A Woman's Heart: God's Dwelling Place

A Woman’s Heart: Introduction to the Tabernacle

Last night, we launched our new Thursday night Bible study here at Fierce Woman Found Ministries...A Woman’s Heart: God’s Dwelling Place by Beth Moore.

A Woman's Heart is an in-depth study into the Tabernacle of Moses, otherwise known as the "tent of meeting". It was the place where God 'met' with the people of Israel after bringing them out of generations of slavery and captivity in Egypt. But we will learn that it is so much more. It is a 'copy' of God's redemption plan through Jesus Christ. How, you say, is a 'tent' in the middle of the wilderness a 'copy' or replica of God's redemption plan? And how can anyone 'see' Jesus in it? Well....that my dear friends is the Joy of the Journey that we are about to embark upon! Check out this quick 2 minute intro and see what we mean:

So, our first question as we began was: Why did God want to meet? Why the wilderness? and why a tent/tabernacle? As we searched the scriptures, we learned that, over and over, when God told Pharaoh "Let My people go", it was so that they could 'worship' Him. (Exodus 3:7, 3:18, 5:1) The purpose of our deliverance is simply that...that we may WORSHIP HIM! At last night's gathering, before digging into Beth's lessons, we decided to begin our series by laying a foundation to what a woman's heart looks like as we walk through our faith. And for that...we went to Mary, the mother of Jesus. Luke 2:19, 51 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother 'treasured' all these things in her heart.

A deeper look into the word ponder To 'ponder' something means to think about it carefully in your head---to weigh it in your mind. It implies a serious process of mental activity--careful consideration of all the factors involved. But what does it mean to ponder something in your 'heart'? The original Greek text uses both the word that we translate into 'ponder' and the word for 'heart' in the same sentence. Ponder: symballo from the Greek 'sym' denoting union, together with, companionship. It also has implication of 'completeness'. 'ballo' (G906) a primary verb: to throw (more or less violent or intense), arise, cast, send, strike thrust.

There is a picture here of a sort of 'wrestling'...you know the kind. Have you ever had a Word or Promise from God go completely against all you see about the 'reality' of your situation? Yeah. THAT kind of wrestling...The kind where 'reason' and 'faith' clash. Mary shows up only a handful of times in the Bible, but on several of these occasions, it seems as if she's doing this kind of contemplating. Literally what Mary was doing was 'making room in her heart' for all the LORD has said/revealed to her.

That is the kind of 'heart' that GOD desires us to have. A pondering heart that 'treasures'... A heart that brings together God's word by casting aside (thrusting out) that which rises up against it. A heart that...despite its weaknesses, fears, doubts, and yes, even unbelief, will consider WHO it is that is speaking to us and 'wrestle' with those emotions in our heart that 'clash' and arise against His Word until the TRUTH of WHO HE IS and WHAT HE SAYS 'makes room' in our hearts for HIS PROMISE.