God Lives with His People

A Tent in the Middle of the Camp

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The tabernacle was a special tent where God lived among His people. It was set up in the very center of the camp, with all the tribes around it. Everyone could see it from their tent door.

God's idea. God said, “Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8). The tabernacle was not Moses' idea. God wanted to be near His people.

God's promise. “I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God” (Exodus 29:45). Living with them was the reason He brought them out of Egypt.

A pattern from heaven. God showed Moses exactly how to build it. Hebrews says it was a “copy and shadow of the heavenly things” (Hebrews 8:5).

The courtyard. Around the tent was a courtyard with a bronze altar for sacrifices and a bowl of water for washing. Priests washed before they served God.

The Holy Place. Inside the tent was a room with a table of bread, a golden lampstand and a small gold altar for incense. The lamps were kept burning.

The Most Holy Place. Behind a thick curtain was the ark, a gold box holding the tablets of God's law. Its lid was called the mercy seat. It was the most special place of all.

A curtain. The curtain, called the veil, kept people out of the Most Holy Place. God is holy, and sinful people could not just walk in. Only the high priest went in, once a year.

Built with love. The people gave so many gifts that Moses had to tell them to stop (Exodus 36:6). They loved having God among them. Their gifts showed their love.

God's glory. When the work was done, “the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle” (Exodus 40:34). God moved in!

A moving house. The tabernacle could be taken down and carried. God traveled with His people wherever they went. He never stayed behind.

Longing for God. Later a psalm writer sang, “How lovely is Your tabernacle, O Lord of hosts!” (Psalm 84:1). God's people loved being near Him. We can love being near Him too.

What we learn. God does not want to be far away. From the beginning, He planned to live with His people.

What to do. This week, when you pray, remember that God wants to be close to you. Thank Him for being near.

The tabernacle stood at the center of Israel's camp, and God gave many chapters of Exodus to it (25-31 and 35-40).

The purpose. “Let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them” (25:8). The Hebrew mishkan (say: mish-KAHN), “dwelling place,” comes from the verb shakan, to dwell.

Rescue for relationship. Exodus 29:45-46 ties the exodus itself to God's dwelling: He brought them out of Egypt “that I may dwell among them.”

A heavenly pattern. Hebrews 8:5 calls the tabernacle “the copy and shadow of the heavenly things.” The earthly tent pointed beyond itself.

Three zones. Courtyard, Holy Place and Most Holy Place formed rings of increasing holiness. The layout taught that God is near and yet holy. Every step inward required more care.

Eden echoes. Cherubim woven into the curtains and veil recall the cherubim guarding Eden (Genesis 3:24). The lampstand's branches resemble a flowering tree. Many Christians see the tabernacle as a small picture of Eden, a place where God again lives with His people.

The mercy seat. The ark held the tablets; the lid above them was the place of atonement. God's law was covered by mercy. Once a year, blood was sprinkled there for the people's sins.

Built after failure. The tabernacle is built after the golden calf, not before. Its existence is grace: God still chooses to live with a stiff-necked people.

Willing gifts. The building is funded by freewill offerings so generous that Moses must stop them (36:6). Grace produces generosity. People who know they are forgiven give freely.

Glory and distance. When the glory fills the tent, Moses cannot enter (40:35). The tabernacle brings God near but cannot yet bring sinners in. Leviticus begins at exactly this point.

Guidance. The cloud over the tabernacle directed Israel's travel (Numbers 9:17). God's presence governed their whole life.

Longing. Psalms 27 and 84 show worshipers longing to be in God's house: “One thing I have desired… That I may dwell in the house of the Lord” (Psalm 27:4).

The temple to come. Solomon's temple later replaced the tent, and glory filled it in the same way (1 Kings 8:10-11).

Application. Draw a simple map of the tabernacle and label each piece. Beside each, write one thing it taught Israel about God.

God with Us

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The tabernacle was wonderful, but it was not the end of God's plan. It pointed to Someone greater who would come. Every piece was a clue.

God with us. The angel said Jesus' name would be “Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).

Living among us. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory” (John 1:14). The word dwelt is related to the word for tent. Jesus tented among us.

The bread of life. The tabernacle had a table of bread. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35). Christians have long seen the bread as a picture of Him. He feeds our souls.

The light of the world. A golden lampstand lit the Holy Place. Jesus also said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12).

The only way. Only one door led into the tent. Jesus told His friends, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Jesus is the door into God's presence.

A temple of His body. Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” He was speaking “of the temple of His body” (John 2:19, 21).

The curtain torn. When Jesus died, “the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (Matthew 27:51). God opened the way. The curtain tore from the top, so God did it.

A better sacrifice. Animal blood could not take away sin (Hebrews 10:4). Jesus entered God's presence “with His own blood… having obtained eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12). His sacrifice never needs to be repeated.

Come in. Now we can “enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way” (Hebrews 10:19-20).

God's house today. Paul wrote, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16). God now lives in His people.

Built together. All believers together are “being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22). Every believer is part of it.

Forever. At the end of the Bible, a voice says, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them” (Revelation 21:3). There will be no curtain then.

What to do. This week, remember that if you trust Jesus, God's Spirit lives in you. Ask Him to help you live in a way that honors Him.

The New Testament shows us that Jesus, the Spirit and the new creation fulfill what the tabernacle pictured.

Immanuel. Matthew 1:23 names Jesus “God with us,” the goal toward which the tabernacle pointed. God did not send a message; He came Himself.

The Word tabernacled. John 1:14 uses eskēnōsen, pitched His tent, and adds, “we beheld His glory,” echoing Exodus 40:34. The glory that filled the tent now walked among people.

The true temple. In John 2:19-21 Jesus identifies His body as the temple. The place where God meets humanity is now a person. His resurrection is the raising of that temple.

The furniture. Jesus' sayings, “I am the bread of life,” “I am the light of the world,” “I am the way,” fit the table, lampstand and door. Many Christians see these pieces as pictures of Jesus, and His own words lead the way. Each one shows us something He gives: food for the soul, light in the dark, and the only way to God.

The veil. Matthew 27:51 records the veil torn “from top to bottom,” God's own act. Hebrews 10:20 identifies the veil with Christ's flesh. The way was opened through His body given for us.

The heavenly sanctuary. Hebrews 9:11-12 describes Christ entering “the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands” with His own blood. The earthly tent was the copy; this is the reality.

Once for all. Where Israel's priests repeated sacrifices, Christ's offering is final. Hebrews 9:24 says He appears “in the presence of God for us.” He represents His people before the Father.

Boldness. Hebrews 10:19-20 grants believers “boldness to enter the Holiest.” What Moses could not do in Exodus 40:35, believers do through Christ. Moses had to stay outside, but we are welcomed in.

The Spirit's temple. 1 Corinthians 3:16 speaks of the church as God's temple; 6:19 applies the image to each believer's body. How we live is a matter of worship.

A growing building. Ephesians 2:21-22 pictures believers of every background “being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” Jew and Gentile alike are included.

The final tabernacle. Revelation 21:3 announces, “the tabernacle of God is with men.” The Bible's story ends where Exodus pointed: God living with His people without a veil.

Giving and building. As Israel gave willingly for the tabernacle, believers use their gifts for God's people (1 Peter 4:10). Every gift has a place in God's house.

Application. Read Exodus 40:34-35 and Revelation 21:3. Write a short paragraph on what has changed between the two scenes, and why.

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Complete all sections to finish!

Read each section and answer the questions correctly.