With the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, we get another example of God’s desire to dwell with his people. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, God both dwelt with us and provided a way for us to dwell with him. The writer of Hebrews tells us that Christians “have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus” (Heb. Second, Jesus made a way for sinners to come into God’s presence by providing a “once and for all,” perfect sacrifice for sin. Following God was no longer merely about obeying commands, but about following the one who lived them out perfectly. He demonstrated the love, mercy, righteousness, and holiness of God in ways that we could easily see and understand. He did this in two ways.įirst, Jesus revealed the character of God. That the temple system allowed for the high priest to enter into God’s presence was astounding, but Jesus made God’s presence readily available to all. 7:14), a name which means “God with us.” In Jesus, God entered into his creation in a very tangible way. Isaiah prophesied about a coming “Emmanuel” (Isa. Yet the tabernacle and temple were only a glimpse of God’s ultimate plan to draw near to his people. How incredible it must have felt to have the Lord of all creation make his home with them! Through both this “tabernacle” and the temple that followed, God lived among his people. Now, he revealed his intention to have his presence continually with them. God had given the Israelites new hope and identity by rescuing them from the Egyptians. Tracing this progressive revelation is cause for great worship and wondrous hope.Īfter God rescued the Israelites from Egypt, God commanded them to make him “a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst” (Exod. God, the creator of all that exists, gradually reveals his desire to be present and active with those who belong to him. One of the most fascinating developments to follow through the Bible’s storyline is the concept of God dwelling with his people. Facebook Twitter Reddit Pinterest Email LinkedIn

Presence of god