God's Word and God's Presence

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"Take this book of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God…" - (Deut. 31:26, NASB)

   In the OT, the Ark of the Covenant contained the stone tablets that God wrote the Ten Commandments upon, a jar of manna, and Aaron's staff that budded, each of these significant to the Jewish people. On top of the Ark sat the Mercy Seat, the place where God's presence dwelt. The Ark was housed in the Most Holy Place in the temple, and only the high priest could enter once a year. These are facts that most of us know quite well. What we do forget is that Moses gave strict instructions for the book of law to be place beside the Ark. The book of law contained all the laws, ordinances, regulations, blessings and cursings that are related to the worship of the LORD. In our vernacular, we would call this the Word of God. Within the book of law, the people learned how to approach, worship, and please the LORD. In addition, it also warned them of the consequences of chasing after other gods. The book of law or God's Word has always been central to the Worship of Jehovah. To illustrate, when a new king over Israel would take his throne, his first duty was to "write for himself a copy of the law," (Deut. 17:18-20, NASB). The copy that king had was to be read and studied, so that he would keep himself and the nation on the right path, and to keep him humble.
   This verse is incredibly significant for you and I. The Bible and God's presence go hand in hand. You really cannot have one without the other. The Bible teaches us who God is, what He is like, and how we can please Him in our lives. Without the Bible, we are at the mercy of our own limited and depraved understanding. As a Christian, it disturbs me when I see individuals who enjoy worshiping the LORD, but do not read His Word. I certainly am not perfect, I am far from it. But, this is how so many people are led astray and fall into erroneous teachings. Worship of God will always line up with His written Word. Any teaching, philosophy, prophetic word, or new revelation that does not line up with what God has already revealed in the Bible should be discarded as rubbish. God's Word will always keep us on the right path if we read it, study it, and apply it. The Word of God is not important to the Christian, it is vital for life. If you want more of God's presence, then spend more time in His Word.

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