And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. (Exodus 25:8)
God wants to live with us.
This truth about God is breathtaking for the following reasons.
He is God. Awesome, powerful, wise, just, holy and righteous are just some of the characteristics He offers to get an insight into Him. And whatever insight we gain will never be complete knowledge of Him. He is so beyond human comprehension, being God – yet He wants to live with us. It’s His desire and forms a key part of His eternal purpose in Christ. You might have thought that such a holy, righteous God who is omnipresent wouldn’t need a place to stay. The awe of the cloud by day and fire by night would have been enough for the people, knowing they’re His people. For God, these were not enough; He wanted to let a people on the move see that He was with them on the move. He was keen for His people to know how much He took His relationship seriously.
Another reason this is breathtaking is that the people He was connected with were anything but faithful and devoted to him. He gave His commands to them, including one to build the tabernacle in the first place, and the response to that fluctuated. From the heights of generosity to the depths of people’s complaints and disobedience, which required heavenly intervention to complete the job. These people would fail him time and again to the point that He ended any chance of the people of Jacob being rescued from the wrath to come. In all that, God still desired to be with His people.
The nature of God and the rebellion of humanity make the request all the remarkable. God still desires to dwell with folks whose hearts were turned from Him. It is so important then to be captured more by what God is doing in the opportunity. He doesn’t direct the need for a temple, but He is at the heart of the development. What He was keen to instruct and guide was on the Tabernacle. People rush to the sacrifices and rightly so, but more than sacrifices, the temple experience is still about how you operate.
It was good enough for God to be with His people and operate from that place to allow sacrifice and worship. It was from this mobile home that people found restitution. It was from this mobile centre that people were taught about the Word of God. It’s this inspiration, with the ability to take it down and put it up again, that people with a sensitivity to God’s rule would observe.
Years later, though many prefer the nature of having your own property on your own real estate, God points us to the simpler way He lived. All He ever wants to be is to live with us – all joined by His Holy Spirit. It’s worth exploring further the significance of the Tabernacle and what it says to us as being the place where God wants to live.
For His Name’s Sake
C. L. J. Dryden
Shalom
Life With CD 