The Glory Settled Down

Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-35).

Returning to the Old Testament, Exodus concludes with an important Immanuel moment. Israel has spent considerable time in the wilderness around Mount Sinai. God has spoken to his people, given his law, but also been very angry because they rebelled against him. God and Israel would have parted ways if Moses had not interceded for the people.

Yet, in the last scene of the book God comes to his people in glory, filling the tabernacle so full of himself that even Moses could not enter.

In this episode, we see the heart of what Immanuel means. God coming to his people. Many religions are concerned with how we as humans, can find the gods. And granted, many Christians live the same way. But our God finds us. "Where are you?" he asks.

It is important for us to pay attention to this. God comes to us. That is Immanuel.

That does not mean that we always experience God's nearness. For many reasons, God may seem distant. Even Jesus experienced that on the cross, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"

These very real experiences of not feeling God's closeness, do not negate the profound truth of the Christian religion that God comes to us. That is at the heart of Immanuel. We don't need to search for God; he searches for us.

This story also portrays that God finding us presents us with a problem. We can't get near God. If God shows up, we can't survive. We can't see God and live as he once told Moses. There is always the problem of God's holiness, or is it the problem of our unholiness? Our sinfulness?

And thus, it is important to take time to explore Immanuel, God with us. We must keep digging into this theme that runs throughout the Bible. God searches for us because it is our sin that drives us away from him. More will be said about this later. For now, I want to leave you with two things.

First, Immanuel, God with us, is not a new theme in the New Testament. It wasn't something God came up with after a few unsuccessful ideas. It always was and still is his plan and desire to dwell among humanity.

Second, Jesus is not with us anymore! Does that matter? Well, yes it does. Jesus is not physically with us right now. He sent us His Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit he is spiritually with us. As he told his disciples, "I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you" (John 14:14). The Holy Spirit's presence in us, makes Jesus as near to us as if he were here physically. So be not afraid. Wherever you go, your God is with you.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.