve were displaced from inhabiting God’s “sacred space” and were “cut off” from having access to the place of His presence (Gen. 3:24)
b) Inside the Garden of Eden was the “tree of life” (fellowship with God, the very source of their life and fellowship), outside the Garden of Eden (the “sacred space”), was simply the physical ordinary (biological) life, apart from God and the return to the “dust of the ground” (Gen. 3:18, 19) and the problem of “thorns and thistles” in the mundane events of everyday life apart from God in this realm
3) The ‘heavenly creatures’ referred to as cherubim are pictured in the “most holy” where the ark of the covenant was placed (Exod. 25:17-22)—This was to be the “sacred space” where God would “meet” with His
people “above the Mercy seat” (His “sacred space” of dwelling).
a) The Hebrew word kappôreth the “place of covering” where the High Priest, on Yom Kippur (the annual ‘day of atonement’) entered into the most “sacred space” (Holy of Holies) to make atonement for
himself, the priesthood, and for the entire nation (Lev. 16).
b) The High Priest would sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice on the “mercy seat” (seven times) (Lev. 16:14).
c) This act of “cleansing” was not simply for the people but also to ensure that the sanctuary (sacred space) was pure and holy (Lev. 16:16-19).
GOD’S DESIRE IS TO HAVE A “PURE” AND “HOLY” PEOPLE TO ENTER INTO HIS HOLY HABITATION
1. Israel experienced the “consequences” of the meaning of Adamic “death” (separation) from living in the Presence of God—even though they had become God’s covenant people.
2. Leviticus is not one of the Old Testament books that we pay close attention to, but the contents testify of the meaning of “sacred space” and the problem of people whose fellowship with God was limited and they were kept at a distance.
a. The book outlines the terms of the Old Covenant “sacrificial system” and what was necessary in terms of what was necessary to worship and to have fellowship with God.
b. Burnt Offering—The significance of the “burnt offering” (Lev. 1) was on various occasions (Every morning and evening, every Sabbath, first day of the month, Passover, Day of Atonement, Pentecost, feast of tabernacles etc)—
and for the worshipper it was a “knock at the door” to approach God and His presence through the priesthood at the tabernacle or temple.
c. Grain Offering—was brought by the worshipper in recognition of God as the ultimate provider, the dedication of his work to God and his worship of God. Israelites had absolute dependence on God to provide their needs.
d. Peace Offering—This was the worshippers expression of gratitude or thankfulness of God. The word translated “peace” offering is better translated the offering of well-being in thankfulness to God for being in covenant with
Him and having relationship with Him.
3. These sacrifices and offerings were not for the individual worshipper to somehow provide forgiveness or to cleanse them from sin, but rather to pure and to cleanse the sanctuary, lest the individual was somehow approaching God in
an impure or unclean way.
THE SACRED SPACE WAS FROM AFAR
1. What we learn from the OT sacrificial system here is that the Israelite fear of the Lord in approaching the place of His presence—lest he be put to death, stricken with a plague or some other punishment.
CONCLUSION
1. There is so much we are going to learn (from the past) and the true greater significance of what was actually accomplished through Christ and His “death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8).
2. The end result of what we will discover in this study is that God’s sacred space now is within us, as His people we become God’s sacred space because He now dwells within us—no longer “from a distance”
3. We are going to discover the true significance of the worship assembly and why it differs from other activities of believers when we gather together.
4. We will begin to appreciate what is pictured in baptism and in communion and in corporate worship as “the church”
Outline (Word document): Gods__Sacred_Space__I.docx