The Invisible Sanctuary Built First (Ex 36)

The Invisible Sanctuary Built First (Ex 36)

"And they continued bringing to him freewill offerings every morning." (Exodus 36:3)

Long before the visible Tabernacle was erected, the invisible sanctuary had already been completed. God did not merely hand Moses a blueprint for a building; He provided the blueprint for the heart—giving not only the wisdom and talent to construct it but, more importantly, the willingness to bear the burden with joy.

The Tabernacle is the meeting place between God and Israel. Yet, strikingly, this meeting did not wait for the final curtain to be hung. It happened in the dust of the morning, on the road where the people walked, carrying their offerings. God’s prompting moved the human heart, and that heart, in turn, moved toward God. This dynamic cycle is the very essence of what a sanctuary is for.

Of course, we must not fool ourselves. These are the same people who, only days before, danced before a golden calf. The closer we get to God, the more we realize that human possibility converges to zero. That a people of such broken nature could offer such pure devotion is not a testament to human improvement, but to Divine seizure. It is God’s grace that turned a twisted, wounded relationship into such a "smooth meeting."

Therefore, the Tabernacle may look like a collaboration between God and man, but it is, in reality, a masterpiece begun and finished by God alone. The moment our hearts lean toward Him, even if the visible temple has yet to lay its foundation, the miracle of meeting has already begun.