July 6 - The Tabernacle Travels

July 6 - The Tabernacle Travels
Josh 18:1; 19:51; 22:19, 29.

When Joshua receives leadership of the Israelites from Moses, he begins moving the people into the Promised Land. In Joshua 18:1, they arrive at Shiloh.  The Tabernacle is set up and the tribes begin to take over the land.  It looks as if they will be able to stay in one place.  The land is allotted to each of the different tribes and clans.  Joshua 19:1 says, “These are the territories … assigned by lot at Shiloh in the presence of the Lord at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. And so they finished dividing the l and.”

Great decisions were made in the presence of the Lord. Yesterday we talked about the glory of the Lord filling every bit of the Tabernacle.  The people came before Him as they made their decisions.  This only deepened the relationship they had with Him.  And would only deepen our relationship with Him as well.

In Joshua 22, the Reubenites, Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh (Reuben, Gad and Manasseh was one of the sons of Joseph) built a huge altar by the Jordan river.  A chief from each of the other tribes as well as a priest showed up to protest this altar.  “How could you turn away from the Lord?  This will defile your land and he will pour out his wrath on the land!”

But, they were assured that if the land became defiled, they would still be welcome on the Lord’s land, where the Tabernacle stood (Joshua 22:19, 29).  There was no sin that could stand before the Lord and while He resided in the Tabernacle … that land would be holy.

As the Lord lived among His people, He showed them what it meant to be holy.

They took Him for granted.  That enormous cloud by day and fire by night that traveled with them, the glory that filled the Tabernacle. These signs were not enough to keep the people from turning away and building their own altars and living lives without the Lord.

The powerful change He makes in each of us; forgiveness of sin and freedom from the power of sin.  These are not enough to keep us from turning away and living lives without the Lord.

But, we will still be welcome in the Lord’s land … He loves even us.