“On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony. And at evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning.” – Numbers 9:15
Long ago, God made His presence visible in a dramatic way. During the day, the cloud of His presence would settle on the great tent He’d commissioned to be set up in the midst of the people of Israel. At night, His presence looked like burning fire. In this way, the people of Israel knew that God was real, that He was with them, and He could guide them. It was easy for all Israel to see and trust in God’s presence and protection. Today, we might wish we had such visible signs of God’s presence!
Alas, we seldom see God’s presence in such a visible way. That doesn’t mean that He’s less present or less powerful. In fact, God is more closely present today! God is present in and with every believer in Jesus Christ. The Bible makes clear that when we trust in Jesus as our Lord, God’s Holy Spirit comes to live within us. Every individual Christian has become like that tent. God is present with us every moment of every day! We may not see it with our eyes, but it’s absolutely true.
The drama in the desert so long ago pointed toward this greater reality we all enjoy in Christ. The Creator of the Universe dwells in you! God is present every moment of every day. He watches over and cares about everything that happens in your life! In these verses, God’s presence first settled upon the tent after a LONG process to make it holy and ready to host God’s holy presence. That’s something we must take seriously about ourselves. We are the new tabernacle of God and He’s made us holy in Jesus Christ through His sacrificial work on the cross. However, we must also live in a way that is holy and pleasing to God as He dwells in us. We must take seriously what the Bible teaches us about how to live, speak, and think, so that we may be a genuinely holy tabernacle hosting God’s Holy Spirit and presence. #FollowJesus