Dear Friend,

The long-awaited day finally came. Scripture carefully notes the triumphant moment when Moses finally "finished" Israel's new, portable worship center, which was also God's new, earthly home, "the tabernacle" (Exodus 40:33). Or simply, "The Dwelling" (MSG).

God's earthly residence had been built, assembled, and completed precisely as God instructed Moses. It was just what God wanted. According to the divine pattern shown Moses on the mount. Without a single human deviation. With no omission, addition, or flaw. Then it happened.

The "glory of the Lord" - God's full, potent, concentrated, supernatural, manifest divine presence - filled The Dwelling (Exodus 40:34)! God's earthly skin-covered home, which was outwardly ordinary but inwardly glorious, was completed, down to the last stroke of work. This was the moment for which God's heart had yearned. Finally, He could reside among His redeemed people and enjoy their worship and company. So, He immediately moved in! And He was so powerfully present that Moses could not enter The Dwelling. He tried, but was rebuffed: "Moses was not able to enter into the tent" (v. 35). The fullness of pulsating divine life, the very super-dynamic power of the creation, was too great for him to penetrate.

God's plan, ironically, was for this potent, supercharged, divine life to penetrate Moses. And us. When?

On moving-in day! That is, when our skin-covered, bodily dwelling - or more specifically, our personal, spiritual relationship to Jesus centered there - is just like God wants it, according to the divine pattern shown us in our "mount," the Bible. Sanctified. Unified with other believers. Wholly surrendered. In full union with God and His will for us daily. First, let's clarify something.

What we are discussing is not merely the initial two works of Christian grace, the new birth or the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. These experiences are wonderful, biblical, and necessary. But our focus is on the spiritual condition that is God's ultimate goal when He gives us His two works of grace, namely, a radically changed and Spirit-filled life!

This is a life thoroughly spiritually rebuilt, patiently constructed day by day, by every act of obedience, sacrifice, worship, and service, after the pattern shown us in our "mount" of revelation, the New Testament. A life which God can move into. A life which He may fill with His powerful inner glory. A life in which Christ in all His fullness is living in us and acting through us daily. A life full of all the Holy Spirit we can contain in these feeble, temporary, mortal bodies. A life in which our bodily presence is infused with God's very presence until it is His earthly residence.

Our "moving-in day" will occur when our "tabernacle," or post-conversion spiritual character, is fully completed, just as Israel's moving-in day occurred when Moses finished constructing Israel's tabernacle. Exodus 40 reveals how, with the powerful help of God's grace, we complete our spiritual character construction. The components Moses built into Israel's tabernacle reveal what we must build into ours.

In Israel's tabernacle:

 * There was divine order (v. 4). Everything was "set in order" by divine standards (v. 4). So, get your dwelling, or spiritual life, in divine order, organized and prioritized by biblical standards. Jesus taught us to in every day, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God [especially its King]"; and to in every decision or test, "Seek ye first ... His righteousness [standard of right]" (Matthew 6:33).

 * There was structure and strength (v. 18). This took the form of "sockets," and "boards", and "bars," and "pillars" that kept God's dwelling firmly in place (v. 18). Are you learning to be not weak or indecisive but "strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might" (Ephesians 6:10), mentally structured to make biblical, Spirit-led decisions and not turn back under pressure? The tabernacle's sockets, boards, bars, and pillars also joined its various parts. Are you humbly, willingly, and regularly joining with other believers for worship, Bible instruction, fellowship, and ministry? Or do you prefer to remain independent and alone?

 * There was a "covering" of animal skins (v. 19). This protected it from the elements and also hid the wonderous divine glory within. Is your soul-dwelling covered over with prayers for the covering of Christ's protecting blood over your person and family? Is it also covered in privacy? Do you often get alone with Christ "in secret" to pray, feed on His Word, fast, worship, and fellowship (Matthew 6:6)?

 * There was the "testimony," or tablets of the Law (v. 20). Is God's Word embedded deep inside in your heart by much reading and study? And is it the "law," or controlling truth, behind your life-choices and life-actions? Or do you believe the lie that there is no absolute truth? Also, is God's law your testimony? When asked, are you freely witnessing to its inspiration, authority, and accuracy in all matters?

 * There was a divine "mercy seat" (v. 20). On this, God's earthly throne, the sacrificial blood was sprinkled, turning His throne of wrath into a throne of mercy. Is God's mercy alive and active in the throne room of your heart? In your attitudes? In your interactions? Or are you full of wrath - religiously rigid, hard-hearted, unforgiving, and angrily condemning of others?

 * There was fresh "bread" (v. 23). Are you seeking fresh bread from God every morning by worshipfully, prayerfully, submissively seeking His thought, will, and voice through the meditative reading of His inspired Word? This fresh Bible-bread refreshes your soul and refits you for the day ahead.

 * There was light to walk in (vv. 24-25). This illumination shined from a "lampstand" powered by holy oil (vv. 24-25). Are you letting your "oil," the Holy Spirit, shed His "light" - the knowledge of what is right in His sight - on your conscience? Are you responding by doing as He instructs, or "walking in the light, as He is in the light" (1 John 1:7)?

 * There was a golden incense altar for worship (vv. 26-27). "Sweet incense" was offered constantly on this altar for God's pleasure alone (vv. 26-27). Have you built the habit of daily, hourly worshiping Christ in your bodily tabernacle with thanksgiving, which to Him is as valuable as gold and sweet as incense? As you read this, will you stop and offer Him thanksgiving-incense or a song-offering for His blessings yesterday, the week before, or last month?

 * There was a continual burnt offering (v. 29). This "continual burnt offering" (Exodus 29:38-46) symbolizes the worshiper's fiery, consuming love for God. When He asks you to make sacrifices to facilitate your spiritual growth, will you offer them with passionate joy and love, as Christ offered Himself to His Father on the cross, rather than with worldly murmuring and carnal regret?

 * There was washing required before worship (vv. 31-32). God required the priests to wash their hands and feet every time they "came near" to worship and minister (vv. 31-32). Have you learned to stay clean? Realized you can't "draw near" the Holy One when you are unholy? When your mind is filled with worldly desires, your feet are walking in worldly ways, and your hands are soiled with carnal deeds? But if you "confess your sins," sincerely turning from them back to God, "He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). Then, washed, we may draw near God's awesomely holy presence and worship.

Now let's apply these lessons described above.

As you steadily add to your redeemed, human, soul-tabernacle, or spiritual character, the components described above, without slothful omissions, religious additions, or rebellious flaws of practiced sin, you are building, assembling, and completing your God-dwelling. Then, one day, it will happen.

Your moving-in day! The divine Son and Spirit who are already in you will come into and upon your skin-covered, human, God-dwelling in an entirely new, wonderful, stimulatingly full dimension. God's powerful inner "glory" will fill your unglorified, mortal body with as much of His immortal Spirit as you can hold. Your prayer times will become divine encounters. Christ's presence will reside in your presence. His joy will manifest in your personality. His hope will shine on your face. His voice will be heard in your biblical counsels and teachings. His reviving life will flow through you daily, producing regular manifestations of His distinctive mercies, ministries, messages, and miracles.

Sound very unusual? It is very unusual. Sound very spiritual? It is very spiritual. Sound like the Book of Acts? It is like the Book of Acts. Sound challenging? It is challenging. Sound impossible? It is not impossible!

God has done it before. When on Pentecost Day God's inner, spiritual tabernacle was finished in Jesus' surviving disciples, He moved in! And the glory that filled those skin-covered God-dwellings has been the envy of the Christian age ever since - and a standing invitation for us to recapture it.

So, today, follow Moses' inspired example. Begin steadily, patiently, building, assembling, and completing your inner God-dwelling! According to God's instructions to Moses. According to Christ's (our "Moses'") instructions to us in the Gospels and epistles. Without omissions, additions, or flaws. And keep building. And assembling. And completing it. Until God's glory moves in.

Building, assembling, completing,

Greg Hinnant
Greg Hinnant Ministries