Received on May 20th, 2007 - 2:35PM Last Updated: May 22nd, 2007 - 6:02PM
In my congregation, while singing some songs about the subject, others gave words from the Spirit about the idea of hiding in the shadow of Yahweh. The HolySpirit then gave me this to share:
The children of Israel had several festivals they were to celebrate, to remind them of God's provision and to prepare them for the coming Messiah (Colossians 2:16-17).
One of these was the Festival of Tents (or Tabernacles). This commemorated the exodus out of Egypt, as Israel had to travel through the desert in order to get to the Promised Land. During that time, they had no permanent dwelling place, but had to live in temporary dwellings.
These tents, or tabernacles, would remind Israel that during their pilgrimage there was no time for building big houses, because they were continually on the move (Leviticus 23:42-43).
This taught and prepared them for the spiritual truth to be later revealed: the Son of God was going to tabernacle among them (John 1:14).
He would be our temporary dwelling in this life, as we travel toward the next age (Philippians 3:7-12).
For we, as was Israel, are pilgrims. We are only passing through, and have no time to build big mansions, as though we will live here forever (Hebrews 11:13-16). We have here no lasting city, but look for the one to come (Hebrews 13:14).
It is in Jesus that we find shelter from life, not in anything else we might build as though it will last us for eternity. The Lord will be our shelter until that time when we receive our new bodies of glory!
So we must not prize and try to build things to give us spiritual shelter here, nor should we acquire material possessions for the purpose of giving us lasting wealth.
For we are only travelers, living in fleshly tents (2 Corinthians 5:1), under the Master Tent Himself, the Lord JesusChrist!
As you read this site, you will hopefully come to know Yahweh more fully.
But all of this continuing knowledge is useless unless and until you come into union with Him. I use the word union because it is truly a marriage. It is that deep connection we all seek, for which we most often look in other people. However, the truth is that our hearts will only be fulfilled when we enter that union in fullness with the One Who made us.
This is the grace of God, that He has not stayed distant for us only to worship as Creator. But He has come unto us, even become one of us—in His Son, ChristJesus—in order to share an intimate union with us. He desires such closeness that it truly will envelope our entire life, transforming us into something new and wonderful.
You may have already entered this union with Him and only seek to know Him better through reading here. But if you have not, as you do read, let this Gospel sink into your heart as you read it now.
God loves you, and has cast your sins into the sea. He has sent His only Son as the Savior of the world—that includes you.
That Son, JesusChrist, was born as a man through a virgin who had given her life to Yahweh; He lived without sin, reflected the glory of His Father, God, in all His words and deeds, and was persecuted even unto death because of it.
His death upon a cross was the powerful explosion that separated you from your life of death. It remains for you, now, to enter into that death with Him. As you die to the one you are now, a person separated from God from your many sins, you will be born anew, with a nature predisposed to live rightly. This gift is free to you, with nothing you can do to earn it. It is the mercy of God to offer it to you, as He loves you so much! All you must do is receive it by trusting Him to have delivered you. Simply place your life in His hands and embrace the freedom that came through that death on the cross.
The Gospel is that Jesus did not remain dead, but rose again on the third day after His crucifixion! Death could not hold Him, as He was without sin. And so death will not be able to hold you, as you identify with Him fully through your trust in Him. Let go of yourself and confess Him as Lord of your life. The power of His death and resurrection will work in you all that your Creator has destined for you. You will truly enter a new life and experience that intimate union you have been seeking all of your life.
So ponder these words as you read here of this great God—Yahweh—and all that He has revealed to His creation. Let His Spirit testify to your heart that these words are true, that God is Love, and that He sent His Son so that you might receive the life that is unbound by time and space. As you feel that witness in your heart, simply believe and receive what He is offering to you, even now, and begin your new life as a child of God.
Please write to me and let me know when you take this step, as I will be your brother in Christ—we will be one in Him!
Scripture Quotes: World English Bible Translation.
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