Leviticus 26:6-13: a reflection

6“‘I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and no one will make you afraid. I will remove evil animals out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. 7You shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. 8Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand; and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. 9“‘I will have respect for you, make you fruitful, multiply you, and will establish my covenant with you. 10You shall eat old supplies long kept, and you shall move out the old because of the new. 11I will set my tent among you, and my soul won’t abhor you. 12I will walk among you, and will be your God, and you will be my people. 13I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. I have broken the bars of your yoke, and made you walk upright.

In the covenant blessings God sets before his people, the deepest is not the peace or plenty he promises but his own presence dwelling among them. I will set my tent among you, God says; I will walk among you, and will be your God, and you will be my people. Beyond the gifts of peace and safety and fruitfulness, God offers himself: to dwell among his people, to walk with them, to be their God and have them as his people. This is the heart of the covenant, and the greatest of its blessings: not merely what God gives, but God himself, present among his people. God's desire is not only to bless his people from afar but to dwell among them, to walk with them, to be their God and they his people. His presence with his people is the crown of all his other gifts.

Notice the greatest of the covenant blessings: God himself dwelling among his people. He promises peace, safety, plenty; but the deepest promise is his own presence, I will walk among you, and will be your God, and you will be my people. God offers not only his gifts but himself, to dwell among his people and walk with them. This is what the covenant is finally about: not merely blessings received from a distant God, but God present with his people, their God and they his people. The gifts are good; but the presence of God himself, dwelling among them, is the greatest blessing of all. God's deepest desire toward his people is to be with them, to walk among them as their God. To have God himself, present and near, is more than to have any of his gifts. His presence is the heart of the covenant.

That is worth resting in, for God's deepest desire is to dwell among his people, to be our God and we his people. We can seek from God chiefly his gifts, his blessings of peace or provision or safety, and overlook the greatest gift, God himself; but the heart of the covenant is God's own presence, I will walk among you, and will be your God. God offers not only what he gives but himself, to dwell among us and be our God. His presence is the greatest of all his blessings. Do not seek only God's gifts while overlooking the greatest gift, God himself; his desire is to dwell among his people and be our God. Rest in God's deepest desire to dwell among his people, to walk among us and be our God and we his people, as he promised, I will set my tent among you, I will walk among you, and will be your God; for the greatest of the covenant blessings is not the peace or plenty God gives but God himself, present among his people, and to have him, dwelling near as our God, is more than to have any of his gifts.

Lord, in the covenant blessings you set before your people, the deepest is not the peace or plenty you promise but your own presence dwelling among them. I will set my tent among you, you say; I will walk among you, and will be your God, and you will be my people. Beyond the gifts of peace and safety and fruitfulness, you offer yourself: to dwell among your people, to walk with them, to be their God and have them as your people. This is the heart of the covenant, and the greatest of its blessings: not merely what you give, but you yourself, present among your people. Show me the greatest of the covenant blessings: you yourself dwelling among your people. You promise peace, safety, plenty; but the deepest promise is your own presence, I will walk among you, and will be your God. You offer not only your gifts but yourself, to dwell among your people and walk with them. This is what the covenant is finally about: not merely blessings received from a distant God, but you present with your people. The gifts are good; but your presence, dwelling among them, is the greatest blessing of all. Let me rest in that, for your deepest desire is to dwell among your people, to be our God and we your people. I can seek from you chiefly your gifts, your blessings of peace or provision or safety, and overlook the greatest gift, you yourself; but the heart of the covenant is your own presence. You offer not only what you give but yourself. Keep me from seeking only your gifts while overlooking the greatest gift, you yourself; help me rest in your deepest desire to dwell among your people, Lord, to walk among us and be our God, as you promised, I will set my tent among you and will be your God.