A Study of the Tabernacle—Part 8

The Tent of Meeting (continued)

How interesting! God had the people of Israel build a “Tent of Meeting” as part of the tabernacle, however, only the High Priest was allowed to enter the place of His very presence, and he was only allowed to do this once a year? In addition, bells had to be sewn onto the robe of the High Priest in order to announce his presence, so he would not die (See Exodus 28:33-35). How is it a tent of Meeting if it is not accessible? It almost sounds more like a chamber of horrors!

Obviously, one of the lessons we see from this lack of accessibility is the tremendous thing Jesus did for us when He opened up our way into the very throne room of God. We have been given a beautiful gift through His sacrifice that allows us to develop an incredible level of intimacy with God. However, what about the people who lived before the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus? Was there no way for them to experience the personal presence of God? Could it be that there is more here than meets the eye?

One thing I have noticed about human behavior is that we have a tendency to take the things of God and use them as He never intended. When I was a student at LCU there was a door at one of the Catholic Churches nearby on which “the face of Jesus” appeared. It was crazy to see people come from all over the area to worship this image. Just imagine what they would have done with the Tent of Meeting if it was opened to the public? The same has been done in our own churches. I have seen people treat an auditorium as if it is the “sanctuary of God”. Unfortunately, there are some people that have more trust in, and a better relationship with the Bible than in the God who had the Bible written.

God wants to “Meet” with us, but what if He never intended for it to be at one specific place? Suppose the Tent of Meeting demonstrated the awesome gift Jesus would provide, but was off limits to most of the people because God wants to meet us in our everyday lives?
There is a powerful book written by Gary Thomas called, “Sacred Pathways”. The premise of his book is that there are many different ways to meet God and develop intimacy with Him (in fact, he writes about 9 different pathways). Different personalities experience the power and presence of God through different means. One person may experience closeness to God through being outdoors, enjoying nature and its wonders, while another will never feel closer to God than when they serve someone in a real and profound way. One person may realize the presence of God through study of a Bible passage in which they glean a new gem, while another needs quiet and solitude to hear Him speak. Many people typically have two or three pathways that are particularly meaningful to them, and all of the pathways Gary Thomas talks about are significant.

Where do you meet with God? Do you have a special place? Where can you go, or what can you do that helps you hear the voice of God and feel His presence more clearly and more distinctly? God is accessible! That is why He planned for and then sent Jesus. The Tent of Meeting is now in our hearts and souls. Do you know yourself well enough to recognize the pathway(s) that will best feed your soul? If you go to the following website, you can take an assessment that helps you recognize which pathway(s) are more significant to your walk with God: http://www.sacchurch.org/action-steps/sacred_pathways.htm
I would love to hear back from you as to what pathways are significant to you. Maybe together we can brainstorm ideas to help make intimacy with God a more powerful realization in your life!

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-Scott