God’s Visual Aid

sabbath

JULY 16

Introduction

Ps. 95:6, 7;

Matt. 15:8, 9; 18:20;

Luke 4:16

God’s Visual Aid

God is seeking true worshipers. Every human being will inevitably wor­ship someone or something. Our choice is not whether we will worship but what or whom we will worship. For all the reasons we have to worship God, none is better than His love for us. He loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die in our stead for our sins.

During His earthly ministry, the Lord Jesus Christ emphasized the im­portance of worship, both in His actions and in His teachings (see Mat­thew 15:8, 9; 18:20; Luke 4:16; John 4:22–24). Whether in the temple, in a synagogue, or on a mountainside, Jesus took time to worship His heavenly Father.

It will be the privilege of the redeemed to worship God throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity. We will come from every kindred, nation, tongue, and people, but our worship will blend in a beautiful symphony of praise. “Heaven and earth will unite in praise, as ‘from one Sabbath to another’ (Isa. 66:23) the nations of the saved shall bow in joyful worship to God and the Lamb.”*

Think about how the Israelites must have felt after hundreds of years of being enslaved by the Egyptians. Suddenly they were free to worship the true God—the God of their ancestors. Most likely, many of them at the point of their escape had little or no knowledge of their Savior. So God gave them detailed instructions on how to build the sanctuary whose services and furnishing would teach them about Christ and the plan of salvation. Yet knowing all of this, we cannot begin to understand just how holy the sanctuary was. Every detail, every piece of furniture, every sacri­fice and service, even the colors used helped to teach the Israelites about Christ and His salvation. The sanctuary was the Great Teacher’s visual aid for His lesson plan on salvation. This week, we will learn a bit about what the sanctuary can teach us about worship. As you study, think about how what you learn can enhance your own worship.

____________

*The Desire of Ages, p. 770.

God gave them detailed instructions

on how to build the sanctuary.

Ever Santillan Tandug, Jizan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia39