“For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.” – Exodus 40:38
Can you even imagine this wondrous sight? For the ancient Israelites in the wilderness, whenever they stopped and set up camp, the cloud presence of God would descend upon the holy tent that sat at the heart of their camp! The thick cloud made clear that the Living God of the Universe Who created all things was right there with them all day long. Then, night would fall and the cloud would be lit by fire within, glowing all throughout the otherwise pitch dark night.
What would go through your mind if you were there so long ago? How awe-inspiring! How beautiful! How frightening! How overwhelming! God was visibly present in a way unlike anything ever seen before. Day and night. Night and day. God was with His people.
Flash forward to the present day. Know this – if you’re a believer in Jesus, then God is present within you. You have been united with Christ. You are the holy tabernacle now! You are filled with God’s presence! As Christians, Scripture tells us we are temples of God’s Holy Spirit. The same God Who appeared in cloud and fire in the Israelite camp lives within you, empowers you, and wants to change you!
This is why every Christian is called to live a holy life. We’re called to grow in our holiness and devotion to God because now we are the tabernacle. We now live with God’s presence in us, visible in the sight of all those around us. The spectacle of the tabernacle has been replaced by an even more glorious truth about us. Are you living and enjoying that truth?