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I am using the YouVersion 49 Week Bible Challenge for these devotions. Today’s readings are John 1:1-14; Psalm 36; Job 29; Exodus 40
John 1:1-14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
This is one of my favorite chapters of the Bible. I have these verses memorized. It speaks of the reality of God’s love, our salvation, faith, and true religion. The foundations of these are laid out in the Psalms and books of Moses.
The psalmist says,
Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God;
your judgments are like the great deep;
man and beast you save, O LORD.
7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights. – Psalm 36:5-8
Then comes the Old Testament witness:
In the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected. 18 Moses erected the tabernacle. …33 And he erected the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work.
34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. – Exodus 40:17-18, 33-35
God’s temple replaced the tabernacle. The tabernacle was built as a temporary residence for God’s glory. Once completed God’s glory dwelt there. It would be replaced by a temple which David had thought to build, but did not. But even the glorious temple of Solomon was ultimately destroyed, and Herod’s temple, too, did not survive war and destruction.
All those religious things – good as they were – pointed to another more perfect dwelling of God. The God of all creation, of time and eternity, took on human flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. The word for dwelt in John’s gospel is ἐσκήνωσεν (eskēnōsen). It comes from the root σκηνόω (skēnoō), which literally means “to pitch a tent” or “to tabernacle.”
And while the glory of God dwelt in the tabernacle and later the temple, the fullness of God’s glory pitched his tent in real and palpable ways. God’s love, grace, truth, and salvation became real – humanly-speaking. God is and always will be real. C.S.Lewis said, “We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade the presence of God.”
But when the Second Person of the Holy Trinity takes on human flesh he becomes more real for us. And so does religion, faith, truth, hope, love, and salvation. The Word became flesh…full of grace and truth. So profound. So simple. Such a mystery. Such a blessing. This faith we profess and believe is not just a concept. It is embodied in a person, Jesus of Nazareth. Son of Mary. Son of God. Real religion honors him by trusting in him, believing his promises, aligning ourselves with the Truth of his word, and reflecting his grace to all people.
David Bahn - Reflections 
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