Sanctification of the Soul

And he (Noah) said: Canaan will be cursed. He will be the lowest of slaves to his brothers. He also said: Praise the LORD, the God of Shem; Canaan will be his slave. God will expand Japheth; he will dwell in the tents of Shem; Canaan will be his slave. (Gen 9:25-27)

As discussed in a previous post, the three sons of Noah represent the Body, Soul, and Spirit of man. Noah's curse of Canaan as "the lowest of slaves" speaks of the Body which has no will of its own but answers to the Soul or Spirit. Noah's blessing over Japheth, that God will "expand" him, is a play on words as Japheth means "to expand". This speaks of the Soul which expands with the knowledge and understanding of the Spirit. This is why Japheth (Soul) is told he will "dwell in the tents of Shem" (Spirit). Shem, who's name literally means "name", speaks of the Spirit which God designed to have dominion over both the Soul and Body.

These three, Spirit, Soul and Body, also equate to the three main areas of God's Holy Temple. Beginning with the Holy of Holies which represents the Spirit, the place of God's power and promises (ark of the covenant).

The Holy Place which represents the Soul, the place where the written Word of God (showbread), revealed Word of God (candlestick) and prayers of faith (altar of incense) are presented to God. Notice that, just as Noah prophesied, the Soul (Japheth) literally dwelt under the same roof as the Spirit (Shem).

And the Outer Court which represents the Body, the place of our works (laver for washing hands of the priests) and testimony of love (altar of sacrifice).

God designed us "in His image" to be creatures of Spirit, Soul. and Body, and He gave us the model of His Holy Temple so we could understand the design function of each.

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?(1Co 3:16)

Scripture teaches that we are "new creatures" in Christ which refers to the perfection of the Spirit of God which now occupies the place in us previously held by the spirit of the world. The Holy Spirit works on our Soul, which has been defiled by the lies imbedded in us from our previous way of life. This defiled Soul is still, however, absolute master over the Body and mind, and will remain so until the Soul is sanctified by the Spirit.

In other words, we can have the Spirit of Almighty God living inside of us, and still be led around by the nose by our unredeemed Soul. Which is like having all the power and promises of God (ark of the covenant) hidden behind a thick veil. But Christ was crucified to tear this veil and give us open access to the Spirit of God.

The model of God's temple shows us the only way to convert our unredeemed Soul. Specifically, God's written Word (showbread), His revealed Word (candlestick), and the intimate prayer of faith (altar of incense) which combine to effectively replace the lies resident in our Soul with the Truth that sets us free.