God Dwelling with Us

 It has always been God's desire to dwell with the men and women He created in His image. If we look back through the Bible, we can see this at every point in the history of God's creation. This shows us His great love for all people, and it shows us His great desire for close fellowship with us. If God is not dwelling with us, we can't have a close relationship with Him. That is why God has carried out this plan all through the ages. In Moses' day God told Moses to have the people make a sanctuary for Him, so that He could dwell with them. (Exodus 25:8) This sanctuary was a "holy place," since God is holy. It was a tent that was moveable, so God could dwell with them wherever they went. God's plan is always perfect, and He has thought of every detail, as we can see in the instructions for the Tabernacle where He would dwell.

God began dwelling with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It was a holy place of no sin, so God could come and walk with them each day. Then, when sin came, He had to kick them out of the garden. Their fellowship with God was broken, and they had to offer sacrifices to cover their sins and be able to be close to God. Finally, after giving Moses the Law, God moved back in with His people in the Tabernacle and later, in the Temple in Jerusalem. It was there that His people went to meet with Him and to worship Him. He dwelt in the Holy of Holies in the middle of the Holy place above the mercy seat of the ark. Then, Jesus came. He was "God with us" Immanuel. He had a body in which to live and to move among the people, which He did for about 30 years. After He gave His body for our sins, the veil of the Temple, which kept the Holy of Holies separate, was torn in two pieces from the top to the bottom. This showed that God was no longer there, but all people could come to Him through Jesus' blood and death. On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came to dwell in all of the believers forever. So now, our bodies are the "temple of the Holy Spirit," and God dwells with each person who trusts Christ as Lord and Savior. (I Corinthians 6:19,20) Finally, in heaven we will dwell with God in the New Jerusalem for eternity. He will be our Light and our Lord with whom we will have full fellowship forever. I pray that God dwells with you today, and you know that He will never leave you or forsake you. If not, trust Jesus today!

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Exodus 27-29.