Readings for today: Exodus 25-27, Psalm 25
God’s desire from the beginning was to dwell with the creatures He made in His own image. He will stop at nothing to have a relationship with us. He will allow nothing to get in the way. No matter how far we run or how often we hide or how many times we sin and turn away; God refuses to let us go. Yes, He exiled us from Eden but it was for our own good. He refused to let us eat of the Tree of Life and live forever in our sinful, broken condition. His plan has always been to restore us and the world to its original condition. This is why He instructs His people to build a Tabernacle. A sanctuary where God will dwell. A place for them to talk with Him and meet with Him. “They are to make a sanctuary for me so that I may dwell among them.” (Exodus 25:8 CSB)
It’s easy to get lost in the minutiae of passages like the one we read for today. All the instructions for all the liturgical furniture. The Ark of the Covenant. The Table of Presence. The Tabernacle itself. It’s hard for us to see or understand why this is important. But take a step back for a moment. Look at the big picture. God wants to dwell with His people! God wants to walk with us just like He did in the Garden of Eden! God wants to meet with us and speak with us and have a relationship with us! It’s amazing. Especially so in light of what the New Testament says about the new tabernacle. “Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God lives in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16 CSB) By faith, God makes each of us a Tabernacle. Ever since Pentecost the Spirit of God no longer dwells in a building but in each and every believer’s heart. God walking with us and talking with us as we move throughout our lives.
Readings for tomorrow: Exodus 28-29, Psalm 26