No story is greater than that of the world becoming God’s tabernacle. It inspires me to draw close to God, who longs for us know Him and to receive His love. Perhaps we don’t feel the glory of God in this world as we should because no one is working to bring Him here.
The incarnation tells me that God deeply loves humanity and is drawing us—you and me—into divine fellowship.
In my last post, I discussed God’s heart-throbbing desire to dwell among us—within the cavern of every human heart and by design throughout the vast creation.…
Though we cannot fully explain it, we all hunger for connection and a sense of belonging. We all desire intimacy. It is fundamental to who we are. This is why relationships touch us so deeply and why nothing hurts as much as losing love. Perhaps we feel this deep yearning for love because we are made to seek God, who likewise yearns for us. Such desirous love can only be satisfied by being joined in a deeply meaningful relationship. God desires that we draw close, allowing Him to dwell with us, but we give this up for lesser loves. By estranging ourselves from an infinite God and His infinite love, we’ve lost the most important love of all.
I am struck with the wonder of God’s self-disclosure and incredible abiding grace by which He dwells among His people. Discovering God’s intimate desire to dwell with me and His longing to incorporate humanity into His loving communion touches me at the deepest level of my being.
Powerful truths are sometimes found in small things, yet we often fail to notice and appreciate them because they are so small. God gave His people a small symbol to help them understand profound truths about Him. From the divinely revealed details of the altar of incense within the Old Testament tabernacle we learn that powerful factors for good can seem small.
When the Ark of God’s Presence falls on hard times, David wants to bring it to Jerusalem (1 Samuel 4–5). On the way, great festivity ensues that includes many band-accompanied songs. Everyone knows that something wonderful is happening, but suddenly, the cart transporting the sacred vessel is shaken by the oxen bearing it (2 Samuel 6:6). Uzzah, one of the servants attending the ark, responds by reaching out to steady it and is struck dead on the spot.
Many have expressed concern about the decline of faith and church attendance. The closing of places of assembly due to the current coronavirus scare has intensified worry about continued decline; some even consider these closures an infringement on our freedom to worship. Why are Christians so panicky as they try to keep their faith?
I’m not really into music as a form of entertainment. Though I like music, I tend to listen only when I encounter an especially good composition or a song that really touches me and makes my heart soar.
In the Bible, the “tent of meeting” is described as a portable tabernacle—a sacred place or sanctuary that visualized God’s desire to dwell in our midst.
Theological InTents 