THE DAWN OF HOPE, IMMANUEL, GOD WITH US : Pst Osarentin Ameadaji (DECEMBER 25, 2022)

A major theme of the Bible is God coming to live among His people: “I will live among them and walk among them, and I will be their God and they will be my people.” (Leviticus 26:12; Jeremiah 32:38) God wants to be intimately involved with us. He created mankind for relationship. Our sin separated us from Him; Sin hinders man’s experience of God’s presence, and He wants to bring His presence back to man. Through a select group of people, the Jews, He revealed Himself as I Am—a present and knowable God—intimacy with His people. But the Jews misunderstood Him. To them, God with us, meant three things: that God was pleased with them (Exodus 33:16), He would give direction and provisions (Exodus 40:36-38). They knew the acts of God, not the ways of God. This continued throughout the Old Testament. But God wants to be more with mankind; He wants an intimate relationship.