And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you.
God promised Israel that if they obeyed Him He would pitch His dwelling right among them, walk with them as their God, own them as His people, and never turn from them in disgust. That nearness was the highest good He offered, greater even than rain in season, fruitful fields, full bread, safety, peace, victory over enemies, and freedom from wild beasts and the sword. It was conditioned on walking in His statutes and doing His commandments, making no idols, keeping His Sabbaths, and reverencing His sanctuary, and it never excused sin or secured favor by mere profession without good works. Those who claimed it while living contrary to Him suffered the threatened curses of terror, disease, defeat, oppression, iron heavens and barren earth, with God walking contrary to them, a warning of judgment and withdrawn prosperity that stands for His people in every age. The promise now holds of believers themselves as the temple of the living God, with His Spirit dwelling and walking in them and shaping them by secret communion, which calls them to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, stay separate from idolatry and unbelievers, marry only in obedience to Scripture, and keep a holy, clean and orderly camp in body, house, and habit.
Covenant Promise and Condition
Spoken to Israel from the pillar of cloud, the verse was part of God's promise to make them the most powerful people on earth if they obeyed His commandments, that on condition of walking in His statutes and keeping and doing them He would set His tabernacle among them, dwell among them, regard them with favor rather than reject or abhor them, walk among them as their God, and make them His people. Dwelling among them and accepting them rather than rejecting or turning from them was the highest blessing pronounced upon the obedient, above the lesser temporal blessings of rain in due season, fruitful land and trees, harvests reaching from threshing to vintage to sowing, bread to the full, safe dwelling, peace with none making them afraid, removal of evil beasts, preservation from the sword, and victory with enemies perishing. The condition was always walking in His statutes and keeping and doing His commandments, including making no idols, keeping His Sabbaths, and reverencing His sanctuary.
The promise did not excuse sin and could not secure favor by profession without good works for a people who turned from God and broke His covenant, so refusal to obey required God in justice to treat them as apostates, for He would in no wise excuse sin in an enlightened people because He had loved them in days of faithfulness and purity and given them special promises. Those who claimed the blessing of His favor and presence while living in departure and iniquity instead suffered the threatened covenant curses of terror, sickness and disease, defeat and oppression, as seen with the Jews in John's day. Disregarding His requirements and walking contrary to Him brought broken pride of power, heavens as iron and earth as brass, wasted strength and unfruitful land, with God walking contrary to them. The chapter stands as an admonition in which God's presence among His people belongs to His favor, while disobedience brings judgment and withdrawal of prosperity, a warning that applies to God's people in every age where obedience brings blessing and rejecting His warnings carries serious consequences.
God's Temple Today
The promise to set His dwelling among His people and not reject them is fulfilled in that believers themselves are the temple of the living God. His Spirit dwells in them, and He dwells and walks in them, working and speaking through them as living epistles. Secret communion with Him sustains the soul and shapes character according to His ideal for humanity.
Belonging to Him as His temple and as His sons and daughters calls for cleansing from all impurity and filthiness of flesh and spirit and for perfecting holiness. That belonging requires keeping the temple holy and remaining separate from idolatry, uncleanness, and unbelievers. Applied to marriage, this forbids breaking down the barrier between believer and unbeliever, and only marriages formed in earnest obedience to Scripture in harmony with the will of God receive heaven's blessing.
His presence and blessing depend on a holy camp, with every offensive and unclean thing put out of homes and premises. This requires neat, orderly, clean houses and premises, regard for sanitary conditions, washing of clothes, and burying of offensive things. Improved talents are to grow into a lovely temple for the Lord. Untidiness and uncorrected habits dishonor the faith before others, and unless reformed He will not increase their numbers.
God promised Israel that if they obeyed Him He would pitch His dwelling right among them, walk with them as their God, own them as His people, and never turn from them in disgust. That nearness was the highest good He offered, greater even than rain in season, fruitful fields, full bread, safety, peace, victory over enemies, and freedom from wild beasts and the sword. It was conditioned on walking in His statutes and doing His commandments, making no idols, keeping His Sabbaths, and reverencing His sanctuary, and it never excused sin or secured favor by mere profession without good works. Those who claimed it while living contrary to Him suffered the threatened curses of terror, disease, defeat, oppression, iron heavens and barren earth, with God walking contrary to them, a warning of judgment and withdrawn prosperity that stands for His people in every age. The promise now holds of believers themselves as the temple of the living God, with His Spirit dwelling and walking in them and shaping them by secret communion, which calls them to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, stay separate from idolatry and unbelievers, marry only in obedience to Scripture, and keep a holy, clean and orderly camp in body, house, and habit.
Covenant Promise and Condition
Spoken to Israel from the pillar of cloud, the verse was part of God's promise to make them the most powerful people on earth if they obeyed His commandments, that on condition of walking in His statutes and keeping and doing them He would set His tabernacle among them, dwell among them, regard them with favor rather than reject or abhor them, walk among them as their God, and make them His people. Dwelling among them and accepting them rather than rejecting or turning from them was the highest blessing pronounced upon the obedient, above the lesser temporal blessings of rain in due season, fruitful land and trees, harvests reaching from threshing to vintage to sowing, bread to the full, safe dwelling, peace with none making them afraid, removal of evil beasts, preservation from the sword, and victory with enemies perishing. The condition was always walking in His statutes and keeping and doing His commandments, including making no idols, keeping His Sabbaths, and reverencing His sanctuary.
The promise did not excuse sin and could not secure favor by profession without good works for a people who turned from God and broke His covenant, so refusal to obey required God in justice to treat them as apostates, for He would in no wise excuse sin in an enlightened people because He had loved them in days of faithfulness and purity and given them special promises. Those who claimed the blessing of His favor and presence while living in departure and iniquity instead suffered the threatened covenant curses of terror, sickness and disease, defeat and oppression, as seen with the Jews in John's day. Disregarding His requirements and walking contrary to Him brought broken pride of power, heavens as iron and earth as brass, wasted strength and unfruitful land, with God walking contrary to them. The chapter stands as an admonition in which God's presence among His people belongs to His favor, while disobedience brings judgment and withdrawal of prosperity, a warning that applies to God's people in every age where obedience brings blessing and rejecting His warnings carries serious consequences.
God's Temple Today
The promise to set His dwelling among His people and not reject them is fulfilled in that believers themselves are the temple of the living God. His Spirit dwells in them, and He dwells and walks in them, working and speaking through them as living epistles. Secret communion with Him sustains the soul and shapes character according to His ideal for humanity.
Belonging to Him as His temple and as His sons and daughters calls for cleansing from all impurity and filthiness of flesh and spirit and for perfecting holiness. That belonging requires keeping the temple holy and remaining separate from idolatry, uncleanness, and unbelievers. Applied to marriage, this forbids breaking down the barrier between believer and unbeliever, and only marriages formed in earnest obedience to Scripture in harmony with the will of God receive heaven's blessing.
His presence and blessing depend on a holy camp, with every offensive and unclean thing put out of homes and premises. This requires neat, orderly, clean houses and premises, regard for sanitary conditions, washing of clothes, and burying of offensive things. Improved talents are to grow into a lovely temple for the Lord. Untidiness and uncorrected habits dishonor the faith before others, and unless reformed He will not increase their numbers.