Part 26
----The series on Ruth began in Part 10---
“I will give you treasures of darkness and hidden riches of the Secret Place, that you may know that I, the Lord, Who calls you by your name, am the God of Israel.” Isaiah 45:3
Act 3 of our love story-----
“One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, ‘My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for? Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours?’” Ruth 3:1-2a
And we’re off to the Palace-----
“Jesus saw them following and asked, ‘What do you want?’ They said, “Rabbi (Teacher), where are You staying?’ ‘Come’, He replied, ‘and you will see.’ So they went and saw where He was staying, and spent the day with Him.” John 1:38b-39a
We are on a journey into His presence—
“I will not enter my house or go to my bed—I will allow no sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids, till I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob…We heard it…We came upon it in the fields…Let us go to His Dwelling Place; let us worship at His footstool—arise, O Lord, and come to Your Resting Place, you and the Ark of Your Might. May Your priests be clothed with righteousness, may Your saints sing for joy…For the Lord has chosen (Zion), He has desired it for His dwelling: ‘This is My Resting Place forever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it—I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor will I satisfy with food. I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints will ever sing for joy. Here I will make a horn grow for David and set up a lamp for My Anointed One. I will clothe his enemies with shame, but the crown on his head will be resplendent.’” Psalm 132:3-9,13-18
-----and it is found in The Secret Place.
Home: (Root Words: kseti—he dwells; ktizein—to inhabit); One’s place of residence; the social unit formed by a family living together; a familiar or usual setting; relaxed and comfortable: at ease; on familiar ground.
Tabernacle: A dwelling place; to inhabit a physical body.
Door: A swinging or sliding barrier by which entry is closed and opened; a means of access or participation; an opportunity. (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary)
We learned in earlier teachings that the Tabernacle Dwelling is the gathering place where He may reveal His glory. When God gave instructions to Moses for building the Tabernacle, He had one purpose in mind: He was creating a place where His Presence could actually come to earth to dwell with man---He was creating a home for Himself on earth. “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with His friend.” Exodus 33:11 Because of Jesus, we are now His tabernacle - a dwelling place for Him to take up residence, temporarily, because we have an eternal dwelling place, tabernacle, to look forward to on the other side of this life. The door to our hearts is the barrier by which entry is opened and closed, an opportunity for access or participation---will we allow Him entrance?
We are entering into His Holy Place:
Holy: akin to “whole”; exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness; devoted entirely to the work of the Deity.
Place: Open space; broad and flat; a way for admission or transit. (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary)
We are entering into His Chamber:
Chamber: The reception room of a person of rank or authority; being, related to or performing chamber music.
Heart: A hollow muscular organ that by its rhythmic movement contraction acts as a force pump maintaining circulation of the blood.
Blood: The fluid that circulates in the heart, arteries, capillaries and veins of a vertebrate animal carrying nourishment and oxygen to and bringing away waste products from all parts of the body. (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary)
As we enter into the Most Holy Place, the Holy of Holies, the Sanctuary, the Palace, the Secret Place, we are entering into His Chamber, His heart. It is there we can hear His heartbeat, sit in His lap, and we can enter into intercession, the work for others. Or we can enter into that intimate place, where it is just the two of us loving on each other. We are encountering the Holy One, exalted and worthy of complete devotion, perfect in goodness and righteousness. We are entering an open place, not confining or restricting, a place of admission or transit. When we enter into the Holy of Holies, His heart is pumping the Blood of Jesus, which is carrying our nourishment to us and taking away all waste products from all parts of our body.
“The Most Holy Place was where God Himself dwelt, His presence resting on the atonement cover, which covered the Ark of the Testimony.” When I think about this statement concerning the Old Testament Tabernacle, I think of a Mama bird or hen nesting over her little ones—protecting them at all cost. That did not change with the construction of the New Testament Tabernacle. “I will take refuge in the shadow of Your wings…” Psalm 57:1b
“Splendor and majesty are before Him;
strength and glory are in His Sanctuary.” Psalm 96:6
“Teacher, where are you staying?”
“Come, and you will see. Oh, and please plan to spend the day with Me.”
|
