A Tabernacle for His Presence...

January 30, 2017

One question we should all concern ourselves with is, "How do I open the doors of my temple so that I am a tabernacle for His Presence?" Allowing His Holy Spirit to dwell within us, working out His perfect will in and though us is at the heart of our confession, but do we really understand what that means and what it looks like? The Temple is associated with the presence of YeHoVaH and sacrifices, among other things. From the beginning, the Father has expected us to live a sacrificial life so that He would be able to dwell among us. In Genesis 3:24, YeHoVaH drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden because of their disobedience. We are curious creatures by nature, but they were to specifically sacrifice their desire to partake of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. YeHoVaH wanted to be amongst His creation and He provided for their every need, but when they disobeyed, they drove themselves out of His provision, His will for their lives, and out of His presence.

When we read through the Bible, we find His nation that He entered into covenant with to walk Holy before Him by obeying His commandments, in a cycle of obedience and disobedience. The Kingdom of Israel was divided and each one subsequently taken into captivity because of their waywardness. When Judea was again allowed to be settled with Hebrews returning from Babylonian captivity, they were no doubt eager to return. What we see from history and from the account in the New Testament is that instead of Baal worship, a religion "based on" the Word had taken center stage. It was no longer the commandments of the Almighty, but instead the words and interpretation of men were to be obeyed. Even after all the curses YeHoVaH's people brought on themselves, they still were not operating from a place of obedience - they were still blind.

The prophesied Messiah would come to reconcile His people back to the Father, provide a pure example of what it looks like to walk in obedience to the Word - His commandments, and to defeat the works of the enemy. He aims to fill us with His Spirit, the Holy Spirit - the promised gift, so that we can walk out His will and His will is that we obey His commandments. Obedience to His commandments in spirit and truth is what He has always required of His Covenant people. The same spirit of truth that dwelled in the man Yeshua was given to us as a gift, for it to dwell in this body; in this temple. But, just as in the Garden of Eden, disobedience to the Word/Commandments drives the very presence of the Almighty from us. He is Holy and dwells where He is exalted; not by how we believe He wants to be honoured, but by what He has revealed through His Word. His Word, even for us today, does not begin in the book of Matthew. He has given us His Holy Commandments so that we may be a light unto the nations; operating from a place of love for Him, not robotic obligation. If you desire for the Almighty to dwell in this tabernacle of flesh, then you must put this flesh to death so that He may live in you. His Holy Spirit that made Adam a living being, that raised Yeshua from the dead, and was breathed on the disciples, will raise us from a life dead in sin and in the appointed time, raise us up to be with Him. This is our offering, our sacrifice to Him in our Temple; we die to ourselves so that His Holy Spirit will operate in us. His Spirit leads us to follow our Messiah, Yeshua and He was obedient to the Word/Commandments in love, spirit, and truth. That should be our example and not the tenants of any religion.