Abide in the Door

God loves patterns. They are throughout the Bible. The fact they are written over different eras of time makes them incredible. God is strategic, specific, and precise.

Many times, He speaks about the significance of doors. For instance, we are told the door of the tabernacle was where He SPOKE with Moses and Aaron and the Israelites. (Ex 29:42-43; Ex 33:9) The door of the tabernacle was the place of GOD’S PRESENCE. A cloud of God’s glory appeared there. (Num 12:5; Deut 31:15)

The door of the tabernacle was where Aaron and the priests were CONSECRATED for their priesthood. There, they boiled the sacrifice and ate it with bread. (Lev 8:31-33)

The door was the place of ATONEMENT when the children of Israel prepared to leave Egypt. They were told to strike the doorposts with blood so that the death angel would pass over. (Ex 12:7, 23) Later, they were to make continual burnt offerings at the door of the tabernacle in remembrance of this event. (Ex 29:42; Lev 17:5-6)

The door was a place of HEALING. A person cured of leprosy was to present himself to the priest at the door of the tabernacle. (Lev 14:11) When thousands had died of a great plague, Aaron offered incense at the door and the plague stopped. (Num 16:50)

The door was a place of SAFETY. Noah built a boat of God’s own design. How incredible that is. But we are told God Himself shut the door. (Ge 7:16)

The door was a place of PROVISION. In Deuteronomy, the people were commanded to write the law of the Lord upon the doorposts of their house and their gates. When they did their days and the days of their children were multiplied, and they were blessed. (Deut 11:20-21)

The people PRAYED at the door. They WORSHIPPED at the door. (Lev 8:3; Num 20:6; Ez 46:3; 2Chr 29:11; Jer 7:2) They were commanded to “ABIDE at the door.” (Lev 8:35) To “abide” is to remain in the place, state, and manner of something.

This seems curious until you consider Jesus’ words. “ABIDE in me, and I in you,” He speaks in John 15:4. Now consider 1 John 2:24, “Let that therefore ABIDE in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.”

What had they heard? Jesus.

What else did He say? Let’s read His words in John 10:9. “I AM THE DOOR.” We ABIDE in Jesus, who is the DOOR. We ABIDE in the door.

What an awesome revelation, but, friend, it is far larger than that.

The prophet Ezekiel in his vision of the temple said he saw the glory of the Lord come toward the temple from the east. (Ez 43:1-2, 4) A chapter later, we are told he viewed the east gate of the temple, and THE DOOR was shut. (Ez 44:1-2) Greater, He was told it would remain shut. No one would enter there because the glory of the Lord had entered in by it.

Now, hear Jesus’ words again in John 10:9: “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall GO IN AND OUT, and find pasture.” Do you see it? The door was shut. No one went in or out. But now, Jesus leads His sheep in and out.

Hear Him speak in John’s revelation: “These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that OPENETH, and no man SHUTTETH; and SHUTTETH, and no man OPENETH.” (Rev 3:7-8 KJV)

The door that was closed is now open. Who opened the door? Who holds the key? Jesus!

He is the door, and when we abide at the door, we partake of the REDEMPTION His blood provided. He provided the final, complete sacrifice on the doorposts of our heart. (Mt 26:27-28; Lk 1:68; Heb 7:27)

He leads us in and out the door to good pasture. He is the door of ABUNDANCE and PROVISION. (Ps 23:2; Jn 10:10)

He is the door of SAFETY. He came to SAVE that which was lost. (Mt 18:11)

He is the door of HEALING. By His stripes, we are HEALED. (1Pe 2:24; Is 53:5)

He is the door of CONSECRATION. He bowed His head and prayed, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Mt 26:39) He calls us to do the same. We must come out from the world and be separate, lights on a hill, salt in the earth. (2Co 6:17; Mt 5:13-14)

He is the door and we are the temple. (1Co 3:17) The GLORY that hovered over the tabernacle door is now GLORIFIED in us. He is the PRESENCE of God. He is the place where we stand to hear God SPEAK. (Jn 17:10, 22-23)

He is the door of PRAYER. He said to go into our secret place and shut the door, the Father would hear us and reward our prayers. (Mt 6:6) He said to ask, to seek, to knock, and the door would be opened to us. (Lk 11:9)

He is the door of WORSHIP. (Jer 7:2) Consider John 4:23: “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall WORSHIP the Father in spirit and in truth.”

He is the door of RELATIONSHIP. We are united with the Father and the Holy Spirit, in Him. (Jn 17:21; Rev 3:20)

He is the door, and we are the DOORKEEPER. These are the words of David. “For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a DOORKEEPER in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.” (Ps 84:10)

Jesus is the image that the Old Testament pattern reflects. How marvelous that is. He is the only WAY to the Father, the straight and NARROW GATE, and He will return through the EVERLASTING DOORS in great glory. (Jn 14:6; Mt 7:14; Ps 24:7-10) Selah.

*Photo by Ronald Cuyan on Unsplash

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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.feelgoodromance.com
www.suzannedwilliams.com