A Holy Place for God

Monday, January 28

God has always wanted to be present with us rather than being far off and inaccessible.

Exodus 8:25
²⁵ Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land."

Exodus 40:34-35
³⁴ Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. ³⁵ Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

In the beginning, God walked through the Garden of Eden and chatted with Adam and Eve.

In the days of Moses, God appeared before the Israelites as a pillar of cloud during the daytime and a pillar of fire at night, and led them on their journey. When the Israelites camped, God wanted a place to live among the people.

So, at God's direction, the Tabernacle was built. Because of the nomadic nature of the Israelites, the Tabernacle was really a big tent that could be folded up and carried across the desert. But it was made with the greatest care of the finest fabrics. The furnishings were all constructed of gold and other precious materials. Great care was taken in the care and upkeep of the Tabernacle and its furnishings. Everything was routinely cleaned and purified by people who did that as their fulltime jobs. And there were strict laws governing the cleanliness of the people who entered the Tabernacle. In short, the house of God was not to be tainted by impurities.

These same laws and purification rituals were transferred to the permanent Temple when it was built after the Israelites settled in the Promised Land.

Today, the Temple is no longer there. We no longer have the tradition of going to a place where God lives. Instead, we know that God lives within each of us. That's what we call the Holy Spirit. That's why somebody might say, "My body is a Temple." Knowing about the care that was taken to keep the Tabernacle free of impurities, what steps should you take to make sure that your body remains a holy place fit for God to live in?


If today's devotion spoke to you in a particular way and you feel led to share your thoughts with others, please do so.