At the dedication of the Jerusalem temple in 977 B.C., a strange thing occurred. As the priests came out of the Holy Place, a thick, dark cloud emerged from the temple, causing the priests to temporarily stop their temple duties. Seeing this, King Solomon remarked that the same thing happened with the Tabernacle; this was a sign that God was dwelling among his people!
As we read through the Bible, one major theme we discover is God’s great desire to dwell with his people—to make his home with them. The Bible tells us that the chief purpose of the Garden in Eden was to create a space where God could dwell with his people—to be at home with them, and they with him.
Just pause for a second and think about what that means; the Creator of all that is created our first parents out of a deep desire to have friends he could be at home with. Friends he could love and spend time with! And he even created a home for them to share with him: Eden!
And even after our first parents betrayed him, God’s love and desire for friendship with humanity only increased. When Israel was in the wilderness, God had Moses construct a tent where God could dwell and be at home among his people. During King Solomon’s time, God began to dwell into the Jerusalem temple, once again to make his home among his people.
Over a thousand years later, on the day Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, he promised them that he and the Father would come and dwell with them, and that they would make their home with them. After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, Paul wrote the Corinthians that they were literally the temple of God’s Spirit. Once again God has moved in, this time within his people! We have become God’s home!
Questions for reflection:
- Take time to ponder what it means that God feels so at home with you that he has chosen to make his home in you. What does that even mean?
- How does it impact your sense of identity and worth, that God has made his home in you?
- If God has actually “moved in” and essentially become your “roommate for life,” how do you encounter and interact with him in your daily life?