Background Story: In Exodus chapters 24-30, we read God’s covenant to forgive the sins of the Israelites. Aaron, Moses’ brother was the first Priest of Israel.

Read Exodus 29: 35-46

Do for Aaron and his sons everything I have commanded you, taking seven days to ordain them. ³⁶ Sacrifice a bull each day as a sin offering to make atonement. Purify the altar by making atonement for it, and anoint it to consecrate it. ³⁷ For seven days make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. Then the altar will be most holy, and whatever touches it will be holy.

³⁸ “This is what you are to offer on the altar regularly each day: two lambs a year old. ³⁹ Offer one in the morning and the other at twilight. ⁴⁰ With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil from pressed olives, and a quarter of a hin of wine as a drink offering. ⁴¹ Sacrifice the other lamb at twilight with the same grain offering and its drink offering as in the morning—a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord.

⁴² “For the generations to come this burnt offering is to be made regularly at the entrance to the tent of meeting, before the Lord. There I will meet you and speak to you; ⁴³ there also I will meet with the Israelites, and the place will be consecrated by my glory.

⁴⁴ “So I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar and will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. ⁴⁵ Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. ⁴⁶ They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

Big Idea: You were made by God for God.

Why am I here? What’s the purpose of life? These questions have plagued every generation as they have searched for meaning. If we look back at the first chapters of Genesis, we see that God formed and created mankind for relationship with Him. In Genesis 3:8, it says that God would walk in the garden. Imagine that…the God of heaven coming here to the Earth to walk and be among us. When Adam and Eve sinned eating the forbidden fruit, mankind could no longer walk with God. Sin had entered the picture creating this giant chasm or canyon between God and man that we could not cross.

In Exodus 29:35-46 above, we read God’s plan to purify the sins of the people to bring them back into relationship with Him. I love verse 45 where it says, “Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God.” God’s heart is to dwell with us in relationship. It has always been His heart from the first day man took breath.

In John 1:14, we read that Jesus, “became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” God’s plan to bring mankind back to Himself required the ultimate sacrifice of the perfect lamb, Jesus Christ.

Colossians 1:19-22 says, “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”

You were not simply born, but a divine Creator made you. He fashioned you and formed you for one purpose and one purpose only. You were made by God to dwell in relationship with God. The inmost longing of our hearts begs to me known, to be seen, and to be understood. But this knowing does not happen in relationship with people who fail and forget us. This seeing does not happen in fame or success which passes and fades. The reason our hearts feel restless is because we were created for more! More than just day to day stress and acquiring more and more things. We were made for Him! That is your divine purpose. That is your calling. All of the riches, love, and fame of this world will never satisfy the heart that was made to dwell with Him.

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