Exodus 25:8
And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.
God chooses to dwell among us!!! That is the truth! What would it be like if God hid Himself from His creation? Imagine if God created the world and it DID NOT point to Him as THE creator? Imagine if we were made in the image of God and, yet, we didn't know what that image was like because we are so marred. God made a choice to reveal Himself to us. In the exodus of Israel from Egypt, God showed Himself to the Egyptians in signs and powerful wonders. But, in those signs and wonders God did not "dwell" among them, but only showed Himself to them in His power. In this section of the Book of Exodus God is describing the Ark and the Tabernacle and the Tabernacle Furniture and the Priestly Garments. Each item is to reflect the character and revelation of God. In each item we can either see God coming to us and making Himself available to us, or an entrance way to Him and our ability to access Him; or both. God wants us to have access to Him. The tabernacle was a physical picture of God's presence. God would, upon completion, come down and fill the Tabernacle with His presence. No tent or no universe can contain God. Yet, God choose to dwell among them. For Israel this was the presence of God. In the New Testament, Jesus became our earthly picture of God's presence. Note John's words to us about Christ's coming to us:
John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
In Christ we see God. He is the mystery of God, revealed:
Colossians 2:1-3
For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
In Christ we see the mystery of God revealed to us. In the Tabernacle the Israelites received a picture, a shadow of what was to come. God dwelt among them behind a curtain, that was hidden by more curtains. But, in Christ we have the full revelation of God and we can know more and more about God as we know more and more about Christ. Continued revelation about Him gives us continued revelation about God. God choose to dwell among us. In the Garden He willingly walked with Adam; He talked with Noah; He revealed Himself to Abraham; He showed Himself to Moses in the Mountain; He showed Himself to Elijah in the cave; He showed Himself to Isaiah in the Temple; He showed Himself to Ezekiel in the wheel; He showed Himself to us in a Baby, a young man and a risen Savior. God chooses to show Himself to us.
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