“That I may dwell among them”
Exodus 25:8
Cultural referenceSettledGod
And they are to make a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them. (Exodus 25:8 BSB)
* Hebrew: shakan, 'to tent/settle'; the root of mishkan (tabernacle) and later shekhinah (God's dwelling presence). John 1:14 says the Word 'tented' among us.
What it sounds like today
God asks for a building project, a tent to be constructed.
The cultural key
The verb is shakan, 'to tent' or 'settle,' which gives the tabernacle its name, mishkan, 'the dwelling,' and later the rabbinic term shekhinah for God's manifest presence. The staggering claim is the purpose clause: the point of the exodus is not merely to free Israel but for God to move into the middle of the camp and live among a people. The Gospel of John reaches for this very verb when it says the Word became flesh and 'tented' among us.
Recovered meaning
The goal of the whole rescue is nearness: God wants an address in the middle of His people's camp. That longing to 'tent among them' runs straight to the incarnation, where the Word pitches his tent in human flesh.
Parallels: Exodus 40:34; John 1:14