The interpretation of biblical passages which seem to declare God's presence is often a challenge. We confess that God is omnipresent. Yet in the Old Testament he is depicted as living at the tabernacle and later at the temple. How do we reconcile these concepts? Luther worked with this concept a good deal in his later years.
God's omnipresence seems masked in the Bible. Though he is everywhere he does not make himself equally accessible everywhere. We see this from before the Fall, when Adam had certain times and places where God would visit him. In a stark contrast, Cain is sent out away from God's presence. He is therefore a wanderer, a fugitive.
After the Fall, God gives sacrifices and the sign of his presence. He further gives specific places for worship in the time of the patriarchs. When he establishes the tabernacle and the feasts he makes more specific times and one specific place for worship, that time for participation in God's special presence.
After analyzing these comments about God's presence we see that God's people know God can be found as he has revealed himself in the Scripture. God institutes worship which is pleasing to him. And he has promised always to be found in certain ways. These ways are always accompanied by visible signs. He is always accessible in sacrifices and circumcision in the Old Testament.
In the New Testament, after Jesus' ascension, we see that Jesus is in fact the culmination of the place of worship. We therefore confess that wherever Jesus has revealed himself in Word and sacraments we can look to him in faith. Therefore we rightly consider the church assembled in Word and sacraments as the place to meet with God. This is coming into the specific real presence of our Lord and Savior.
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