Contemplative Bible Reading

Exodus 25:8 (New Living Translation)

Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them.

God is speaking to the people of Israel through Moses. God wanted the people to build a special place—a holy sanctuary. That place had requirements of entry of special people who had special jobs and entered on special occasions. The following text lists all those special things.

Then we come to the question, “Why should the people build a holy sanctuary?”

Simple, so God could live among the people.

Note, this is a time after the people had escaped slavery in Egypt. They were on a journey that would last two generations. This was neither a nice place nor a nice circumstance. Still, God wanted to live among God’s people.

Let’s run that one by one more time: God wants to live with God’s people.

Little poor pathetic me? God wants to live with me? That makes no sense. We all have a special place in the heart of the Creator God. Of all the magnificence of God’s creation, God wants to be with me and us.

Please God, help me to live worthily of this special place. Give me the humility to try.