Purpose 1: To Provide a Dwelling Place for God

To close my message this morning I need to just quickly review some of what I’ve said and then move on. As a matter of fact, I really don’t intend to much by way of review. I just want to point out that abundance is a blessing and poverty is a curse. It’s very important to see that. Some things in the spiritual life we can see in various different aspects but there are certain things we need to see very clearly in black and white. I believe that’s one of the things we need to be very clear about. Abundance is a blessing, poverty is a curse. Would you like to say that? Abundance is a blessing, poverty is a curse.

The good news of the gospel is in Galatians 3:13–14:

“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: that we might receive the blessing of Abraham through faith, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”

Another thing that we need to see clearly in black and white without any blurred edges is that on the cross, by divine arrangement, an exchange took place. Jesus took the evil that was due to us that we might receive the good that was due to him. You can view this exchange from many aspects. He was made sin that we might have righteousness. He died that we might have life. He was rejected that we might be accepted.

He took our sicknesses and our pain that we might be healed. In him our old man died that the new man might come to life in us. The specific exchange we looked at in this series was the curse and the blessing. He was made the curse that we might receive the blessing. Specifically, he bore the poverty curse. When he hung on the cross he exhausted the poverty curse. God had told Israel that if they broke his law they would have to serve their enemies whom he would send against them in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness and in want of all things. When Jesus hung on the cross he exhausted that curse. He was hungry, he was thirsty, he was naked, he was in want of all things. He didn’t just take a little part of our poverty, he took total, absolute poverty. He owned nothing. He lost his clothes, he was buried in a borrowed tomb and in a borrowed burial robe. It was utterly complete. Before he died he said, “It is finished.” It is exhausted, there’s nothing more to do.

This is very specifically stated in regard to poverty in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9. Bear in mind that the entire theme of these two chapters which contains 39 verses is money. Let no one ever tell you that it’s not spiritual to talk about money. If it’s not spiritual to talk about money then Paul was a very unspiritual man. I’d rather be unspiritual like Paul than spiritual like the people who don’t want to talk about money!

Let me also point out to you that Paul said to the people to whom he had ministered, the elders of the church at Ephesus, “I call you to witness that I am pure from the blood of all men, for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” And all the counsel of God includes money. I want to suggest to all of you leaders that we will not be pure from the blood of all men if we shun to declare to God’s people every part of his counsel. When Paul said, “I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God,” the implication was there might be many pressures that would cause him to keep quiet about some aspects of God’s counsel. We know in fact that this is true. I think that’s a challenging statement for all of us who are in leadership and minister the word. Will we be able to say in due course to the people whom we have led “I
have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Therefore, I am pure from the blood of all men.” It’s a very solemn challenge.

Turning to 2 Corinthians 8:9, here the exchange is explicitly stated by Paul. We see that it’s grace and we know that grace comes only by Jesus Christ.

“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”

That’s the exchange. Jesus took our poverty that we might have his riches. I prefer to say his abundance. And in the second part of the exchange it’s 2 Corinthians 9:8. Paul states it that way. He uses the word abundance.

"And God is able to make all grace . . .”

Notice again it’s grace which comes by Jesus Christ.

“. . . all grace abound toward you; that you, in all ways having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to all good works.”

I put all at the end because in the Greek language it’s the same root word that’s used. I think we’ll do it with the hands once more. I’ll use my right hand for the alls, my left hand for the abounds and the abundances. So, God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to all good works. Five alls and two abounds. That’s grace, it’s the result of the divine exchange.

I don’t believe any of us could ever exhaust the abundance of God. It’s inexhaustible. In a certain sense, God is profligate in some ways with his abundance. Out of all the millions of acorns that come down in a certain area even in the State of Michigan, maybe a hundred oak will emerge. God doesn’t consider the other million acorns wasted. He’s just profligate, he’s abundant. He’s not stingy. If there’s one thing that’s totally alien to the character of God, it’s stinginess.

I want to point out to you, and this is where we move on today, the purpose for abundance at the end of 2 Corinthians 9:8. It says:

“ . . .that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”

The purpose for which God supplies abundance is not merely selfish indulgence. I believe God likes to see us enjoying his provisions. I believe that makes him happy. But, that’s not the ultimate purpose, merely our enjoyment. It’s that we will have enough to every good work that we will be able to do with complete sufficiency everything that God asks us to do.

One of the remarkable things if you read the New Testament is that they never said, “If we have enough money we’ll do this.” You just don’t ever find them talking about it like that. They just said, “We’ll go here, we’ll go there, we’ll do this.” Money really wasn’t a question. Though they had much to say about money and they were very practical in handling it, their plans didn’t depend on money. That’s very different from the contemporary church where so much of what is planned is dependent on money. I believe in being practical and I believe it’s very legitimate to make a budget. But, I do observe that some religious groups tie themselves down by their budgets. I don’t believe God is going to be tied down in that way. In fact, I’ve got one conviction about God, he’s not going to let us tie him down anywhere at all. The moment you try to tie God down he’ll slip out of your noose. That’s not by our rules, our systems, our theology, our finance.

Nothing is ever going to tie God down. Don’t ever try because it’s a waste of your time. I want to speak about one specific good work for which God provides abundance. I believe this is the primary good work. It is that we may provide him a dwelling place. I believe that’s been the purpose of God from creation onwards. God’s aim has been to dwell with man. We often talk as though the ultimate was to get to heaven but I find in reading the Bible the ultimate is to get heaven to earth. In the closing chapters of the Bible we don’t find earth going up to heaven, we find heaven coming down to earth. I believe that’s the ultimate thrust of God’s purpose from creation onwards, it’s to dwell with man.

There is a sense in which God lifts man up to his level but there’s another sense in which God comes down to man’s level. And God, ever since he began to plan and practice redemption has always purposed the result of redemption will be that God can dwell with man. I’m going to view just two historic examples of this out of areas that we might consider in the Bible. Two specific periods in history where God asked his people Israel to provide him with a dwelling place.

The first dwelling place we’re going to consider is the tabernacle of Moses. The second is the temple of Solomon. I want to point out to you that in each case God provided his people with abundance in advance that out of that abundance they might return to him all that would be needed to provide him with a dwelling place which would be suitable to his glory. He gave very precise specifications as to the kind of dwelling place he wanted. He didn’t leave one measure to chance, not one material. Everything was precisely specified and I want to say that everything was on the highest level. There was nothing cheap, nothing shoddy, nothing second hand in anything that God required in his dwelling place. I believe that agrees with the very nature of God.

Let’s then view, first of all, God’s provision for the tabernacle and the way it came about. Then, let’s view God’s provision for the temple of Solomon and the way it came about. Then we’ll give that an up to date application for you and me. Turn, first of all, to Genesis 15, I just want to read two verses there. In this chapter God makes a covenant with Abraham. He also gives him a preview of the captivity of Israel in Egypt. He gives him a kind of experience of a vision in which he goes through in his own personal experience the affliction of Israel in Egypt. We only need to read verses 13 and 14. Genesis 15:13–14:

“And the Lord said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them [shall be in slavery]; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; and also that nation, whom they shall serve [that’s Egypt], will I judge: and afterward shall they [Israel] come out with great substance.”

The modern translations say “with great wealth.” Notice that when God predicted the captivity of Israel in Egypt and then their deliverance, one of the points he emphasized was when they were redeemed and delivered they would come out with great wealth. This is not an accident, it was part of God’s foreordained purpose.

And then we see this fulfilled if we turn to Exodus 12. This is the immediate result after the Passover night when the homes of the Israelites had been spared and every firstborn of the Egyptians had been killed. Verse 35:

“And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment . . .”

The word borrowed is not really quite right in modern day. It means “they asked for.” What does it say in the New American Standard? “They requested.” That’s right. Because, if you borrow a thing you’re morally obligated to return it. But there’s not that implication there at all.

“And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.”

The Living Bible says “they stripped the Egyptians.” They really took everything the Egyptians had. Gold, silver, raiment. Anything that they set their eyes on and asked for they got because the Egyptians were so frightened that all they wanted to do was get rid of these people no matter what is cost.

Now, you can say was that just? And you know, I find some people today are very concerned that God ought to be just. I just want to tell you, God is always just. He’s more just than we think he is. God had been keeping a record, reckoning. He reckoned that the Israelites were due about four hundred years of back pay!

So, they collected in one night! That’s justice. A lot of people wouldn’t see it that way because they didn’t keep the same reckoning that God kept. There’s a beautiful description of this in Psalm 105:37. Speaking about the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt it says:

“He brought them forth also with silver and gold . . .”

Whenever you read the word silver in the Old Testament, bear in mind it’s the modern Hebrew word for money - keçeph.

“. . . and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.”

That’s redemption. Please note. It covers every area: the soul, the body, the substance. 3 John 2:

“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, as thy soul prospereth.”

Redemption makes the total provision for the needs of the redeemed. It was all done through faith in the blood of the Passover lamb. And that faith released the supply of every need: spiritual, physical and material. Something like three million people marched out of Egypt. Not one of them limped, not one of them hobbled, not one of them used a cane or a crutch. I tell you, we have a long way to go to get to that standard. I believe it’s God’s standard. I believe redemption is complete, it covers every area of our lives. It’s also very practical. How were they ever going to get through the wilderness if they were sick and crippled and lame? Bear in mind that they were underprivileged people. They’d been slaves. They hadn’t had the best of food, they hadn’t had proper medical care, they didn’t have a social security system. But, when God redeemed them he took care of everything in one act.

So, they came out wealthy, with abundance of gold and silver, everything that was precious. God had a purpose. Let’s turn back to the book of Exodus, chapter 35. God had given Moses the plan for the tabernacle, the tent, the place where he was going to dwell in the midst of his people. Then he said to Moses the people are going to provide the material and the labor to build the tabernacle. We read in Exodus 35:4:

“Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the Lord commanded, saying, Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord: whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the Lord . . .”

I don’t want to make any kind of legalistic point out of this but in the Bible, buildings were never built out of tithes, they were always built out of offerings. Tithes took care of the ministers, offerings were used for the buildings. I think that’s a very practical principle. If we divert tithes to buildings then we’re not going to have the ministers to minister in those buildings. Whereas, if we use tithes for the ministry and the ministry produces fruit and blesses the people, then those blessed people will have plenty to give in offerings for the building. I wouldn’t ever make a law out of that but I think it’s a very useful principle. Today in many sections of the world we have churches, buildings, but we don’t have the people to minister. What good is a building without the people who can minister in it? So, you can just note this. It’s always out of offerings that buildings were constructed.

Nobody was obligated to offer. Tithing for Israel was totally different. Tithing was demanded. In fact, the tithe didn’t belong to Israel. God said, “All the tithe is mine. If you hold on to it you’re a thief.” You remember we read last night in the book of Malachi that 1,200 years later God said, “You’ve been robbing me.” You know, it frightens me to think that God keeps accounts for 1,200 years and then suddenly presents the bill. How would it be with some of us if God faces us with the bill even for the last 10 years?

Verse 5:
“. . . let him bring an offering: gold, and silver, and brass, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair, and rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood, and oil for the light, and spices . . . onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod . . .”

And then in verse 10:
“And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the Lord hath commanded . . .”

And then the whole list of everything that’s going to be needed is given.

To me it’s very interesting, there’s only one man that I know of in the Old Testament of whom it is said specifically that he was filled with the Spirit of God. I believe it’s implicit in other language but the only man of whom it is actually said that he was filled with the Spirit of God was Bezaleel. Not to preach but to make jewelry and furniture and supervise the entire construction.

 

That always blesses me because I have become so convinced that the Holy Spirit is practical. It delights me that a man had to be filled with the Holy Spirit to do the job right. I believe that somehow the inheritance of Bezaleel has stayed with the Jewish people—maybe in a diminished measure—because when he comes to jewelry and precious stones they’re still at the top of the list. As a matter of fact, in the last decade or two, Israel has become number one for diamond cutting in the world. It’s taken it from Holland. That’s a kind of inheritance that’s never departed from the Jewish people.

But that’s by the way. Notice they were to bring out of the abundance that God had provided for them through redemption, they were to bring back enough to make God the kind of dwelling place he required. He gave them no options about the dwelling place. There was not one significant option in this dwelling place.

There was to be gold, there was to be silver, there was to be bronze, everything had to be made just the way he required. But, he was not unreasonable because he’d given them everything that they were going to need and he also breathed his Spirit into the men that were going to do the job.

Let me say in this context how much I enjoyed that play we just witnessed. I believe we all did. I used to be opposed to plays in church because I thought they weren’t spiritual. But the Lord has been showing me lately that when God’s people get it together and really become properly related with one another that he’s going to release tremendous creative ability in every area: drama, music, poetry and so on. And, it’s beginning to come. I see that redemption covers every area of our lives and has to be expressed in every area of our lives. I look forward to much more along that line. I believe God’s people should have a total life. They shouldn’t depend on the world for anything.

I’m quite serious when I say I feel sorry for people whose life is sucked out of a television tube. You know, I mean, what a thin measure of life they’ve got. How thin they’re spreading the butter. My life has been much more exciting than most television series, I have to say that. I believe any life in God should be exciting. I don’t believe it should be drab or humdrum, dull; but always stimulating. It’s creative. I see with joy God’s creative ability being released amongst his people once again. I don’t believe he releases it until we reach a certain point of maturity in our relationships. I notice the communities that have come to that point, God is releasing creative ability amongst them and through them.

Now, let’s go on to Exodus 36 and we’ll read a few verses there.
“Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the Lord had commanded.”

Let me point out that the ministry of God under the Old Covenant required skill. We can read about how they had to cut up all the sacrificial animals—the sheep and the oxen—but you put a person like me in front of a dead ox and tell me to get out the kidneys and all these other things, I wouldn’t know where to begin.

Actually, it takes a lot of skill to be able to minister the sacrifices according to the requirements of the law of Moses.  Another interesting thing, by the way, is in the Hebrew university in Jerusalem they are giving courses in temple worship. It’s an acknowledged part of the curriculum in the Hebrew university. I think they’re aiming at something.

Going on, chapter 36, verse 2:
“And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it: and they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it withal. And they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning. And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they made; and they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the Lord commanded to make. And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make anymore work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing.”

We don’t often see that in modern congregations, do we? The trouble wasn’t they didn’t have enough, the trouble was they were bringing so much they didn’t know what to do with it. That’s God’s abundance and the purpose for which it’s given. Redemption provides abundance but the goal of redemption is the dwelling place for God to dwell amongst his people. Out of what God gives us through redemption he asks us to give back to him that which will provide him with his dwelling place.