We talk so much about not putting God on the box. Don't reduce Him to only how we can reasonably and logically see Him.
We know in the Old Testament that God shows how big he is multiple times. Even in those descriptions we can't get the whole picture of who and how big he really is.
God shows us how large He is in Exodus but a beautiful picture of His sacrifice is hidden among the fear and scariness.
This story starts in Exodus. God wants the Israelites to come up the mountain to be with Him. He comes down on Mount Sinai in lightening, fire, the mountain shakes and smokes, trumpets blare. He speaks to Moses in thunder and Moses answers Him. This is very intimidating for the people.
God tells Moses to bring the people up to Mt. Sinai and Moses said they can't come because of all the barriers He's placed on them approaching Him.
We have a problem, Houston.
The people don't want to have anything to do with God. They're so scared they can't approach Him or have anything to do with Him. They are so afraid they would die so they send Moses to talk to God.
Moses told them not to be scared. He tells them that God is testing them so they would fear Him and so that they wouldn't sin.
But they wouldn't go. Their fear was too much.
The Israelites stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was. (Exodus 20:21)
The story above is contained in Exodus 19-20.
In chapter 24 of Exodus, Moses and a group of over 70 elders are invited up the mountain. They eat and drink with God and, amazingly, they don't die.
When they see God, under His feet are like sapphire stone pavement, as clear as heaven. What a beautiful picture of a piece of our God! Not the scary, fiery, smoking, loud God He showed them earlier.
This is where the story gets interesting. God doesn't write off the remaining Israelites who are afraid to come up. He comes down the mountain and has an bizarre request.
God asks Moses and the people to make a sanctuary for him so He can be with them.
What?! After all that drama with the fire, smoke, noise, now He wants to make a safe place for them to access Him?
And let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell in their midst. Exodus 25:8
Wow!
This is how much God loves us! He is willing to put himself in a box to be with us. The creator of the universe loves us so much He contains Himself. He wants so badly to have a relationship with His chosen people He reduces himself to a non-scary place they can access.
He doesn't want us to be scared. He wants to be close to us. This is the love our sweet Father.
He just wants to love us and for us to trust Him.
