REJOICING BEFORE THE LORD:

THE SANCTUARY AND WORSHIP

Lesson 4 for July 23, 2011

REJOICE BECAUSE
GOD DWELLS
AMONG US

God gave precise

instructions for
building the “And let
Tabernacle at the them make
desert. Me a
Every part of the sanctuary,
Sanctuary that I may
represented God’s dwell among
divine character. them”
(Exodus, 25: 8)
That’s how He could
dwell among His
people.
“I will dwell among the children of Israel and
That place produced a will be their God. And they shall know that I
special feeling of am the Lord their God, who brought them up
reverence and out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell
majesty. among them. I am the Lord their God” (Exodus, 29:
Nowadays there is no earthly Sanctuary where God dwells among His people, but we are
certain that His presence is with us.
Every time we meet to worship God He is among us (Matthew, 18: 20). That’s a good reason
to rejoice.
Besides, we are the temple of the Lord and He is pleased to dwell in us.

“For you are the temple of the living

God. As God has said: "I will dwell in
them And walk among them. I will be
their God, And they shall be My
people” (2 Corinthians, 6: 16)

“Or do you not know that your body

is the temple of the Holy Spirit who
is in you, whom you have from God,
and you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians,
6: 19)
REJOICE BECAUSE WE CAN TAKE PART IN GOD’S WORK

Although God could have created a more perfect and more majestic Sanctuary
by Himself, he rather asked imperfect human beings to do that task.
When the Israelites had that opportunity, they freely and joyfully gave
everything necessary to build it; both materials and their own work.
God want us to take an active part in His work.
Every job we do for God is an act of worship. That includes our time, talents and
goods.

“So let each one give

as he purposes in his
heart, not grudgingly
or of necessity; for
God loves a cheerful
giver” (2 Corinthians, 9: 7)
 REJOICE AT OUR SALVATION

The main part of the cult in the Sanctuary (and later in the Temple)
was the daily morning and evening sacrifice.
Then the people gathered to share a moment of worship through
singing, praying and confessing their sins, while a lamb that
represented the Lamb of God and died to save them was offered.

“you were redeemed… with
the precious blood of
Christ, as of a lamb
without blemish and without
spot” (1 Peter, 1: 18-19)
When we understand that Jesus is our personal
Savior, worship flows from a forgiven, cleaned
and sanctified heart that rejoices at obeying
God. The truth of salvation is such a great truth
that deserves all our joy
 REJOICE BECAUSE GOD SPEAKS WITH US
“And there I will meet with
you, and I will speak with
you from above the mercy
seat, from between the two
cherubim which are on the
ark of the Testimony,
about everything which I
will give you in
commandment to the
children of Israel”
(Exodus, 25: 22)

God spoke with Moses (and with the high priests later) through the
Shekinah in the earthly Sanctuary.
God didn’t limit to dwelling in the Sanctuary, He also cared about how
to communicate with His people to guide them and teach them.
“Christ was their instructor. As He had been with them in the wilderness, so He was still to be
their teacher and guide. In the tabernacle and the temple His glory dwelt in the holy Shekinah
above the mercy seat. In their behalf He constantly manifested the riches of His love and
patience”
(E.G.W., “Christ’s Object Lessons”, cp. 23, pg. 288)
 Christ was the instructor of the
people of Israel through the
Shekinah; in the same way He
gave as an Instructor that
guides us.

“But the Helper, the

Holy Spirit, whom the
Father will send in My
name, He will teach
you all things, and
bring to your
remembrance all things
that I said to you”
(John, 14: 26)

How precious is to know that we can speak with God and

rely on His guidance in our lives!
 REJOICE BEFORE GOD
Worship wasn’t mere conventionalism in Israel. They
didn’t worship God in a cold and ritual way, but in a
joyful way. Israel’s joy emerged when they
understood the forgiveness of sins, salvation,
redemption and sanctification. That joy showed all
the gratitude for what God did for us. God live with
them; how could they be sad?
1. The feast of Unleavened Bread to thank God for saving them
Every Israelite must come
from Egypt.
before the presence of God
2. The feast of Weeks (Pentecost) to thank God for the cereal
three times a year in the
harvest.
Sanctuary by divine order:
3. The feast of Tabernacles to thank God for the grape harvest.
“Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh
month, when you have gathered in the fruit of
the land, you shall keep the feast of the Lord
for seven days; on the first day there shall be
a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a
sabbath-rest. And you shall take for
yourselves on the first day the fruit of
beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the
boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the
brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord
your God for seven days” (Leviticus, 23: 39-40)
When we remember everything God has
done and still does for us, our hearts are
filled with joy. That joy must fill our
worship to God.
When we worship our Lord, we must
keep the right balance between joy and
reverence before our Holy God. Our cult
must be a balance between rational and
emotional.

“I beseech you therefore,

brethren, by the mercies of
God, that you present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable to God, which is your
reasonable service” (Romans, 12: 1)

“Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with
singing” (Psalm 100: 2)
“Our meetings should be made intensely interesting. They
should be pervaded with the very atmosphere of heaven.
Let there be no long, dry speeches and formal prayers
merely for the sake of occupying the time. All should be
ready to act their part with promptness, and when their duty
is done, the meeting should be closed. Thus the interest will
be kept up to the last. This is offering to God acceptable
worship. His service should be made interesting and
attractive and not be allowed to degenerate into a dry form.
We must live for Christ minute by minute, hour by hour,
and day by day; then Christ will dwell in us, and when we
meet together, His love will be in our hearts, welling up
like a spring in the desert, refreshing all, and making those
who are ready to perish, eager to drink of the waters of life”

E.G.W. (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, cp. 74, “Love for the erring”, pg. 609)