Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established. (Exodus 15:17)

"I will prepare him an habitation." "That thou hast made for thee to dwell in."

God desires a house, a habitation, a resting place. Why?

God already possesses a temple, which is located in Heaven above.

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. (Isaiah 6:1)

And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. (Isaiah 6:4)

It is clear there is a temple of God, a house of God, in Heaven.

People who have had visions of Heaven have seen the temple of God in Heaven.

Why, then, do the Scriptures speak of preparing a habitation for God to dwell in?

Why leap ye, ye high hills? this is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the Lord will dwell in it for ever. (Psalms 68:16)

The hill of the Lord is Zion, the Body of Christ, the dwelling place of God.

Notice:

Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them. (Psalms 68:18)

According to the fourth chapter of the Book of Ephesians, the "gifts for men" are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers.

To what end do the ascension-gifts serve? They serve to unify and perfect the one Body of Christ.

To what end is the Lord God unifying and perfecting the one Body of Christ? God is unifying and perfecting the one Body of Christ so "the Lord God may dwell among them," that God may be able to settle down to rest in an eternal temple constructed from living stones.

The mystery of the Good News continues to unfold, in Psalms 132:

I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, Until I find a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. (Psalms 132:4,5)

Again:

For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it. (Psalms 132:13,14)

So we ponder, "Why does the God of Heaven seek a dwelling place, a home, a haven in which to find rest? Are Heaven and His temple in Heaven not adequate as an abiding place, a resting place, that God should be looking for a house?"

The Spirit of Christ continues, in Isaiah:

Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? (Isaiah 66:1)

To be continued.