As we come towards the end of our reading of Exodus, we are also coming to the Christmas season when we remember Emmanuel – God with us – so it is fitting that we leave the Israelites here as the glory of the Lord fills the Tabernacle.

Exodus, and indeed the whole of history, is a tale of a God who longs to be with his people and to restore a relationship with them. He came, through Moses – a sinner set apart to serve – to a people who had lived in the darkness of slavery for 400 years. He set them free, set them apart, and made his dwelling with them.

Centuries later, God came again, this time through Jesus – a servant king with no sin – to a people living in the darkness of slavery to sin who had not heard his voice for 400 years. Moses led the people into a covenant relationship with the Lord through Tabernacle worship and God’s perfect Law. Jesus led the people into a new kind of relationship with the Father through his death and resurrection and the fulfilment of that Law.

As we leave the Israelites in the shadow of Mount Sinai, we know that God is with them in a very real way. His glory fills the Tabernacle and the cloud that covers it is a visual reminder of his presence. Centuries later, we too can enjoy the glory of the presence of the Lord, through Jesus who opened the way to the Father. As we prepare for the Christmas season, let us rejoice in Emmanuel – God with us!

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NEWBOLD COMMUNITY CHURCH