Joshua 18

Now the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of meeting there. And the land was subdued before them.

(Jos 18:1)

A place of rest. The Israelites had come to Shiloh, a place of rest. For the first time in their history, the tabernacle was to be set up in a permanent place. The Israelites were home. We read here that the land was subdued before them, they had conquered the enemy, and 5 of the 12 tribes had possessed their land. They were literally at home for the first time in their history, enjoying the land that the Lord had promised and prepared for them.

I love the fact that when they reach this place of rest, the first thing they do is set up the Tabernacle. It was the house of God, the place where worship happened, the place where man could come before God and talk to Him, the place were God could speak to man. The tabernacle was the central point of Jewish culture. All of life revolved around the Lord, and community couldn’t exist apart from Him.

How different than our world today! What is the center of our society here in America?

Is it the white house, where the political decisions are made?

Is it Hollywood, were our celebrities are worshipped?

Is it the sports arenas, or the colleges; the shopping malls, or the court house?

As Americans it seems that our lives can center around pretty much everything BUT the most important thing! Can you imagine how different life would be if the central focus of our entire nation was the worship of God? I think it would change a lot of things about the way our country is.

We can’t change our country, but we can change our own lives, and reach out and touch the lives of others one at a time. Is the central focus of your life the tabernacle, the place where God is met? Or, is it more like an amusement park, or a movie theater? Is your life all about knowing the Lord, or is it about being entertained? Just think about that for a while, and ask the LORD to speak to your heart, and show you how you can bring Him to the center!