Daily Devotions
How Can a Holy God Dwell Among Us?
Reading for January 27th: Exodus 28-29
"I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God."
Exodus 29:45-46
We are unholy. We are wicked and vile. We are detestable. We are full of sin.
This, of course, is a picture of how we look from the Divine perspective. God dwells in "unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see." (1 Timothy 6:16) "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:5) From this perspective (one of pure light), even the most righteous among us is still filthy because of sin.
So, how can a holy God dwell among a filthy people?
This seems to be the problem that the last half of Exodus is dealing with. We are repeatedly told and shown in this book that God is holy. He is so holy that there is a barrier placed around Mount Sinai that no one can cross (Ex 19:12). A tabernacle must be constructed for God's presence to dwell among the people.
God also gave the people priests to minister on their behalf before God to offer gifts and sacrifices. Exodus 28 and 29 describe the special garments that were to be worn and the offerings that were be made to consecrate (i.e. make holy) the priests.
Of course, both the garments and the sacrifices are foreshadowing what Christ would later do for us. When we are baptized we "put on Christ" like we would put on a garment (Gal 3:27). Our Savior also suffered and died as our sacrifice for sin so that we would be made holy before God (Col 1:22).
Father, thank you for being our God and providing a way for us to be consecrated and sanctified through the blood of your only Son!
