Let’s Talk About Joy: How to Cultivate Joy in Our Lives: Seeking God’s Presence: Page 1

Another way to cultivate the fruit of joy, and cause it to grow and produce in our lives is to seek the presence and fullness of God. Psalm 16:11 (AMP) says, “You will show me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy.” But where is God’s presence, and how do we get into it?

In the Old Testament, God’s presence was in His temple, in an inner chamber called “The Holy of Holies.” The Bible Dictionary speaks of this area in the tabernacle: “tent; portable sanctuary that served as a place of worship for the Israelites from the time of the wilderness wanderings until the building of the temple of Solomon; typified God dwelling with the people (Exodus 25:8). The tabernacle, which stood at the west end of the court, was a wooden structure 45 by 15 feet, divided by a heavy veil into two parts, a holy place and a most holy place. This was covered on the inside with an embroidered linen tapestry and on the outside with double blankets of skin. The Holy Place contained the Table of Show Bread, a golden candlestick, and the alter of incense. The Most Holy place, or Holy of Holies, had in it only the Ark of the Covenant, a small, box-like structure of wood covered with golden which there were the tablets of the law, a pot of manna, and Aaron’s rod (Exodus 25:16, 22; Hebrews 9:4). The tabernacle was set up at Sinai the beginning of the second year after leaving Egypt (Exodus 40:2, 17); for 35 years it stood at Kadesh, and always preceded the Israelites when on the march (Numbers 10:33-36). David moved it to Jerusalem. It was superceded by the building of the temple.  The old tabernacle was but a shadow of the true ideal (Hebrews 8:5, 10:1).”

No one except the High Priest of the Israelites was allowed into the Holy of Holies (the presence of God), and there was a rope tied around his leg with a little bell on it (so those outside could tell he was moving around) just in case he tried to go into the presence of God without complete purity: no sin in his life. If he was not pure before God, he was struck dead for daring to enter into His Holy presence, ad had to be dragged out by the rope – since no one else could go in to get him, lest they too be struck dead! It was this High Priest’s job to atone for the sins of the people. He was their representative to God. This was the Old Covenant, or the Law of God. Very few individuals were fortunate enough to be allowed into the presence of God and live to tell about it.

Thank God for His mercy and grace! He did not want us to be forever separated from His presence in this way – that is why He sent His Son Jesus to make a way for us! In Matthew 27:50-51 (AMP) it says, “And Jesus cried again with a loud voice, and gave up His spirit. And at once the curtain of the sanctuary of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, the earth shook, and the rocks were split.”

This account of the splitting of the veil of the Holy of Holies can also be found in Mark 15:38 and Luke 23:45. Notice the veil was torn from top to bottom – because God tore it, not man. Suddenly mankind was free to enter into the presence of God with a new covenant, a covenant of hope and mercy and grace; and God’s presence was no longer confined to the Holy of Holies, but was free to move and breathe among men in the form of the Holy Spirit! Jesus became our High Priest and through Him we can enter into God’s presence, covered by His righteousness and worthy because of His blood.

Hebrews 6:17-20 (MSG) says, “…When God wanted to guarantee His promises, He gave His Word, a rock-solid guarantee – God can’t break His Word. And because His Word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable. We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up His permanent post as High Priest for us.”

Thank God for loving us enough to send His Son, Jesus to be our High Priest! We have direct access to God now!