When Joshua assumed leadership of Israel, God promised that he would be with Joshua as he was with Moses (Josh 3:7). God provided reassurance by sending the captain of his army (the Lord himself?) to greet Joshua before the first battle in Canaan. Now Joshua was standing on holy ground (Josh 5:15)! Israel eventually clamored for a king and Saul was chosen and then rejected. But when it came time to choose David, we read that “the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward” (1 Sam 16:13). God was in a hurry to be with the man after his own heart.

Immanuel. This is not just a title or name for Jesus, it is the story of the entire Bible.

Encountering the word “Immanuel” (meaning “God with us”) at this time of year falls into our expected rhythms. We read Matthew 1:23 or Isaiah 7:14 during the Advent season. We sing “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” But the new year arrives and we typically pack away consideration of “Immanuel” like so many wreaths and candles.

But Immanuel is far too important to occupy our minds for a mere four weeks of the year! In fact, if I had to summarize God’s redemptive plan in one word, I could make a good case for Immanuel.

Immanuel in Creation, Fall, and Exodus

From the beginning of human life, God was with man. He formed man (Gen 2:7), placed man in the garden (Gen 2:15), spoke to man (Gen 2:16,17), sensed an incompleteness in man, and provided a partner for him (Gen 2:18–23). Notice these words of close proximity! This is no Greek god acting from a distant mountain.

When Adam and Eve sinned they no longer wanted to be with God (Gen 3:8–10). They fled from their Creator and Provider in fear. God acknowledged their treason by “dr[iving] out the man” (Gen 3:24) from the garden. Cherubim and a flaming sword ensured there would be no reentry. The rest of the Bible describes the path for man to regain the nearness to God he knew in Eden.

Shortly after God called Abram, he appeared to him (Gen 12:7), and this began a series of awesome, divine appointments for the patriarchs. He was with them momentarily, and the patriarchs acknowledged these fleeting moments of transcendence by building altars. (See Gen 12:7, 13:18, 26:25, and 35:7.)

This is the statement of God’s covenant with his people: I will be your God and you will be my people. (See Gen 17:7.) This may sound formal, but notice how God restated this covenant later: “I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God” (Ex 29:45). With God’s pledge is his presence.

When God called Moses, he appeared in the burning bush. This is a well-known, Sunday school-friendly spectacle, but God was with Moses. God “called to [Moses] out of the bush” (Ex 3:4). “Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God” (Ex 3:6). God tells Moses that he has seen their afflictions, heard their cry, and that he has “come down to deliver them” (Ex 3:8, emphasis mine). At this encounter, God revealed his covenant name (“I AM”) to Moses. Moses stood on holy ground, because God was there.

The plagues in Egypt culminated with the Passover, where God sent no angel of destruction to do his work. These are his people! He went through the land himself, bringing death or life based upon the presence of blood. (See Ex 12:12,13 and Ex 12:29.)

In the march out of Egypt, God was with his people. He went before them in a pillars of cloud and fire (Ex 13:21,22). God “threw the Egyptians into the sea” (Ex 14:27). Israel could make no mistake—they were free from Egypt because God himself set them free.

Moses experienced the nearness of God in ways the common Israelite did not, largely because the people did not want to hear from God (Ex 20:19). So God brought Moses “near to the Lord” (Ex 24:2). “The Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Ex 33:11). This is stunning—as Moses stands in the place of God’s people, God is with Moses in a way not seen since the garden. This face-to-face talking with God was transformative for Moses—afterward, his face glowed (Ex 34:29).

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