December 24th, 2009 by Kristi Stephens
This is the third part of our look at “Yahweh has come to dwell among us” – be sure to check out parts one and two if you missed them!!
Yesterday we looked at the way God continued to introduce Himself to His people in the book of Exodus, the most profound nugget being that God desired to dwell among His people. Quoting from yesterday’s post:
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He didn’t just want to be their God from a distance.
He didn’t just want to appear to a few of them occasionally.
He wanted to dwell among His people – He says that He brought them out of Egypt so that He could dwell among them!
The Israelites learned that this Yahweh is a God of great power, great love, and a God who desires relationship with us.
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Now we’re going to flip through our “virtual Bible” all the way to the book of John, chapter 1, verse 14.
“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us…”
The word “dwelt” can also be translated “tabernacled.”
Oh, we need to read that again!
The word “dwelt” can also be translated “tabernacled.”
The Exodus tabernacle was mindblowing. The fact that God chose His people, saw their suffering, remembered His covenant with them, rescued them from slavery, initiated relationship with them, chose to dwell among them, and made a way for their sin to be covered – unbelievable.
But now, in Bethlehem, God’s loving pursuit took a surprising and profound step further.
For Elohim chose to become flesh.
He remembered His covenant – the promise He made back in Genesis 3 that someday a rescuer would come. He saw His beloved creation suffering and mortally wounded with self-inflicted sin and pain. He initiated relationship with humanity in rebellion.
He chose to tabernacle among us.
And one day He Himself would be the sacrifice to cover sin, once for all time.
The Christmas story is so much more than Luke 2. It started in Genesis, it will be culminated in Revelation – the most beautiful promise of all.
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And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,
and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”
Revelation 21:3-4
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Christmas is more than a baby in a manger.
Christmas is God choosing to dwell among us – to love us when we are unlovable. To call us out of darkness and into His glorious light.
What wondrous love is this?
Image from wikipedia.
December 7th, 2010 at 5:04 am
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