Exodus 29:38-46: a reflection

38“Now this is that which you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day continually. 39The one lamb you shall offer in the morning; and the other lamb you shall offer at evening; 40and with the one lamb a tenth part of an ephah of fine flour mixed with the fourth part of a hin of beaten oil, and the fourth part of a hin of wine for a drink offering. 41The other lamb you shall offer at evening, and shall do to it according to the meal offering of the morning and according to its drink offering, for a pleasant aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD. 42It shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the Tent of Meeting before the LORD, where I will meet with you, to speak there to you. 43There I will meet with the children of Israel; and the place shall be sanctified by my glory. 44I will sanctify the Tent of Meeting and the altar. I will also sanctify Aaron and his sons to minister to me in the priest’s office. 45I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. 46They 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.

In the instructions for the offerings, God gives the reason behind it all, and it is deeply personal. After describing the continual daily offering, morning and evening, he says: There I will meet with the children of Israel; I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. The whole system of offering and sanctuary existed for this: that God might dwell among his people and meet with them. The heart of it all was God's desire to be with his people, to dwell among them and meet with them daily.

Notice God's stated desire: to dwell among his people and meet with them. The offerings, the sanctuary, the priesthood, all served this purpose: that God might dwell in the midst of his people and meet with them, day by day. He did not want to be a distant God, worshiped from afar; he wanted to dwell among them, to meet with them, to be their God and have them as his people. The whole arrangement was in service of this desire of God to be near his people, dwelling among them and meeting with them.

That desire of God to dwell among his people is worth resting in, for it reveals a God who wants to be near us. We can think of God as distant, to be approached only from afar; but God's desire, expressed here, is to dwell among his people and meet with them. And this desire, fulfilled in shadow through the tabernacle, is fulfilled fully in Christ, God dwelling among us, and in the Spirit, God dwelling within his people. God desires to be near you, to dwell with you and meet with you; do not hold him at a distance, as though he wished to remain far off. Draw near to the God who desires to dwell among his people and meet with them, as he purposed to dwell in the midst of Israel; for the heart of God's dealings with his people is his desire to be with them, to dwell among them and meet with them, a desire fulfilled fully in Christ, God with us.

Lord, in the instructions for the offerings, you give the reason behind it all, and it is deeply personal. After describing the continual daily offering, morning and evening, you say: there I will meet with the children of Israel; I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. The whole system existed for this: that you might dwell among your people and meet with them. The heart of it all was your desire to be with your people. Show me your stated desire: to dwell among your people and meet with them. The offerings, the sanctuary, the priesthood, all served this purpose. You did not want to be a distant God, worshiped from afar; you wanted to dwell among them, to meet with them, to be their God and have them as your people. Let me rest in that desire of yours to dwell among your people, for it reveals a God who wants to be near me. I can think of you as distant, to be approached only from afar; but your desire is to dwell among your people and meet with them. And this desire, fulfilled in shadow through the tabernacle, is fulfilled fully in Christ, God dwelling among us, and in the Spirit, God dwelling within his people. You desire to be near me, to dwell with me and meet with me; keep me from holding you at a distance, as though you wished to remain far off. Help me draw near to the God who desires to dwell among his people, Lord; thank you that the heart of your dealings with your people is your desire to be with them, fulfilled fully in Christ, God with us.