Summer 2001
Build Me a Sanctuary
Nancy Corlett

“Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering.
From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart, you shall
take My offering … Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may
dwell among them. According to all that I show you” Exodus 25:2,8-9a

The Lord desires to dwell in the midst of His people. This sanctuary of His presence was to be built according to the pattern that He would show them. It was to be built from the materials the Lord designated, and these materials were to be offered willingly from the heart of His people.

In the Song of Solomon, after much work has been done in the Shulamite, she says in 6:12, “Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib.” This can be translated, “my people of a willing heart.” In II Corinthians chapters 8 and 9, Paul has much to say about giving. He sums it up in II Cor 9:7.

“Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give;
not grudgingly, or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”

In Leviticus we are told our offerings must be perfect, without blemish and ceremonially clean; that is - without contamination or pollution. Here, it means without reluctance, hesitation, reservation; without envy, resentment, or bitterness. We see in Malachi the chastisement of the priests who offered imperfect and polluted sacrifices. We are to bring them with joy (Psalm 27:6) and thanksgiving and praise (Psalm 100:4). This is important because we are giving to Him that which He has already given to us.

In Exodus 25:3-7, the Lord lists the materials we are to bring. Each one of these represents something that is to be worked into, and manifested through, the lives of His people. Gold signifies divinity – our Lord’s nature coming forth in our lives; silver represents our righteousness - all that our Lord bought for us on the Cross, being outworked in our lives (Phil 2:12, Zech 13:9, Mal 3:3).

Bronze speaks of judgment being applied to our lives. Everything in our lives must be subjected to God’s judgment. (Psalm 26:1-2). The “reins” speak of those things that control us. Our thoughts, our hearts, our actions, our possessions, our attitudes, our priorities - everything must be open to His examination. Some things will pass his inspection, some will be discarded, some will be transformed, some will be strengthened and matured. We must be willing for Him to do as He wishes with each aspect of our lives. Let us present our bodies “a living sacrifice.”

As we lay ourselves on this altar, we can be sure that what is burned up will be only the “hay, wood, and stubble” that hinders us from the Lord’s best. What remains will be the refined gold and silver. The linen also represents purity. No mixture is acceptable in God’s sanctuary.
Blue is the color of heaven and represents the heavenly characteristics of our Lord. Purple is the color of royalty and represents the authority we have in Christ through His kingship. The scarlet thread of redemption binds us as Christ’s blood-bought possession (1 Cor 6:20).

Each one of the precious stones of the Breastplate represented a tribe of Israel, but also represents a different aspect of our Lord that should shine forth through His people. The prophecies given by Jacob in Gen 49 and by Moses in Deut 33 indicate what each represented. (Note also the hindrances to coming fully into their inheritance).

“Oil for light” tells us that the Word alone is not enough. It must be anointed by the Holy Spirit to give Life and Light. Add to this the incense of prayer, and we begin to see what the Lord requires. All of this must be offered willingly, out of hearts of love for our heavenly Father, an all-wise God, Who desires only the best for His children.

The goats’ hair, rams’ skin dyed red, and badger’s skin, all represent the work of the Cross which we must appropriate into our lives, and then offer back to Him. Goats’ hair was black and represents sin. A goat was offered in the Sin Offering and the “scapegoat” carried the sins of the people away into the wilderness. He became Sin for us, that we might have His Righteousness. (2 Cor 5:21).

This reality is to be worked into us. We are to bring our sins to Him in confession, and we are to put to death the old nature by crucifying the flesh and “reckon ourselves dead unto sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ.” The rams’ skin dyed red speaks of His being our Substitute and His Blood shed for us. The badger’s skin was the outward covering. It was dull brown and had coarse hair. This represents the fact that “we have this treasure in earthen vessels” (2 Cor 4:7).

Shittim wood was a hardy, incorruptible wood representing the human nature of Christ, and when overlaid with gold represents the Incarnation. He is to be incarnate in us. It is this working of Him in us that we are to offer to Him. It is the work of His Cross in us that will build the sanctuary He desires - “a sanctuary not built with human hands.” It is the result of this working in us that produces what He needs to build His sanctuary.

He later appointed special workmen and showed them how to take these raw materials and turn them into the desired sanctuary. It has been said that master silversmiths and goldsmiths have tried to imitate the methods they used as described and they have not been able to do so. Replicas may look authentic, but the method is not the same. This speaks of the working of the Holy Spirit. We can see the results, we can imitate something that looks similar, but we cannot work exactly as He does. This is something reserved for God alone, lest man take for himself the glory that belongs only to God.

Only by moving in perfect obedience under the anointing can we properly build His sanctuary. We will often not even understand how it is happening, even though we are an active part of it.

The Lord is still looking for a people who will willingly offer from the heart what He requires to build His sanctuary, and than allow the Holy Spirit to turn these offerings into His sanctuary, so He can truly dwell among His people. Then His Glory will be manifested.