Friday February 18, 2022

God wants to dwell with men

And the Word became man, she dwell among us, full of grace and truth, and we contemplated her glory, a glory like that of the only begotten Son come from the Father. John bore witness to him and exclaimed : This is he of whom I said : He who comes after me went before me, for he was before me. We have all received from his fullness, and grace upon grace. John 1:14-16

According to his good pleasure and his wonderful grace, God decided, from the foundation of the world, to dwell among humans. This is why he commanded Moses to build him a sanctuary where he would meet his people : They will make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell in the midst of them (Exodus 25:8). When the building was finished, the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34). It was the same when the temple built by Solomon was completed.

When Jesus Christ came into the world, it was in him that God dwell : the Word became flesh and dwell among us. Despite the testimony of the Father himself, of the scriptures and of his miracles, men refused to receive him and crucified him.

However, God's plan will one day find its fulfillment: I heard a loud voice from heaven saying : Behold the tabernacle of God among men ! He will dwell with them, they will be his people and God himself will be with them, he will be their God (Revelation 21:3). Jesus will then be recognized by all ; he will even be the source of life for men : The city needs neither the sun nor the moon to light it, for the glory of God will light it and the Lamb is its torch (Revelation 21:23).

Currently God dwells in the midst of his own, in his Church which is the habitation of God by the Spirit. It is a spiritual house, built of living stones ; it constitutes, in this world, the pillar and the support of the truth. However, taken as a whole, it has not fulfilled its mission. That is why today those who love the Lord gather around him to shine like lights in this world and present to men the word of life (Philippians 2:15,16).

Source (Pleasing the Lord)