A brief narrative: The Presence of God
This is an incredible incredible thought - the presence of the Lord - God’s dwelling place.
My understanding is that, Old Testemant - God the father - Yahweh - dwelt in amongst the people - in tents, in the tabernacle, in the ark of the covenant - “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”(Exodus 33v14), wherever He could be with the people but maintain His holiness.
His presence gives rest.
Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob, (psalm 114)
His presence is powerful. It parted the sea, and sent plagues to Egypt.
New Testemant begins - “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (john 1v14)
How incredible! Jesus was the manifestation of GOD on earth. God - who created everything, at whom the whole earth shakes.
“People will flee to caves in the rocks
and to holes in the ground
from the fearful presence of the LORD
and the splendor of his majesty,
when He rises to shake the earth.” (isaiah 2v19)
and yet, He came in a humble man - a carpenter- one who was born in a stable and lived as a servant. His ministry years spent without a home.
And when He died and rose again, we were given complete access to God, like never before. We can enter His presence with boldness! Previously, people died from his holiness.
And not only that, but when Jesus left , He sent the Holy spirit as the new manifestation of God:
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you.
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.
On that day you will realise that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. …
Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. ..
All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” - Jesus (John 14)
And where does He dwell, physically? Where is His temple? US.
“Do you know that you, yourselves are God’s temple and that
God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you
together are that temple… (1cor 3) “Your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit,
who is in you, whom you have received from God,” (1 cor 6)
Our bodies carry the presence of God - the intense manifestation of His glory and splendour. AMAZING. And its not just us individually.. in fact its not us individually at all.
“And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (eph 2v22)
Which makes sense - because
”the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands…
“‘Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me? ‘
says the Lord.
‘Or where will my resting place be?
Has not my hand made all these things?’ ” (acts 7)
“Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.(rev 21:3)
The power of God’s presence is quite amazing and we carry that presence. We, the church, are His temple. The building is nothing.. and it’s better that we have no building at all, than to give it more attention than God Himself. He works and moves through us. Incredible.
