Part 1: Yesterday and today, God's dwelling is built on our hearts

Acts 17: 24-25

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.

Isaiah 57:1-5

"For this is what the high and lofty One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: "I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.

Insight:

The temple has become the physical representation of worship. There is a great connection between God's temple/dwelling among man, and man's heart for Him. God never intended to live in a limited physical structure, but God has used the temple to reveal people's hearts and to expose the condition of people's relationship with Him.

The Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle

The very first time God ever asked for a dwelling place among the Israelites, He said,

"Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from each man WHOSE HEART PROMPTS HIM TO GIVE. These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows; acacia wood; olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece."

"Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle and all its furnishing exactly like the pattern I will show you." Exodus 25:1-9

One needs only to read the specifications of the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant and everything in it, including the costumes of the priests who will serve Him, and the perfume and incense (the recipe was patented by God himself Exodus 30:22-28) to make God's dwelling smell good to be convinced that "Wow! Heaven must be a 100-star hotel!" No doubt, God wanted to dwell in beautiful dwellings. His dwelling is to be kept pure and holy at all times. Can you imagine how eye-catching the tabernacle was considering that the Israelites were camped in the desert? (Ark and Tabernacle covered with gold)

It is awesome just to imagine God's specified design. What was more awesome though is that God was to use the materials offered by the people according to their hearts prompting in building the Ark. What if nobody gives anything?

Problems can sometimes present opportunities. After punishing the Israelites because of their worship of the Golden calf, the craftsmen started working on the tabernacle. Probably grateful that they are still alive (3,000 thousand people died as a consequence of their idolatry), the rest of the people gave more than what was needed for the tabernacle.

"And the people continued to bring FREEWILL offerings morning after morning. So all the skilled craftsman who were doing the work on the sanctuary left their work and said to Moses, "The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done."

"Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: 'No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.' And so the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work."

I will get goosebumps if this happens today: the leaders restraining the people for bringing more FREEWILL offerings for God's sanctuary. Clearly, gratitude is the greatest motivation to give. When you know that you are blessed and that you owe your life, you will give whatever you can.
The tabernacle was finished according to God's design. God literally stayed among the Israelites in the tabernacle. His cloud covered the tent of meeting and the glory of God filled the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-38) God's presence signaled the Israelites when to build and break camp.

to be continued...