ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 26 - Exodus 23-25 (Praise God Who Dwells Among Us!)
“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: … And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it. "And they shall make an ark of acacia wood; …” (Exodus 25:1, 8-10)
Wonder of all wonders is that the God of the Bible, the only true God, from the beginning of man’s creation in the Garden of Eden before the Fall of man and until the time of the restoration of creation and the redemption of man in the new heaven and the new earth, desires to dwell among us!
This awesome truth is evident throughout Scriptures. God spoke to Adam “face to face” in the Garden of Eden and even after the Fall when Adam hid from God. God called Abraham in an audible voice and told him to go to a land he will show him to make him a father of many nations. God spoke to Isaac and Jacob to renew His covenant with Abraham. God appeared to Moses as a man talks with another man and revealed His full glory to him. Now, in our text, God plainly tells Moses His intention from the very beginning of creation, that is, He desires to dwell among men: “let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.” (Exodus 25:8)
Even after this event, we know from the Bible that God never ceased to dwell among men. God, speaking through the prophet Isaiah said, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) Later in the New Testament, the apostle Matthew writes, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,"which is translated, "God with us." (Matthew 1:23)
The incarnation of God in the person of Jesus Christ was the ultimate goal of God in His desire to dwell with us. Although man killed Jesus, He rose again from the dead in order to dwell with man, this time, through the Holy Spirit Whom Jesus sent to all those who believe in Him. Believers today enjoy God’s presence in their lives unlike even Moses because God is constantly and forever with them! One day soon, Jesus will return to once again be with His followers never to be separated from them.
Does the truth that God desires to dwell with you and me touch move you to awe and praise to God? If not, I suggest you bow your knees to Him now and ask Him to open your mind to this greatest of all wonders and to help you experience His presence in your life. You will never be the same after you meet God.
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