THE GOD WHO BUILDS WITH PURPOSE
Praise be to God! When the Lord builds, He builds with meaning. Every board, every beam, every nail in His design carries eternal significance.
The Tabernacle wasn’t a random tent in the wilderness – it was a revelation of God’s plan to dwell among men. Nothing in it was accidental. Every color, every fabric, and yes, every type of wood declared a truth about Christ, His church, and His covenant.
Brethren, God still builds today. He’s not shaping furniture – He’s shaping lives. You are the Tabernacle now. Your heart is His dwelling place. And just like the woods used in that holy place, God uses your life to show something about Himself. So let’s walk through these sacred timbers and see what they tell us about our amazing God.
1. SHITTIM (ACACIA) WOOD – THE INCORRUPTIBLE HUMANITY OF CHRIST
Exodus 25:10 declares, “And they shall make an ark of shittim wood.” Exodus 26:15 repeats, “And thou shalt make boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood standing up.”
Shittim wood – tough, enduring, resistant to rot. Found in the desert, yet chosen by God. That’s no accident. It’s the perfect picture of Christ’s humanity – pure, incorruptible, untouched by sin. In a world full of decay, He remained undefiled.
Friends, this is where redemption begins. God takes what looks ordinary and transforms it into something holy. Just as the shittim wood was covered in gold, our humanity, when surrendered, becomes a vessel for His glory.
Application: Let the Spirit make your life incorruptible. The desert didn’t define the wood – the gold did. And your past doesn’t define you – Christ’s righteousness does.
2. CEDAR WOOD – PRESERVATION AND PURIFICATION
Leviticus 14:4 tells us cedar wood was used in cleansing the leper. 1 Kings 6:9 records that Solomon “covered the house with beams and boards of cedar.” Cedar is fragrant and rot-resistant – a perfect symbol of purity that lasts.
Praise the Lord, He doesn’t just cleanse – He makes clean to stay clean. The cedar doesn’t lose its scent; neither does a life washed in Christ lose its witness.
Symbolism: Strength, purity, and the sweet aroma of righteousness. The scent of cedar lingers long after the cutting. So should the fragrance of your faith.
Application: When Jesus cleanses you, sin loses its grip. Let your life be the sweet-smelling savor of holiness that endures long after the world’s stench fades.
3. CYPRESS WOOD – STABILITY AND STRENGTH IN GOD’S PRESENCE
Isaiah 41:19 says, “I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle… the fir tree, and the pine.” Cypress was known for its strength in storms and use in shipbuilding.
You know what that means? God builds His people like ships meant to sail through storms, not sink in them. The cypress stands firm when the winds howl. So does the believer anchored in Christ.
Application: When your roots are deep in the Lord, no storm can uproot you. You may bend, but you won’t break. Faith in God is stronger than any tempest.
4. OLIVE WOOD – ANOINTED AND FRUITFUL SERVICE
1 Kings 6:23 says Solomon made cherubim of olive wood. Romans 11:17 reminds us we are grafted into the olive tree of God’s covenant.
The olive tree is the source of oil – the symbol of the Holy Spirit’s anointing. It thrives through pruning, producing fruit again and again. What a picture of the Spirit-filled life!
Praise the Lord! Even when cut back, the olive still lives. Even when pressed, it yields oil. That’s the believer’s calling – to let the Spirit flow through brokenness.
Application: Let God carve you like He carved the cherubim. The same hands that prune also anoint. Stay connected to the root, and you’ll bear fruit that lasts.
5. FIR (JUNIPER) WOOD – STRENGTH THROUGH TRIALS
Isaiah 60:13 proclaims, “The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together.”
The fir tree grows tall and straight. Its fiber doesn’t easily snap. It represents endurance, uprightness, and unshakable faith. Trials don’t destroy the fir – they prove its strength.
Application: The storm that frightens others becomes your testimony of endurance. Don’t despise your trials – they’re building beams for God’s house. Stand tall in His truth.
6. PINE WOOD – EVERLASTING LIFE AND HOPE
Nehemiah 8:15 calls for “olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches” for the Feast of Booths – a symbol of rejoicing in God’s provision. The pine is evergreen, always alive, even in winter.
What a picture of eternal life! Seasons change, but the pine stays green. Christ’s life in us does the same.
Application: Don’t let your faith wither in cold seasons. Be evergreen in grace. When others fade, keep your hope alive in the Lord who never changes.
7. GOPHER WOOD – REDEMPTION’S FOUNDATION
Genesis 6:14 records God’s command: “Make thee an ark of gopher wood.” That ark rode above judgment’s flood.
Before the Tabernacle, before Sinai, there was an ark – a place of salvation through obedience. Gopher wood bore the weight of God’s mercy when the waters rose.
Application: Christ is our Ark of Safety. His cross is the wood that carried us through judgment’s waters. If you’re in Him, you’re sealed by the Spirit and safe from the flood.
8. PALM WOOD – VICTORY AND RIGHTEOUS FLOURISHING
1 Kings 6:29 tells us the walls of Solomon’s Temple were carved with “cherubims and palm trees.” Psalm 92:12 declares, “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree.”
The palm tree bends but never breaks. It stands tall in heat and drought. It’s the tree of triumph – the same branches waved before Christ on His way to the cross.
Application: Let your life wave with victory. You may face desert days, but in God’s presence, you will flourish. The palm thrives where others perish. So will you.
FINAL REFLECTION: BUILT FOR HIS GLORY
Praise the Lord! Every tree, every beam, every plank of that Tabernacle points to Christ – the true sanctuary of God.
The shittim reveals His sinless humanity. The cedar proclaims His purity. The olive speaks of His Spirit. The palm shouts His victory.
And now, God builds again – not with wood, but with souls. You are His dwelling place. Let Him craft your life as He did the Tabernacle – by purpose, by fire, by holiness.
Brethren, let the Master Builder shape you into something incorruptible, fragrant, steadfast, fruitful, enduring, hopeful, redeemed, and victorious. Because when God builds, He builds forever.
Call to Action: The Question That Demands an AnswerIn Acts 2:37 Peter and the Apostles were asked the question – What Shall We do? And in Acts 2:38 Peter answered, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Do you understand this? After hearing the gospel and believing, they asked what should would do. The answer hasn’t changed friend, Peter clearly gave the answer. The question for you today is, Have you receieved the Holy Spirit Since you believed? If you’re ready to take that step, or you want to learn more about what it means to be born again of water and Spirit, visit: Come, and let the Spirit make you new. |
