August 20th, 1959 “Building the Tabernacle” Late Mr. N. Daniel

Jeremiah 10:19 & 20 “Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous; but I said, Truly this is a grief and I must bear it. My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.”

God is speaking. God is feeling grieved because His tabernacle is forsaken by His own children. This refers to the tabernacle which they had in the wilderness. It was a mobile worshipping place. It was built according to the Word of God. The Ark of the covenant of the Lord was in it. The stones on which the commandments were written with the finger of God were inside. Now God says the cords are broken. The children are gone forth from Him. There is none to repair the tabernacle. The pastors cannot do it because they have not sought Him. Will you put up the tabernacle? Have you a desire to build it up? If you try to build it in your strength it will break. It is not just human hands but the hands of faith must stretch the cords. People must see the Spirit of God when they enter in. The Spirit that calms the heart must be there. Who is able to build it? People who fear God can do it. We must not go without prayer to a place of worship. You must take the presence of God with you. Then people around you cannot be careless. You must be a help to the preacher by taking the Spirit of God with you. We can go to church with clean clothes but with impure hearts and impure eyes. How we defile the house of God! The body which should be the temple of the Holy Spirit is filled with sinful emotions. We forget that He is a holy God. You may forget everything -- even details of your dress, but remember you are before a holy God. You can remember there about your sick child or your relative who has missed the way. God will hear your cry. Sometimes we have a quarrel and go that way into God's house. Sometimes we go into God's house with a sigh that we don't have good clothes. Oh that we could make our worshipping place a place of power! Let us not think of the preacher or his defects. Do not remember these negative things. Do you want to repair your place of worship? Repair yourself first. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

When you repair your tabernacle, do not be hesitant and fearful about what you have to do. God will take care of you and all that concerns you. How privileged we are to see the beauty of His word and the might of His Gospel.

I know a pastor who never cared for his church. His family was scattered. There is not one useful member of his family to be seen now. Let us be careful. Let us build the tabernacle of God. His strength will sustain us.