And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. Exodus 25:8
What exciting news for the children of Israel: the Lord God actually wanted to dwell among them! He had delivered them from Egyptian bondage, had led them through the wilderness, and had miraculously provided food and water and victory over their adversaries. Now, He desired to actually dwell in their camp. They were to be given a pattern to follow for the dwelling place for God, and when that pattern was a fully met, the presence of God would be real among them. The news for us today should be just as exciting.
Paul told the Christians in Corinth that they were sanctuaries for God: Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 1 Corinthians 3:16 He later pointed out that each believer’s body is a temple: What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 1 Corinthians 6:19 That is a great privilege and a great responsibility. It is only by obedience to the Word of God that the Holy Spirit’s presence will be obvious in our lives.
God wants to dwell among us not only as individuals, but also collectively as His people. Well we love to recite the words of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 18:20: For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them. Just as God gave a pattern for the Tabernacle for Israel, so He has a pattern for His dwelling among His people today. Only by following the pattern can we be assured of His presence, just as the Israelites did not experience the Lord’s presence among them until the pattern was complete.
Are we observing the pattern for assuring the Lord’s presence among us? It’s in His Name, and in no other name. -Jim MacIntosh
Here is the link to the video of this message: https://youtu.be/IOy_XxNHKKc