Entering Into God’s Presence

Knowing God Through His Works & Ways

God Dwells

To Study and Ponder:

• In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters (Gen 1:1-2). The underlined word in Hebrew is rachaph. Besides this initial occurrence it is found in Deuteronomy 32:11 and Jeremiah 23:9. The verb describes the act of a bird hovering over their young or incubating their egg. The image is one of life being coaxed out of non-life by the warm presence of the mother bird. Similarly it’s God’s presence, his brooding, his intimate dwelling with us, his Immanuel-ness that brings forth life in us.

• Both the OT Hebrew & NT Greek words for God’s presence mean “ face/presence/ sight/eye”. Being in His presence, God dwelling with us, means his eyes are on us, his face towards us.

• It was always his intention to dwell with us: -

• God was in the garden with Adam and Eve until they hid and experienced the agony of being driven out (Genesis 3:8, 23)

• He was there in the wilderness in the fire and the cloud (Ex 13:21,22; Nu 14:14).

• The tent (tabernacle called the “tent of meeting”) was set up in the middle of the camp, later there was the temple (Exodus 25:8; 40:34-38; Psalm 26:8).

• Deuteronomy 4:37 Because he loved your forefathers and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his great strength

• Exodus 33:14-16 My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

• Jesus is called Immanuel, God with us (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23).

• We will be with Him in eternity ... we will see his face Rev.22:4

• I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. Revelation 21:3

• And the name of the city from that time on will be: THE LORD IS THERE. Ezekiel 48:35

• The Holy Spirit was given to be with us: And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you for ever-- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17

• Reflect on John 15 and the metaphor of the branches and the vine. Because he dwells with us,
  he invites us to dwell with him. This is the key to life and fruitfulness.

• His presence is where we receive worth ... experience .. KNOW He loves us, wants us

• Do a personal study of the effects of God’s presence and its impact.

• trembling awe - Je 5:22; Is.19:1

• glorious - Moses’ radiant face Ex 34:30; Is 6:3

• physical upheaval - Nu 1:5; Is 64:1-3; Ez 38:20; Ps 68:8

• ]oy & gladness - Acts 2:28; Ps 16:11; 21:6; 95:2

• Transformation - 2 Cor 3:18

• refreshing, strength - Acts 3:19-20; Ps 73:28

• help - Ps 42:5; 2 Chron 20:8-9

• revelation/light/sin exposed - John 8:38; Ps 90:8

• decision making brought there Ex 28:30

Meditation/Memory:

Lower Grades:

She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel which means ‘God is with us’ 

Matthew 1:23 (NLT)

I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.  Revelation 21:3 (NLT)

Middle Grades:    Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”   Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT)

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.  Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:4-5 (NLT)

Upper Grades:    The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”  Then Moses said, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place. How will anyone know that you look favorably on me—on me and on your people—if you don’t go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth.”                                                    Exodus 33:14-16 (NLT)

But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

2 Corinthians 3:16-18 (NLT)