Tabernacle with the Lord

​Today is the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles, the last and greatest day of the Feast. If we look at the word tabernacle, we learn that it can be used as a noun (place) or a verb (action). The Hebrew word "mishkan" has the root meaning of "to dwell." In the Old Testament the tabernacle was the place where God's presence dwelled. Its design demonstrated the gradual increase in gradations of holiness as one moved from the outer court to the inner court, to the Holy of Holies where God dwelled.
 
Moses would tabernacle with God in a tent outside of the camp. Exodus 33:7 describes what he did. "Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the 'tent of meeting.' Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside of the camp." What is this saying to us? Going to the tent of meeting to tabernacle with God requires us to leave our familiar surroundings and set aside time for a one-on-one meeting with the Lord.
 
To seek the Lord and be filled with HIs presence, it is necessary for us to make our meeting with Him top priority. To become more Christlike, we must "hang out" with Him. Our goal should be to abide or tabernacle with the Lord. We should ask ourselves, "Where and when should I pitch my tent?" A physical tent is pitched on high, dry, and level ground where it is safe from the elements or distractions around it. The guy lines or chords are secured to the ground with pegs. Likewise, our place to tabernacle with the Lord must be secured with a promise to Him.
 
The main objective should be for us to seek God for who He is. Dedicating daily time to spend with Him is a must. Leaving the routine behind is included in the commitment. We must not let the final day of the Feast of Tabernacle slip by without calling on the Lord to meet with us. He ordained this time as one of harvest, remembrance, prayer, and intimacy with Him. And, just in case the seventh day does slip by, there is an eighth day. In Hebrew it is called Shemini Atzeret. Eight is the number of new beginnings. Eight transcends time and is a day of new life. Rabbi Jonathan Cahn says, "It breaks the barriers of time. There are not enough days in a week to continue my love for the Lord." Tabernacling with the Lord is our daily privilege!