Monday: The God Who Longs to Be With Us
Daily Lesson for Monday 2nd of October 2023
Read Genesis 17:7, Genesis 26:3, and Genesis 28:15. What was the main focus of God’s promise to Abraham and his descendants in these verses?
In the Old Testament narrative, God continues to act according to His missionary nature in order to fulfill His purposes. For instance, after the Flood the people of Babel decided to gather in one place to build a city and a tower that would reach to the heavens. God intervened, confusing their language with the goal to scatter them around the world (Genesis 11:1-9).
Image © Phil McKay at Goodsalt.com
He then enlarged His mission, calling Abram (who later became Abraham) to be a channel of His blessings to the whole world (Genesis 12:1-3). God’s promises to Abraham and his descendants were multifold, but one emerges above all. Several times God basically declared to them: “I will be [your] God.” “I will be with you.” “I am with you” (see Genesis 17:7-8; Genesis 26:3, NKJV; Genesis 28:15, NKJV).
As history goes on, Joseph ends up in Egypt, but as an instrument of salvation to God’s people. In every step of Joseph’s experience—even in the most difficult moments of his life—the Bible affirms that “the Lord was with” him (Genesis 39:2,21,23). Generations later, in the fulfillment of His mission, God then sent Moses to Pharaoh as the deliverer of His people from Egyptian slavery. During Moses’ “commissioning,” God said to him: “I will certainly be with you” (Exodus 3:12, NKJV). Time after time, Yahweh confirmed His deep desire to be with His people.
Read Exodus 29:43,45. What was one of the main purposes of the Old Testament sanctuary? God decided to be with His children in a different way. He confirmed to Moses His longing to dwell among the children of Israel in the building of the tabernacle and the establishment of a very intentional and purposeful system that would point to the ultimate instrument of His mission: Jesus Christ. “The sacrificial offerings, and the priesthood of the Jewish system, were instituted to represent the death and mediatorial work of Christ. All those ceremonies had no meaning, and no virtue, only as they related to Christ.”—Ellen G. White, Advent Review and Herald of the Sabbath, December 17, 1872.
What are ways that you experience God’s presence in your life?
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When I was a kid I did not really understand radio. Sure we had a radio in the home but I initially thought that it was some electrical magic that came through the power plug. Then transistor radios arrived on the scene and suddenly there were no connecting wires and I had to rethink my whole concept of radio communication. Of course, I soon studied physics and electromagnetic radiation and understood how and why it all worked. The "magic" of radio disappeared in the fog of formulas, circuit diagrams, and heavy concepts like heterodyning, resonance, and so on. Ultimately I learned that electromagnetic radiation is everywhere and if you have the right equipment you can decode it and listen to the messages that it is carrying.
The thing is that God is always trying to communicate with us. Not only that he has given us the right equipment to listen to him. But, sometimes we have turned it off or have not connected it to the power source. I will leave the reader to work out how that happens.
It's just like what am going through now. God teaches us His ways early enough before a situation, too bad we give him a deaf ear. We just finished studying the lesson Managing For The Master. The following month I see my boss' business fairing do badly that he even lost weight. I opted to take a loan on his behalf to save the situation. Still the business didn't pick yet I have to pay back the loan. Am learning that lesson a second time the hard way, practical.
I AM, I will, I covenant, I abide, I bless, I establish, I give/provide, I protect, I guide, I am faithful!
“What are ways that you experience God’s presence in your life?”
Quite simply, when I experience answered prayer and the still small voice saying “this is the way…” (Isaiah 30:21) And when I experience the peace that passes all understanding. And through the kindness of strangers that are vessels of His love and mercy.
To riff on Maurice’s apt radio analogy, I’ve heard radio waves described as being part of “all the light we cannot see” (also the name of a book,btw). We cannot physically see God’s presence, but we can experience his light, hear his voice, and feel his nearness.