Experiencing God's Presence #87

Experiencing God's Presence #87

Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them.

Exodus 25:8

God gave Moses extensive details for His dwelling place, not because He’s unreasonably demanding but because these details had a much larger purpose. The designs for Israel’s worship reflected heavenly realities. The Tabernacle and all its articles of worship were “only a copy, a shadow” of the real place of worship in heaven (Hebrews 8:5). It was a visible expression of the invisible throne room. God gave Moses a picture to help translate one realm of reality into another. And the copy, the shadow, had to be accurate.

That tells us a lot about the nature and purposes of God. He wants to dwell with us, for one thing; He desires closeness. But it also tells us that He wants us to know the environment of heaven. He shared with us a picture of where He has lived for all of eternity so we could experience a taste of eternity now. In showing us His “natural habitat,” He has invited us to explore that environment and make ourselves at home in it. His description of heavenly realities was an intensely relational move.

Other places in Scripture give us glimpses of those heavenly realities—the visions of Isaiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel, as well as the heavenly scenes of Revelation 4 and following. These are invitations to imagine what God’s environment is like. Some people read them and think, “I can’t comprehend that,” so they stop trying. Others step into the pictures and try to hear the sounds, smell the smells, see the sights, and more. That pleases God. Such pictures are not given in order to frustrate; they are given in order to share the experience. If you let your thoughts run wild in the pictures of His Presence, your sense of His Presence will increase.

Lord, inspire my vision to see Your throne room and all Your dwelling places, both in heavenly and material realms. Wherever You choose to dwell, I want to see You there.