Gracious Spirit, dwell with me

EXODUS 25:8

I LISTENED recently to a programme on Radio 4 that was concerned with the end of the world. Apparently there is a belief that 21 December 2012 is the date on which all that we know will come to an end.

It seems that humans have an innate desire to know the mind of God – to pin him down.

In Thailand every building, from the grandest hotel to the smallest shanty dwelling, had a spirit house on its roof or in its grounds. They come in a variety of sizes but take basically the same form and are there to house the spirits who have been displaced by the building of the hotel, office or house. The new landowner is obliged to provide a new home for the spirits that previously lived on the site.

You may think such a practice primitive, superstitious or ridiculous, but the Thai people are not the only ones who have constructed dwelling places for their gods.

Looking at the book of Exodus, chapter 25, we see the beginning of the lengthy and detailed instructions that God gave to Moses for the building of the tabernacle: ‘Let them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them’ (v8 all quotations from New International Version unless stated otherwise).

The instructions God gave were specific and elaborate. First, for the Ark of the Covenant, which would house the stone tablets; then for its cover, the mercy seat, and on through the other items of furniture to the tabernacle itself, the priests and their garments.

But why was it all necessary?

In his explanatory notes on verse 8, John Wesley wrote that the sanctuary was intended as a place of public and solemn worship, and amplifies God’s word ‘that I may dwell among them. Not by my essence, which is everywhere, but by my grace and glorious operations.’

This sanctuary was to assist the people of Israel on their journey – literally (it was portable) and spiritually, because it would focus their minds on God. There had been nothing like this before – nowhere to go to worship God, nothing visible to remind them of his presence.

God’s purpose was not to limit himself with any suggestion that he could be contained or was no longer omnipresent, but to enable his chosen people to have confidence that he was there with them as they journeyed. The people of Israel would no longer have to repeat the question, ‘Is God still with us?’, because they could ‘see’ and know.

Hebrews 11:1 states: ‘Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.’

Despite the fact that we are a people of faith, we still like to see. We look for evidence of God, we want to be reminded of his presence; it helps us, as it helped the Israelites to go forward. And would we still be on our journey if the evidence were not found?

God reveals himself. He keeps his promises. He has promised his presence – there is no need to doubt or to demand proof.

The Ark of the Covenant has long since disappeared. It may have been recovered, it may be held in a church in Ethiopia – no one knows for sure. The old covenant has been superseded by the new. Where can God be found now?

God’s eternal plan has been to live among his people. The Message paraphrases John 1:14: ‘The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighbourhood.’

God is where you are. God is where I am.

Leviticus 26:11–13 reveals the reward that the people of Israel could expect for their
obedience. God says: ‘I will put my dwelling-place among you, and I will not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.’

It’s not necessary to go to a particular place at a particular time to experience the presence of God. He lives among his people. Immanuel – God is with us!

• Major Woodhouse is corps officer at Thornton Heath