Downloads
If God is everywhere, what could it possibly mean for God to live somewhere?
Go right back to the beginning of the Bible. In the garden, God walked with Adam and Eve. But after they sinned, they were sent out, and cherubim (powerful angels) guarded the way back (Genesis 3:24). Ever since, the Bible has been asking a big question: how can a holy God live with sinful people?
God rescued Israel from Egypt, but the rescue wasn't just from something. It was for something. God wanted to live with his people again. In this lesson you'll see how he did it: in a tent.
What you'll learn
- What the tabernacle was, and why God told Israel to build it
- How each part of the tabernacle showed that God is both near and holy
- How Jesus is "God with us", and how his death opened the way to God
A tent for God
At Mount Sinai, God gave Moses these instructions:
"And they are to make a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them. You must make the tabernacle and design all its furnishings according to the pattern I show you." (Exodus 25:8–9)
- Tabernacle means "dwelling place". It was a tent, because Israel was on the move through the desert. God chose to camp with his people.
- It was set up in the middle of the camp, with the tribes of Israel all around it (Numbers 2). God was at the centre of their life.
- God gave the design himself (v. 9). People couldn't just decide for themselves how to come near a holy God.
But here's something surprising. Between God's instructions in Exodus 25 and the tent being finished in Exodus 40, the people made a golden calf and worshipped it (Exodus 32). They broke the covenant almost straight away. After that, would you expect God still to come and live with them?
A walk through the tabernacle
The tabernacle had a large courtyard with just one gate, on the east side. Inside the courtyard stood a tent with two rooms: the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, separated by a thick curtain. Imagine walking in through the gate:
| Object | Where | What it was for | How it points to Jesus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze altar | Courtyard, just inside the gate | Animals were sacrificed for sin. | Jesus' sacrifice for sin, once for all (Hebrews 10:10) |
| Bronze basin | Courtyard | Priests washed before going in. | Jesus makes us clean (1 John 1:7). |
| Lampstand | Holy Place | The only light inside the tent | Jesus calls himself the light of the world (John 8:12). |
| Table with twelve loaves | Holy Place | Bread always before God, one loaf for each tribe | Jesus calls himself the bread of life (John 6:35). |
| Altar of incense | Holy Place, in front of the curtain | Sweet smoke, a picture of prayer rising to God (Psalm 141:2) | Jesus always prays for his people (Hebrews 7:25). |
| Curtain | Between the two rooms | Kept people out of the Most Holy Place; cherubim were woven into it (Exodus 26:31). | It was torn from top to bottom when Jesus died (Matthew 27:51). |
| Ark of the covenant | Most Holy Place | God's throne on earth, with the covenant tablets inside. The high priest came in only once a year, with blood (Leviticus 16). | Jesus' blood opens the way to God for everyone (Hebrews 10:19–20). |
God promised to meet with his people right there, above the ark:
"And I will meet with you there above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony; I will speak with you about all that I command you regarding the Israelites." (Exodus 25:22)
Near and holy
Everything about the tabernacle said two things at once.
"I want to be near you." God lived in the middle of the camp. He met with his people and spoke with them.
"You can't just walk in." There were walls, only one gate and a thick curtain. Only priests could go into the Holy Place, and only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place, once a year. And remember those cherubim woven into the curtain? They echo the garden of Eden. The way back to God was still guarded.
You might wonder why animals were sacrificed. It showed how serious sin is: it costs a life. The book of Hebrews explains that these sacrifices were pointing forward to Jesus, and that because of him they are no longer needed (Hebrews 10:10).
The glory moves in
When the tabernacle was finally finished, this happened:
"Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses was unable to enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle." (Exodus 40:34–35)
The glory of the LORD is the visible sign of God's presence. It filled the tent so completely that even Moses couldn't go in. From then on, a cloud by day and fire by night led Israel on their journey (Exodus 40:36–38).
So, after the golden calf, did God still come? He did. Moses pleaded with God not to leave them, and God showed that he is compassionate, gracious and full of loving devotion (Exodus 33–34). The tabernacle is a picture of grace: God giving what people don't deserve.
The rescue road: sign 5
| Where? | What did God do? | How does it point to Jesus? |
|---|---|---|
| The tabernacle at the foot of Mount Sinai (Exodus 25–40) | Came to live among his people, in a tent filled with his glory. | Jesus is God who pitched his tent among us, and his death opened the way to God (John 1:14; Matthew 27:51). |
Key words
- Tabernacle: the tent where God lived among Israel; it means "dwelling place".
- Holy: set apart, completely pure and good.
- Glory: the shining greatness of God; the visible sign of his presence.
- Sacrifice: an offering to God; in the tabernacle, an animal that died for sin.
How this points to Jesus
"The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14)
The word John uses for "made His dwelling" literally means pitched his tent. Jesus is God camping among us, and in him people saw God's glory, just as Israel saw it fill the tabernacle. When Jesus died, the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51): from God's side. Through Jesus, the way into God's presence is open. And the Bible's story ends where Eden began, with God living with his people and nothing in between (Revelation 21:3).
Think about it
Why do you think God chose a tent, not a palace?Show answer
A tent could move with his people wherever they went. It showed that God wanted to be close to them, living in the middle of their everyday life.
Name one thing in the tabernacle that showed God was near, and one that showed he was holy.Show answer
God living in the middle of the camp showed he was near. The thick curtain that kept people out of the Most Holy Place showed he was holy.
What does it mean for Christians today that the curtain was torn when Jesus died?Show answer
It means that because of Jesus' death, anyone who trusts him can come close to God. They don't need a high priest or animal sacrifices to approach him.
Take it further
Think about the big question: how can a holy God live with sinful people? See if you can answer it in one sentence using what you've learned. Paul says a Christian's body is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). How might that change the way someone lives? Your worksheet helps you map out the tabernacle and its links to Jesus.
If you'd like to, you could pray:
God, thank you that you want to live with your people. Thank you that Jesus came to live among us, and that through his death the way to you is open. Help me to come close to you. Amen.