God is in this place...
The Bible is God's Word. And it's chock full 'o stories about God and people. These stories take place over the course of thousands of years. They were written by different people for different people. Some were written in times of famine, others in times of feast.
So, with all these different stories, what holds them together? There must be some theme that flows through them, right?
Bible scholars have spent countless hours pouring over the Bible, trying to find its unifying theme. Many different themes have been proposed, some making more sense than others. But there's one theme that seems to come back again and again--one that I believe holds everything from Genesis to Revelation together.
Here it is: God dwelling with his people.
Think about it. God walked with Adam and Eve in the Bible (Gen. 2). When they sinned against him, they were separated from him by being kicked out of the garden (Gen. 3). Ever since then, God has been trying to restore that relationship. God chose Abraham to be the father of a holy nation (Israel); God's plan was to dwell with his people, bless them, and bless all nations through them. When they were enslaved by Pharaoh of Egypt, he rescued them and gave them a promise that he would walk with them. This is where the tabernacle comes in--it was a place where he could dwell in their midst. This tabernacle was upgraded to the temple in Jerusalem. It became the permanent dwelling place of God in Israel. Well, that is, until it was destroyed. Israel disobeyed and was led into exile. They should have listened to the prophet Joel. He told them judgment was coming, and it was going to be bad. But then he gives the people hope. A day would come when the tragedy would be over and everything would be restored to the way it was meant to be. Here's what he writes:
"You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
and praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has dealt wondrously with you.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else.
And my people shall never again be put to shame." (Joel 2:26-27)
God promises that he will dwell with them. He would make a way.
Fast forward to the New Testament. Jesus is called "Immanuel" which in Hebrew means "God with us". Jesus is God with human skin on. When we see Jesus, we know what God the Father is like. Jesus even says, "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father." (John 14:9) What does this all mean? It means that, indeed, God dwelt with us in Christ. He walked with us. He ate with us. He died for us. Why? So we could experience God in a new way. God was no longer just dwelling in the physical temple. Christ came to make his people into a spiritual temple, called the Church. Sure, he ascended into heaven and isn't physically on earth at the moment. But he sent the Spirit to be with us, to comfort us, to teach us. And Jesus says to his disciples, "Wherever two or three are gathered, there I am among you."
The point? All of history is about God being with his people. This is what we were created for. This is what God has labored for since the Fall in the garden. God has made a way to dwell with us. He is here.
So here's a question: how often do we acknowledge this? Sure, we say God is with us when we worship at church. But he dwells with us all the time, whether in corporate worship or not. If this truly is the unifying theme of the Bible, if God's goal is to be with us, then shouldn't this be a big deal in our theology and practice? What if we could confidently count on God to fill the space around us, to comfort us, to spend time with us.
Think about what it would look like if we made dwelling with God our goal.
Our prayer would be transformed. We would be aware that God was present with us, not just in heaven on the other end of a phone call. What comfort to know that he is present!
Our devotional time would be transformed. We can pray and invite God to dwell with us as we read his word--far above and beyond simply checking off the "I read my Bible today" box. This goes further than your devotional time--every moment "alone" turns into an opportunity to relax, rest in him, and talk with him like he's there.
Churches would be transformed. This would be included with our church values, creating a sense of God's presence that flows down into small groups, Sunday school classes, "big" church, and everything else we do as a body of believers.
Worship would be transformed. God isn't just "extra present" when we take communion, but always. What does it look like to worship with a church who believes God has filled that place? That he is present among them? Do we make it a point to receive God's presence into our worship?
Missions would be transformed. Our goal rises above meeting needs, translating the Scriptures and sharing the gospel. We are helping them understand that it is God who wants to dwell with them. This thought is revolutionary to new Christians--so it should be to us.
We would be transformed. If he is with us, what have we to fear? What could comfort us more? The burdens of this life, thrown at his feet. We are able to grow in deeper intimacy with Him.
But this is just a short list. And however good it is in this life, it's just the beginning. In every new phase of redemption, God gets a little closer to us. Someday, we will have a closer intimacy with him than Adam and Eve experienced in the garden. Someday there will be a new heaven and new earth. Everything will be made new. And this is God's promise:
"Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." (Revelation 21:3-4)
This is where it is all heading. This is what it is all about. God wants to dwell among us. He wants to be known and enjoyed by us. He is with us even now. Delight in Him.
So, with all these different stories, what holds them together? There must be some theme that flows through them, right?
Bible scholars have spent countless hours pouring over the Bible, trying to find its unifying theme. Many different themes have been proposed, some making more sense than others. But there's one theme that seems to come back again and again--one that I believe holds everything from Genesis to Revelation together.
Here it is: God dwelling with his people.
Think about it. God walked with Adam and Eve in the Bible (Gen. 2). When they sinned against him, they were separated from him by being kicked out of the garden (Gen. 3). Ever since then, God has been trying to restore that relationship. God chose Abraham to be the father of a holy nation (Israel); God's plan was to dwell with his people, bless them, and bless all nations through them. When they were enslaved by Pharaoh of Egypt, he rescued them and gave them a promise that he would walk with them. This is where the tabernacle comes in--it was a place where he could dwell in their midst. This tabernacle was upgraded to the temple in Jerusalem. It became the permanent dwelling place of God in Israel. Well, that is, until it was destroyed. Israel disobeyed and was led into exile. They should have listened to the prophet Joel. He told them judgment was coming, and it was going to be bad. But then he gives the people hope. A day would come when the tragedy would be over and everything would be restored to the way it was meant to be. Here's what he writes:"You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
and praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has dealt wondrously with you.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else.
And my people shall never again be put to shame." (Joel 2:26-27)
God promises that he will dwell with them. He would make a way.
Fast forward to the New Testament. Jesus is called "Immanuel" which in Hebrew means "God with us". Jesus is God with human skin on. When we see Jesus, we know what God the Father is like. Jesus even says, "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father." (John 14:9) What does this all mean? It means that, indeed, God dwelt with us in Christ. He walked with us. He ate with us. He died for us. Why? So we could experience God in a new way. God was no longer just dwelling in the physical temple. Christ came to make his people into a spiritual temple, called the Church. Sure, he ascended into heaven and isn't physically on earth at the moment. But he sent the Spirit to be with us, to comfort us, to teach us. And Jesus says to his disciples, "Wherever two or three are gathered, there I am among you."
The point? All of history is about God being with his people. This is what we were created for. This is what God has labored for since the Fall in the garden. God has made a way to dwell with us. He is here.
So here's a question: how often do we acknowledge this? Sure, we say God is with us when we worship at church. But he dwells with us all the time, whether in corporate worship or not. If this truly is the unifying theme of the Bible, if God's goal is to be with us, then shouldn't this be a big deal in our theology and practice? What if we could confidently count on God to fill the space around us, to comfort us, to spend time with us.
Think about what it would look like if we made dwelling with God our goal.
Our prayer would be transformed. We would be aware that God was present with us, not just in heaven on the other end of a phone call. What comfort to know that he is present!
Our devotional time would be transformed. We can pray and invite God to dwell with us as we read his word--far above and beyond simply checking off the "I read my Bible today" box. This goes further than your devotional time--every moment "alone" turns into an opportunity to relax, rest in him, and talk with him like he's there.
Churches would be transformed. This would be included with our church values, creating a sense of God's presence that flows down into small groups, Sunday school classes, "big" church, and everything else we do as a body of believers.
Worship would be transformed. God isn't just "extra present" when we take communion, but always. What does it look like to worship with a church who believes God has filled that place? That he is present among them? Do we make it a point to receive God's presence into our worship?
Missions would be transformed. Our goal rises above meeting needs, translating the Scriptures and sharing the gospel. We are helping them understand that it is God who wants to dwell with them. This thought is revolutionary to new Christians--so it should be to us.
We would be transformed. If he is with us, what have we to fear? What could comfort us more? The burdens of this life, thrown at his feet. We are able to grow in deeper intimacy with Him.
But this is just a short list. And however good it is in this life, it's just the beginning. In every new phase of redemption, God gets a little closer to us. Someday, we will have a closer intimacy with him than Adam and Eve experienced in the garden. Someday there will be a new heaven and new earth. Everything will be made new. And this is God's promise:
"Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." (Revelation 21:3-4)
This is where it is all heading. This is what it is all about. God wants to dwell among us. He wants to be known and enjoyed by us. He is with us even now. Delight in Him.
Hi David!
ReplyDeleteI saw your post on facebook and decided to peruse your blog! I instantly ate up this recent post, since I have been studying the tabernacle (intensely)...for about 3 years now.
The tabernacle marks a pivotal point in history, fraught with glorious new covenant typology :)
And I am so excited to see your topic here, the idea that all of scripture (and life) shows a pattern of God dwelling among his people. :)
I think that should be vital to the story of redemption. So often when the gospel is shared either it's all about love (completely missing sin and God's wrath) or all about hell and wrath (completely missing love). I think that finding the balance here is to realize that the story of redemption isn't a simplified story about love or escaping wrath, but a very complex story about God dwelling with his people, which inevitably leads to understanding God's love, the need for wrath, and the ultimate goal of reconciliation through Christ.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for your thoughts Angie! I agree, God's dwelling among his people connects all of salvation history, past, present and future!
ReplyDeleteThere is a great book on the subject (if you are interested and haven't read it yet) called, "The Temple and the Church's Mission" by G. K. Beale. I know many people who have been impacted by it. It may be a great resource to jump into if you're interested!