THE TABERNACLE--GOD'S DWELLING PLACE
Isa. 57:15
Morning Meditation 4/25/2014
"For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."
There are some things in this text that really challenge me. God says to Isaiah," "I am the One who inhabits eternity." The word "inhabits" translates the Hebrew word "shakanto" and means "to settle down, abide, dwell, tabernacle, reside."
There are a lot of words that define the word inhabit. At our very best moment, to define God, is an absurdity.. We take the words God gives to describe Himself and we only have a distant hint to understand. I am stopped many times as I search out God's Word. I just have to long in the silence of my soul to draw nigh to Him, to know Him better, to experience Him, and I leave so many times without touching the nerve of the Eternal God. But I will keep searching as His longing child until I step out on that golden shore, and see the glory I have read about, and fix my gaze on the Lamb on the throne and will suddenly realize that I no more have a longing. The longing has been filled and satisfied by one glimpse of Him. Psalms 42:1-2, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?"
It is amazing that the GOD that inhabits eternity would condescend to man, to take a form where man could see Him and touch Him. John 14:8-9, "Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?"
Jesus made a mind staggering statement. The concept that Jesus is God continues to stagger man's imagination. But the truth is that "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself." I base this on the plain teaching of the Bible. 2 Corinthians 5:19 says, "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation."
The Tabernacle was built after the pattern of the heavenly. Hebrews 8:5 says "Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount."
The Tabernacle was built and God moved in and dwelt there until Israel apostatized. Then God left Israel. He was still everywhere present but not in that special way with Israel.
God does not now dwell in any earthly house. Some have gone in the great Cathedrals and said, "You can feel God in this place." No more that you can feel Him on the side walk, or down by the riverside, or in your own home. The fact is that God abides in the body of every believer. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
This verse does away with the idea, "I am mine, I can do with my life what I want to." You could if you came out of some primeval ooz. If your father were a ape, I guess that idea would fly. But my friends, God created man. God first created the unseen. The word Bara is used to signify this stage of creation. God made something out of nothing. It did not pre-exist. It found its existence on the day of creation. Then God formed man. The word formed is yatsar. This word is used of a potter forming or fashioning an object. Then God took the unseen and formed man in His own image. Now at this point man is clay formed in the image of God. God then took what He had made and breathed in man's nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul. If God had not existed man would have never been. There is no way order comes out of an explosion.
Men of science have read this passage and shook their heads and said it is impossible. Well, with man it is impossible. But nothing is impossible with God. God is the Creator. Now when one admits that God is the Creator, he is faced with the dilima that there must be a day when one must give an account. And that is absolutely right.
The Bible is the most reasonable Book in the world. It offers man the most reasonable solutions to every thing we see and things we don't see.
God is a God of love. God is not man's enemy. Man is born with an old sin nature that makes him incapable of being right with God. We know that as individuals there are certain diseases that we get from birth. These diseases are passed to us and we can't say no. This is also true with the issue of sin. Romans 5:12 says, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:"
Just as man has to face heredity diseases, he must face this also in the spiritual realm. If this is true, and it is, man must see that he is the victim of Adam's sin. So when a man is saved, he must see that he needs forgiveness not only for what he has done, but for what he is. God's diagnosis of man is stated in Romans 3:10-12, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."
God says it. He is the Creator and Judge of all mankind. It would behoove one to want to be right with his Creator. It is not God's will that any perish. 2 Peter 3:9-10 says, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up."
Some one might say. "If God is Creator, why did He allow the world to get into such a shape." The above verse answer that question. He is long suffering. He is not willing that any perish. But men refuse to recognize that God is waiting their repentance and will save them if only they will acknowledge their sin and call on God for salvation.
Paul says in Romans 10:9-13, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
If you will call on the Lord, He will make your body His dwelling place.
To those who are saved, we should be challenged to live godly lives and share the gospel with all we come in contact. There may be an unsaved person reading these lines. God loves you and wants to save you and make you His child. He will do it. It is in your hands.
May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.
In Christ
Bro. White
