WHERE ON EARTH DOES GOD LIVE?

SERIES: LIVING BY FAITH.

TEXT: HEBREWS 3:1-6.

There have been at least six (6) houses across the years. Four of them were patterned after the plans God gave to Moses on Mt. Sinai.

The two most prominent people of Jewish history are Abraham and Moses.

Moses is mentioned 70 times in the New Testament. Moses had divine protection and provision at his birth.

God called Moses dramatically through the miracle of the burning bush.

Moses was supernaturally empowered to confront Pharaoh.

Moses led the children of Israel through the Red Sea to the border of the promised land.

Moses is the man God gave the plan for God’s first home on earth, the tabernacle. Moses authored the first five books of the Old Testament called the Torah.

Moses stand out as a man of great faith and he is held in high esteem by the Jews.

As great as Moses was, Paul wanted his Hebrew audience to know that Jesus Christ as greater than Moses.

Moses was God’s servant; Jesus Christ is God’s only son.

In Hebrews 3:1-6, we see some interesting information concerning the habitation of God-Hebrews 3:1-6. Let us see:-

THE TABERNACLE.

• The first recorded dwelling place to host God’s presence was the tabernacle.
• The tabernacle was built by Moses in the wilderness wanderings.
• The floor plan for the tabernacle along with the law, were given to Moses on Mt. Sinai.
• The tabernacle had 3 sections:-

1. The outer court (sacrifice).
2. The inner court (Holy place) showbread, menorah, altar of incense.
3. The Holy of Holies (Ark of the Covenant, mercy seat).

• Annually, the High priest would sprinkle blood on top of the mercy seat for an annual dispensation of God’s grace over the mercy seat.
• Over the Ark of the Covenant there was a perpetual glory cloud than manifested.
• The cloud was called the Shekinah. The Shekinah would manifest when God was there-Exodus 40:34.
• The tabernacle was portable; later God gave instruction for the building of the temple.
• The temples were permanent “tabernacles.”
• There has been 3 temples:

1. Solomon’s Temple (2^nd Chronicles 7:12).
2. Ezra Temple (Hagai 1:8).
3. Herod’s Temple (John 2:16).

• One of the saddest pictures in the Old Testament is the departure of the Shekinah from Solomon’s Temple in the book of Ezekiel chapter 10.
• Jesus Christ expressed His own grief concerning Herod’s Temple-Matthew 23:38.
• In every case of each house the God dwelt in, He moved out of these earthly houses.
• No matter how beautiful, glorious, the houses were, God moved out.
• No matter how beautiful, big sanctuary may be, it is no guarantee that His presence is there.
• Multi-million dollar temples don’t seem to impress Jehovah too much!!

GOD’S FAITHFUL HOUSE.

• The Lord JESUS CHRIST called Himself a Temple of God-John 2:19-21.
• The tabernacle/temple is where God chose to reveal His presence, His glory.
• In the temple of the body of Jesus Christ God dwelt on Him fully.
• He was born of a Virgin Mary-no seed of Adam.
• He was God living on earth as He never lived there before.
• When Jesus Christ took our sins, the sin of the entire world upon Himself-God left Him!! (Matt. 27:46)
• Just like in each temple before Messiah, when sin entered into the house of God Hid glory departed.
• In the Hebrew church, persecution arose, because of the pressure some christians were leaving and rejecting Jesus.
• They were going back to Levitical laws, sacrifices, they were placing prophets, angels, temple worship, Moses, Abraham over Jesus Christ!!
• Paul tells them Moses was a faithful servant of God. Jesus Christ is the son over the house.
• Moses built the tabernacle, Jesus Christ is the tabernacle.
• If God built all things and Jesus Christ built God’s house, then Jesus is God.
• Jesus Christ was not a lunatic or a liar-He is LORD.
• Our God is greater, stronger, mightier, bigger than any other.

GOD’S FINAL HOUSE-(3:6).

“……….whose house we are”

• God has a brand new house in which to live our lives-Eph. 2:19-22.
• Paul tells us that we are God’s building-1^st 3:9.
• Paul furthermore tells us we are the temple of the Holy Spirit-1^st 6:19.
• This building as beautiful as it is is not the church-we are the church-1^st Peter 2:5.
• The house of God is the church, the people of God-1^st Timothy 3:15.
• As His home on earth, we are superior to the house that was Moses tabernacle, Solomon’s temple and Herod’s temple-Hebrews 3:1.
• We are “partakers” meaning “partners”, “companions”-Hebrews 1:9; Luke 5:7.
• We are co-laborers, associates, co-workers with Christ-2^nd Peter 1:4.
• Because we are His house, we are to make Him the center of our love and attention, whether things are going good or bad.
• The main sign that you and I are saved, born again is that we hold on to Jesus Christ to the very end.
• If through sin you destroy the house of God which in you, God will also destroy you.
• We become God’s house by inviting Jesus Christ to come into our lives-Romans 10:9.

CONCLUSION

• Is your heart God’s home? Is He comfortable in your heart and body?
• Do you take Jesus to places who would rather not go?
• When did you invite Jesus Christ into your heart and life? Today give Him the keys and the title deed to your heart.
• Consider Jesus-His superiority to Moses, consider His faithfulness to the Father, consider Jesus by holding on Him to the end.