Thursday, 1 December 2022
THE INNER SANCTUARY
The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly (Proverbs 20:27).
In the Old Testament, God gave Israel the tabernacle, which He divided into three parts. The first was the inner sanctuary, where the Ark of God was. It was also called the Holy of Holies or the Most Holy Place. The second part was the outer sanctuary, which was called the Holy Place. The third part of the tabernacle was the outer court, where the brazen altar and laver were.
This tabernacle of Moses gives us the picture of the human person: the spirit, soul, and body. Man’s body is the outer court, the soul is the first sanctuary, while the spirit is the inner sanctuary.
The Holy Spirit resides in the inner sanctuary, which is the recreated human spirit. When a man is born again, his spirit is recreated; eternal life is imparted to his spirit and right away, the Ark of God is set up there. What was in the Ark in the Old Testament? It was the Word of God written on two tablets of stone (1 Kings 8:9, 2 Chronicles 5:10).
Where is the Word of God today? It’s in our hearts, our spirits. The Lord said, “…this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts…” (Hebrews 8:10). No wonder Paul said we’re the words of Christ written by the Spirit, not on tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart (2 Corinthians 3:3).
This shows us the importance of the human spirit. That’s where the Word of God is today. That’s where God lives. Being born again is the recreation of the inward man — the human spirit — to become God’s dwelling place; His holy tabernacle. The premium, therefore, must be on the education of your spirit, which is only achievable by receiving and meditating on the Word of God.
CONFESSION: My spirit is God’s dwelling place, where He lives in His glory and majesty. I carry God’s divine presence in my heart and impact my world with the blessings of my divinity. I’m heaven’s ambassador to this world; everywhere I go, God goes, because I’m His living tabernacle, His home and headquarters. Hallelujah!
FURTHER STUDY:
2 Corinthians 3:1-3; Hebrews 10:16; 1 Corinthians 3:16
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 John 2:15-29; 1 John 3:1-10; Ezekiel 45-4
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Revelation 5:1-14; Joel 1