Thursday, December 30, 2010
BIBLE IN A YEAR: Ezekiel 43-45 and 2 Peter 3
BIBLE IN A YEAR: Ezekiel 43-45 and 2 Peter 3
SCRIPTURE READING
Matthew 1:23 (NIV); “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
When sin entered mankind in the Garden of Eden, man was severed from the presence of God. God was never again with His people in the way that He had been with them in Eden – walking and talking with them. Certain individuals experienced the closeness of God, such as Moses, Abraham and David, but the nearness and intimacy offered in Eden was no more. When Abraham entered the Tent of Meeting, they stood at the entrances of their homes. When the Tabernacle was constructed, only the high priest was allowed entrance into the Holy of Holies, and even then only once a year! The Tabernacle was constructed in the wilderness that God could come down in the presence of the people for them to worship, but the people always remained at a distance. But the work of this Child on the cross married the Spirit of God to the people once and for all! At the moment of Jesus’ death the Temple curtain was ripped in two, signifying that God was no longer going to live separately from His people. The Child of the prophecy was the Son of God who made a way for us to reunite with Mighty God!
The Apostle Paul said that God’s mystery had finally been revealed. What was it? “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Jesus was called Immanuel because His death allowed for the Spirit of God to indwell every individual who lives by faith in Jesus Christ. This manifestation of God in us is our hope for a future glory and eternity with Christ!
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Meditate on the prophecy of Isaiah found in Matthew. Meditate on what it meant to the world at large at the time and today.
2. Take the things that God showed you and the things you read today and worship God for what He has done for us. Write out your own psalm of praise to Him.
3. Christ in you. Is this something you take for granted? Do you think about the Spirit of God dwelling in you as a believer? Take time to think about this. Ask God how you can grow in even greater intimacy with Him.
4. How can communicate this truth – God with us – to someone else today?
