Exodus 29: 35-46
Monday, 16 October 2023
“I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God.” -Exodus 29:45
God in His wisdom and foreknowledge created mankind and designed perfect ways for them to live, multiply and reign. He gave them the beautiful earth to live in, all fruits and produces from the ground for their sustenance, the institutions such as family, society, worship, government and His own very presence to derive the meaning of the life they live and to find meaning and purpose of that life. God in the Garden of Eden used to commune with His creation Adam and Eve intimately (Gen 3:8). This relationship between man and God was very unique and was the most important element of man’s existence and wellbeing. However, sin entered and destroyed the perfect set up designed by God and damaged the relationship between man and GOD.
But God who knows the end from the beginning; gave His promise of- The Seed of a woman (Genesis 3:15)- and worked through history to bring us back to His eternal plan. For the fulfillment of this eternal plan, He chose a man- Abraham and made a covenant with him (Abrahamic Covenant). This covenant is the basis on which the rest of the history of mankind is anchored.
In order to fulfill this promise, God brought out Israelites- the descendants of Abraham as a Nation under God from the bondage of Egypt with the mighty hand of God. When they were in the wilderness at the foot of Mount Sinai- God gave the laws. God was establishing a community, to be a channel of blessing to the whole of humanity. They were given special privileges to have the very presence of God through the Tabernacle that was made as per the heavenly pattern shown to Moses by God. Heb. 8:5 “… who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, "SEE THAT YOU MAKE ALL THINGS ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN SHOWN YOU ON THE MOUNTAIN."
After they finished erecting this for the first time, God instructed them how to consecrate the Tabernacle and its altar along with the persons chosen by God to approach Him for serving Him on a daily basis- (The priests and the high priests). All these consecrations were done by performing sacrifices offered to God. God literally dwelt among them in the Tabernacle which was a shadow of Jesus Christ who displayed this truth- God dwelling in a Tabernacle and living in midst of us. John 1:14 [TLV] says: “And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. We looked upon His glory, the glory of the one and only from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (Also Refer Matt.1:23 & John 14:20). The vision of God dwelling in the midst of fallen mankind has developed from shadow to reality in Jesus’ time. But as the church age ushered in, with the coming of Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost- transformed each believer in Jesus Christ to become a Tabernacle of God Himself. What a great blessing and awesome truth!!!.1Cor. 3:16 reads: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”
In this church age we have God's presence dwelling in us through His Holy Spirit in us. So we must be careful enough to consecrate our very lives to embody His presence and to carry His presence with us wherever we go. If we do so we will enable God to work out His plan through us to bring many lost ones into His eternal kingdom and finally we will all join with Him in eternity to be with Him forever and ever....
Future Hope: And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.” (Rev.21:3)
Listen: 'Behold the Tabernacle of God'