King James Daily Bible Study: God's Dwelling Place
Date: Monday January 31, 2011
Chapters: Exodus 40
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-january-31
Details of Today's Reading: God gives Moses commands on when to set up the tabernacle and how to hollow the priests, Moses sets up the tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord fills the tent.

Hello My Friend/Guest,
A dwelling is a building or place of shelter to live in, the Bible says, “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” - Revelation 21:3,4. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are God's tabernacle, He dwells with you. At times it may feel like God is no where to be found, but He never leaves those who trust in His Son. One day, you will feel no more pain or sorrow, you will rejoice as you enter the Kingdom of God.

After the completion of all the materials needed for the tabernacle, the command was given by God to Moses to set up the dwelling of the tabernacle on the first day of the first month.

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation. And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the vail...And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the vessels thereof: and it shall be holy.” - Exodus 40:1-3.

God will dwell with those who prepare Him a habitation, He will only dwell in a holy place. Where God has a throne and an altar in the heart, there is a living temple in which the Spirit will be manifested. Now, if a saved person is living in sin, God will turn His back to that person. Who wants to see someone committing sin? He will allow a person to go so far before He says, “That's enough!” and He will place some kind of tragedy before him to get him to see that it's time to listen to me now. I am a witness to that. “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy...Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” - I Peter 4:12,13,16,17.

Once the tabernacle was set up Moses had to cleanse the priests before they could enter the building. “And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water. And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats: And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.” - Exodus 40:12-15.

Whenever we go before God we need to be cleansed, to be cleansed you simply repent, ask God to forgive you of your sins. Once you ask for forgiveness, you can go before God and He will minister to you. Now, if you have lived in sin after you get saved, that does not mean you need to get saved again. One you are saved, God never leaves you, but you still need to repent. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - I John 1:9.

The first day of the month was here and Moses set up the tabernacle just as God commanded, shortly after God moved in His dwelling place.

“And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up...Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys: But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.” - Exodus 40:17,34-38.

The cloud covered the tabernacle even in the clearest day, it was not a cloud which the sun scatters. This cloud was a token of God's presence to be seen day and night, by all Israel, that they might never again question, Is the Lord among us, or is he not? It guided the camp of Israel through the wilderness. While the cloud rested on the tabernacle, they rested, when it moved, they followed it. The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. What the glory cloud was to the tabernacle, the Holy Spirit is to every person who receives the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are...And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.” - I Corinthians 3:16,17,23.

When the Spirit of God dwells in you and you allow Him to work in you and amazing transformation happens. One that you learn is better than you can imagine. I taught the kids in my Sunday School class that when God is inside you we are like a caterpillar who is transforming into a butterfly. The cocoon that the caterpillar dwells in shelters him and keeps him safe for the transformation. When God dwells in us we are in His cocoon, as long as we remain in the cocoon we will grow and transform into a beautiful butterfly. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” - Romans 12:1-3.

Jesus Christ Revealed: Today Jesus is revealed through Aaron as the high priest (40:13). Jesus is our high priest, “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;” - Hebrews 9:11.

Thanks and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

Learn How Jesus Can Set You Free: http://www.godsprice.com
Visit I'm Following Jesus: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com
Missed A Devotional: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/daily-bible-study
Subscribe To This Devotional: devotions@imfollowingjesus.com