The truth about the dwelling place of God

This Bible study is all about the dwelling place of God and the truth of that in your own life.

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God instructed the Israelites to make the tabernacle according to heavenly specification. It was to be a dwelling place for God – a place where He could personally meet with the Israelites. It would be the place where the Israelites could make sacrifices, and ask atonement for their sins. The tabernacle was merely a shadow of what was to come through Jesus – a dwelling place for God that could never be destroyed.

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Read all about the dwelling place of God before reflecting on it below

Exodus 25 – 27

Give generously as your heart prompts

God told Moses to gather an offering from the people, but only from those whose hearts prompted them to give. God never wanted His people to give to Him out of a sense of obligation, but rather out of a place of love. That is why God told Moses to collect the offering before He told Moses what the offering was to be for. Giving should not be dependent on the cause, and how needy we perceive it to be. It should be from the heart in obedience when God tells us to give.

God wants us to only give as much as our hearts prompt us to give. Why do you think that is (2 Corinthians 9:7)?

Freely you have received, freely give

The offerings that God told Moses to collect from the Israelites were what God had given to the Israelites when He brought them out of Egypt. God was only asking that His people recognize that everything they had was because of the miracles that God had done. He asked that they freely give back to God as their hearts prompted them to give. God calls us to be a generous people, giving freely because we acknowledge that we have received freely.

Do you give freely of your time, money and skills (Matthew 10:8)?

God’s dwelling place starts with the heart

God revealed to Moses the pattern of the tabernacle, starting from the inside and working His way out. When God wants to work in the lives of His children, He starts on the inside, with the heart. Then He transforms that person so that their lives follow their heart.

How is God working inwardly in your life (Ezekiel 36:26)?

The dwelling place of God: the Ark of the Covenant

On the ark of the covenant, there was to be an atonement cover with two cheribum. This Mercy seat was where God’s presence would rest. The High priest would enter the Holy of Holies once a year and God would atone for the people. This was meant to be a foreshadow of Jesus’ death and resurrection, because Jesus became the new atonement cover for us through His redemptive work on the Cross (Romans 3:25). Under the law, atonement would happen for the people only once a year as blood was poured out on the mercy seat. But Jesus’ blood was poured out once for all so that we could all be atoned for and come into right relationship with God.

What was the purpose of the Mercy seat, and how did Jesus fulfil this covenant with us (Hebrews 10:10)?

Fellowship in the dwelling place of God

Outside of the Holy of Holies was the Holy place. In the Holy place there was a table on which the Priest’s were to put the bread of the Presence. The analogy for christian life is two-fold. Tables were a sign of fellowship, noting a relationship between those who gathered. Thus, God was showing the Israelites that they could be gathered in His presence. Bread was also necessary for survival. Because of this, the bread on the table showed the Israelites that fellowship with God was just as necessary for daily life.

Do you have fellowship with God daily, meeting Him in His dwelling place (Exodus 15:13)?

God gives light to all in His dwelling place

There was also the lamp-stand in the Holy place of dwelling, made of seven candles. The Israelites were to bring oil from pressed olives so that Aaron and His sons could keep the lamps burning always. In the New Testament, we are shown parallels between our lives as christians and the lampstand. This lamp was the only light in the Holy Place. Jesus is the only light in a dark world. Just as Arron and His sons had to continually trim the wicks and add oil, we need to be in constant communion with God for our light to shine.

Is your light illuminating the room around you? Or have you put Jesus in a box and only let the light shine when it benefits you (Matthew 5:14-16)?

The courtyard – where we meet God in His dwelling place

Outside of the Holy place was the Courtyard. This was the place where the Israelites could meet with God. Throughout the Bible, there are references to the courtyard – our meeting place with God. David writes “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere” (Psalms 84:10). As the Children of God, we long to be in His presence. Just as the Israelites longed to be in the Courtyard of the tabernacle.

Do you long to be in the dwelling place of God? How do you make time for God in the midst of the business of life (Psalm 1:1-2)?

The alter of burnt offering – where we see Jesus

In the courtyard, there was another altar for the Israelites to sacrifice animals for the atonement of their sins. Again, this was just a foreshadow of what was to come in Jesus the Messiah. God knew that the law would not be able to bring true righteousness of God. “For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering” (Romans 8:3-4). How great it is to know that we can look to Jesus. He is the one who gives us a relationship with God. We do not have to offer sacrifices year after year. We only have to accept the free gift of God through Jesus.

Have you accepted with grace of God, or do you strive to work for something that can never be earned (Romans 5:15)?

Reflect on what it means to be the dwelling place of God

The tabernacle acted as a dwelling place for God, where the Israelites could go and meet with Him. God had set up the tabernacle so that the Israelites came expecting fellowship with Him. Where do you go to meet with God. Is His dwelling place inside of you, where you can fellowship with Him daily, letting your light shine for all to see?

Want to Go Deeper?

Explore the Tabernacle of Moses to see what it would have been like for the Israelites in the wilderness.

Read more about the Alter in the courtyard and how it points to Jesus.