Mishkan: When God Chose to Dwell Among Us

What does it mean for the God who created heaven and earth to desire to dwell among His people?

In our previous article, Kavod: When Glory Has Weight, we explored the glory of God and the heartbreaking moment when Israel declared that His glory had departed. But long before the Ark was captured, God had made an extraordinary promise to Israel.

“And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.” - Exodus 25:8, NKJV

Consider those words for a moment. The God who delivered Israel from Egypt and revealed His glory at Mount Sinai now instructed His people to prepare a sanctuary, not because He needed a place to live, but because He desired to dwell among them.

And the Hebrew reveals something beautiful about that promise.

Mishkan: More Than a Tent

The Hebrew word commonly translated as Tabernacle is מִשְׁכָּן (mishkan), from the root שכן (sh-k-n), meaning to dwell, settle, or reside.

From this same root comes the verb shakhan (שָׁכַן), to dwell.

But look closely at God's words in Exodus 25:8. He does not simply say that He will dwell inside the sanctuary. The Hebrew reads:

וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם (veshakhanti betokham)

“And I will dwell among them.”

Notice the emphasis. God's desire was not merely for a dwelling place, but to dwell among His people. When the Tabernacle was completed, the cloud covered it, and the kavod, the glory of YHWH, filled the mishkan (Exodus 40:34).Yet the Tabernacle could never contain God. It was the place He appointed to make His presence known among Israel.

You may also have heard the word Shekhinah, often used to describe God's dwelling presence. It comes from the same Hebrew root, although the term itself developed in later Jewish literature and does not appear in the Hebrew Bible.

The biblical promise, however, is unmistakable. God chose to dwell among His people.

And the Word Dwelt Among Us

Centuries later, the Gospel of John opens with a remarkable declaration:

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory...” - John 1:14, NKJV

The Greek word translated as “dwelt” is eskēnōsen (ἐσκήνωσεν), meaning to pitch a tent or dwell. It echoes the imagery of the Tabernacle, where God made His presence known among Israel.

And John adds, “we beheld His glory.”

Do you see the connection?

In Exodus, the kavod of YHWH filled the mishkan. In John's Gospel, the Word became flesh, dwelt among us, and revealed His glory.

What began with a sanctuary in the wilderness finds a remarkable fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

The God who once made His presence known through the Tabernacle came near in a way no tent or building could ever accomplish.

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

When God Draws Near

Perhaps we sometimes think of God's presence as something we must travel somewhere to experience. We associate it with a church building, a special gathering, or a moment when we felt especially close to Him.

But mishkan invites us to remember something deeper.

God did not ask Israel to build a sanctuary because He needed a home. He gave them a place where His presence would be known because He desired to dwell among them.

And through Jesus Christ, we discover just how far that desire to draw near would go.

The Creator of heaven and earth chose to come near to humanity.

Perhaps the question is not simply where we can find God's presence, but whether we recognize the wonder of the God who has chosen to dwell among His people.

If God desires to dwell among us, how are we responding to His presence?

Grace and Shalom,

Veronica N. Khavah

© 2026 by Voice of the Garden. All rights reserved.

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