Recently I have been reading through the last 12 chapter of Exodus. Concerning these chapters Whitney T Kuniholm writes, “they describe the details of a mobile worship centre called the ‘tent of meeting’. He suggests that these chapters reveal at least three important truths as follows, “first, worship matters to God… second, obedience matters to God… third, holiness matters to God.” Then he asks the question: “why does it matter to God?” And answers, because “He wants to dwell with his people. Commenting on the tent of meeting, God says [to Moses], ‘There I will meet with you and speak to you; there also I will meet with the Israelites… Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be there God ‘ (Exodus 29:42-45). The bottom line is this: what matters and why it matters is that God wants a relationship with his people, including you, and that’s exciting.” (SU Notes – “Encounter with God” June 2021)
As mentioned previously, the title to Psalm 90 states that it is “A prayer of Moses the man of God” and considering the above comments about Exodus, verses 1-2 is very relevant. It says:
1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place
throughout all generations.
2 Before the mountains were born
or you brought forth the whole world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
In Exodus, God says that he desires to dwell amongst his people and in this psalm, we see the reciprocal position is for his people to dwell with him, i.e., for God to be their dwelling place. It has to be both ways to work.
In reality, as this psalm informs us, God dwelling with his people and therefore being their dwelling place, occurred way before both the tent of meeting or the temple in Jerusalem. God not only has been our dwelling place throughout all generations, but actually Before the mountains were born or [before he] brought forth the whole world. In fact, this had been his plan from everlasting to everlasting.
His promise to Moses was “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14)
So, the psalmist proclaims the wonderful truth that “Yahweh is [his] home, shelter, belonging place… it affirms that the speaker is not homeless. There is a centre to prevent fragmentation. There is a belonging to preclude isolation… [and all this] is not a reference to place, but to a person. It is not said that that Yahweh provides or makes a home, in the sense of temple, city, or land. But Yahweh is home.” (# 2) In fact, our eternal Home (Psalm 90:1 TPT).
Our next psalm also speaks of this truth:
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:1-2)
Let me finish with the words of Whitney T Kuniholm commenting on Exodus 40:17-38.
“Centuries later, Moses witnessed a similar expression on the mountain of transfiguration (see Matthew 17:1-13): ‘While he [Jesus] was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (17:5) Jesus is the ultimate expression of God’s presence, experienced now through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Someday, maybe soon, that glorious presence will fill the whole earth.” (SU notes 16/06/21)
“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon’. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” (Rev. 22:20)
What a wonderful truth, Father that you desire to dwell with us and become our dwelling place. Our safe place for all eternity. Amen.
Tehilim (Psalms) - "songs of praise". 