During Old Testament times, the nation of Israel had an extraordinary benefit. As God’s chosen people, they actually and literally had the Shekinah Glory residing in the temple in Jerusalem. This was God the Son, the second person of the trinity. We saw this passage before, in looking at the mercy seat.

Exodus 25:21-22

21 "You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony which I will give to you.

22 "There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.

While the Shekinah (or Christ) indwelling the Holy of Holies was invisible to Israel, the glory was visible:

Exodus 40:34

34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

The phrase “glory of the Lord” is the Hebrew KABODH ADONAI, and it does mean the glory of the Lord. This was manifested, or shown in different ways:

Exodus 40:36-38

36 Throughout all their journeys whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would set out;

37 but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day when it was taken up.

38 For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.

In all their travels, the Israelites were guided by the cloud or the fire, the visible manifestation of the invisible Son of God living in their tabernacle. This was maybe one of the greatest miracles of the Old Testament. The presence of the Shekinah Glory was their security and their blessing. Never was a nation protected in such a phenomenal way.

Now to introduce what we will look at for the next few days, look at this promise God made to them:

Leviticus 26:11-12

11 "Moreover, I will make My dwelling among you, and My soul will not reject you.

12 "I will also walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.

God the Son promised that He would make His dwelling among the nation of Israel, in the Holy of Holies inside the tabernacle. This passage is quoted in the New Testament, but with one significant change:

2 Corinthians 6:16

16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,

"I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM;

AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.

Notice, the promise made to the Israelites was that God would dwell among them, the promise made to us is that God will dwell IN US! We are now the temple of the living God! Look what Jesus promised to the disciples during the Upper Room Discourse:

John 14:20

20 "In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.

If the presence of God the Son was such an unbelievable blessing and advantage to the nation of Israel, how much more fantastic is it that His residence is now actually inside us?!

There are many things we need to look at related to the residence of Christ within us, but it’ll have to wait until tomorrow!