excellent example of the photos we take that connect us to beautiful settings.
February 7
Today's study begins with God's request for rich offerings of gold, silver, bronze, blue, purple, and scarlet, for the building of the Tabernacle. (God stipulated that the offerings were to be taken from those who gave willingly with his heart--an entire study on its own.) "Tabernacle" in Hebrew means "dwelling place". Our study ends in Matthew with Jesus' description of the sign of His coming and the end of the age. The two subjects seem miles apart, however God's plan and purposes are found at the center of both. In Exodus 25:8, God tells us He desired to dwell among His people. The end of the age will culminate in Jesus' second coming to the earth when His feet stand on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:4). In John 14:3, Jesus says He is preparing a place for us to dwell with Him--that where He is, we may be also.
Perhaps it is also fitting that in the middle of today's study we find this verse: "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer" (Psalm19:14). How can God be our strength, unless we know He is strong, unless we know what He is capable of doing and accomplishing? Once again, it is not "blind faith", but faith in the One who created the wonders of nature we see around us, faith in the God of Israel who delivered His people from Egypt and caused them to go out "with a high hand" (Exodus 14:8), faith in God who gives us every breath we breathe!
It is difficult to imagine the splendor of the Tabernacle with all the gold, silver, and bronze, along with the vibrant colors that exploded in the tapestries and curtains of the sanctuary of God. It seems natural that we desire to be a part of that which is beautiful. We don't get our pictures taken at the city dump or in front of run down buildings, or seated on overgrown lawns. Our albums are filled with pictures of us and our families at the beach, in the mountains, at the Grand Canyon, at the Biltmore House, etc. I think most of us have a desire to be connected with things that are beautiful.
A relationship with God the Father, the very designer of the majestic Tabernacle and the earth we live on predisposes us to arrive at the pinnacle of splendor. David says in Psalm 61:4, "I will abide in Your tabernacle for ever". And in Psalm 96:6, "Honor and majesty are before Him: strength and beauty are in His sanctuary". We come to really know the people we live with. Likewise, we can come to really know God when we eat, sleep, and breathe His Presence on a daily basis! We can know the One who owns all the gold and silver that are hidden in the recesses of the earth. We can know the One who put it there. I belong to Him and the more I come to know God and the more I bask in His Presence and in His love, the less I will cling to this world and the more I will be ready for the end of the age and His return.
Knowing God as the very source of my strength and the One who has redeemed me from death, should serve to positively affect the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart. Surely, the more I "tabernacle" with God and the more I learn about Him, the more I will trust Him. This relationship with the Most High will be my "saving grace" during the events that Jesus foretold in Matthew 24, for the end of this age, which is surely upon us!
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