God Is with Us (v. 2a). The Lord not only separated Israel from Egypt, but He also separated Israel unto Himself. They were His people, His treasure, and His inheritance. “Judah” and “Israel” refer to the whole nation and not to the two kingdoms that formed after the death of Solomon. After the tribes conquered the land of Canaan, the sanctuary of God was placed in Judah (Ex. 15:17) and that was where Solomon built the temple. The nations around Israel had their temples, but they were empty. God’s glorious presence dwelt in the tabernacle (Ex. 40) and later in the temple (1 Kings 8:1-11). Today, God does not dwell in man-made houses (Acts 7:48-50), but He does dwell with His people, for our bodies are His temples and the church is His sanctuary (1 Cor. 3:16-17; 6:19-20; 2 Cor. 6:14-18; Eph. 2:19-22). Jesus is “Emmanuel, God with us” (Matt. 1:23; 28:19-20). What a privilege it is to be in the family of God!