Ancient Israel had a sanctuary in the Temple. It was to be preserved and revered.
You must keep my sabbaths and treat my sanctuary with respect; I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:30 CEB)
As old church buildings decay and old members die off, many are sad that such a beautiful building must close down. They may have fond memories of Sunday Schools, services, former pastors and departed family members. Sentimental thoughts about buildings are not as important as the legacy that lives on in the souls that were saved and the people who accepted Jesus as their Savior.
How does the spirit of the command about the sanctuary in the Old Testament apply today? Jesus told the Samaritan woman that the place of worship was not as important as the heart of worship.
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23-24 KJV)
How seriously do we approach our liturgy in the Christian Church? Are we flippant and lazy or do we pay attention to detail? Do we have a free-for-all or are tasks assigned to those that are most qualified?
Only the Levites may serve at the Tabernacle, and they will be held responsible for any offenses against it. This is a permanent law for you, to be observed from generation to generation. The Levites will receive no allotment of land among the Israelites, (Numbers 18:23 NLT)
This is pretty exclusive. How do we apply that today? Paul gives instructions to Titus and Timothy that some do not like, but it is what it is. There is one thing that we must be careful not to do, treat Paul or any New Testament author as if we are reading the Old Testament and dismiss their instructions as from a different covenant.
Another thing we each must decide is whether or not we trust God. Do we trust Him to have breathed inspiration into Paul’s instructions and do we trust God that He knows better than current worldly values in relation to gender roles? Those who don’t may still be granted salvation, simply because none of us gets these things perfectly, but when we make excuses for reinterpreting similar passages to suit our cultural sensitivities, we will miss the blessing that comes from trusting God in all things.
A bishop [overseer] then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. (1 Timothy 3:2-7 KJV)
Bishop at this time meant nothing more than a member of the team of local church elders. The idea of bishops being regional overseers came later in Christian history. God is concerned that the most qualified people lead churches and He is concerned that we are most blessed by keeping the roles He created from the beginning.
Great speakers may have the gift of the gab, but are totally unqualified to preach if they need to heal broken marriages. Fabulous personalities may inject a sense of excitement, but are not suitable if they are self-willed, drunkards or quick-tempered. Better are boring church leaders, as dry as dust, who are faithful to the word of God, loyal to the wife of their youth, steady in temperament and with reputations for honesty. A complementary list was given to Titus.
An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. (Titus 1:6-9 NIV)
It is important for church leaders (overseers, elders or pastors) to be able to teach sound doctrine either publicly or privately. It is an ingredient missing from some churches. People love to have their ears tickled by health-wealth materialism, easy-believism, man-made standards of piety, and superstitiously hearing the word or partaking of communion without changed hearts.
What lesson can modern church leaders take from the leadership of Israel?
I have taken your brothers, the Levites, from the Israelites. They are a gift to you, dedicated to the Lord to perform the service of the meeting tent. (Numbers 18:6 CEB)
Though today’s church leaders are from all varieties of ethnic backgrounds and families, including some descended from the original Levites, they have one thing in common, a sacred charge. What did Paul charge Timothy with?
Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. (2 Timothy 4:2 NIV)
A most important ingredient in today's sanctuary is the word. It’s not always a popular job, and many people would prefer that church leaders preach “smooth things” (Isaiah 30:10), but the faithful will preach the correction, rebukes and the encouragement found throughout the Bible.
The great care that was expected in regard to sacred objects in the sanctuary was not idolatry, but respect for things dedicated to worshiping God. The objects used in Christian worship today may be made from similar material, wood, brass, and in some cases precious metals. Of themselves they are nothing, but treating the “articles of the sanctuary” (Numbers 18:3) with respect still shows our love for God. Most importantly is our hearts in worship.
As ancient Israel took great pains in physical preparation of worship, how do we approach a worship service in spiritual preparation? Do we just flippantly go through the motions or dedicate every moment to God? Do we look around at imperfect people and criticize them in our hearts, or do we look for God and His perfect work in our midst? When faulty people stumble through deficient scripture readings, the foolishness of preaching (1 Corinthians 1:18-27), amateur singing, and even self-important egos do we see a perfect God behind such imperfect people? Do we bring to a worship service the perfect offering of repentant hearts and love of both God and our Christian neighbor?
