The Dwelling Place

We have this religious word “Tabernacle,” which sounds quite grandious and holy and spiritual, but it’s just the latin word for fancy tent. It’s “Tabernaculum,” whereas a normal tent would be “taberna.”

Fun fact: taberna is where we get the word tavern – a place where people eat and drink together. It’s a meeting place. One might call it a holy place!

Anyway, we get this word “Tabernacle” as a translation of the Hebrew word “Mishkan.”

The Mishkan is the physical place where God dwells with Israel in the Scriptures: it’s “God’s tent,” as it were. It’s quite an extravagent tent, with blue and purple and scarlet fabric, and gold latches and curtains of goat hair.

Moreover, you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twisted linen and violet, purple, and scarlet material; you shall make them with cherubim, the work of a skilled embroiderer.
Exodus 26:1 (NASB)

Then you shall make curtains of goats’ hair as a tent over the tabernacle; you shall make eleven curtains in all.
Exodus 26:7 (NASB)

You shall also make fifty clasps of gold, and join the curtains to one another with the clasps so that the tabernacle will be a unit.
Exodus 26:6 (NASB)

But the point isn’t the structure or the appearance.

The Hebrew word Mishkan is the noun form of the verb shakhan, which means “to dwell.” To be with.

The understanding is that the Mishkan is God dwelling with us in a physical place in our world. But the concept of it is greater than the physical material that built it. The Jewish people understood this, and they created a word to describe this spiritual reality: The Shekhinah. (sheh-ken-AH), or the “Presence of God.”

This word isn’t in the Bible, but I’ll break the Hebrew down for you.

When a Hebrew verb becomes a concrete noun, it often gets an “M” sound in front. That’s how shakhan (שָׁכַן) becomes Mishkan (מִשְׁכָּן). Again, that’s “tabernacle” or “great tent.”

But when the verb becomes an abstract noun, it gains an “H” at the end along, with some additional vowel changes. So shakhan (שָׁכַן) becomes Shekhinah (שְׁכִינָה).

The Mishkan/Tabernacle is the concrete image of God’s dwelling place (a tent), whereas the Shekhinah is the abstract concept of God’s spiritual presence.

Interestingly, concrete nouns are often masculine, and abstract nouns are feminine.

Consider the Hebrew words for man and woman. Man is Ish; Woman is Ishah. The woman is identified with the “H” at the end, so there’s the feminine link.

But also, I’ve previously written that the woman represents the Spirit of humanity, whereas the man represents the Flesh.

When we get to Genesis 17 where God changes Abram and Sarai’s names, in the Hebrew it’s very clear: God adds an “H” to each of their names… which can be understood to mean something. Not that they’re now both “feminine,” but they are now both “spiritual.”

In the same way shakhan (to dwell) becomes the Shekhinah (the Presence), Abram/Sarai become Abraham/Sarah – the spiritual carriers of the Presence of God. And this happens in the same chapter as the Covenant of Circumcision. Or as I call it, the Commitment.

This idea of God’s presence linked to a Covenant that requires our commitment happens in an interesting way in Torah. Remember: shakhan just means “to dwell.” Every instance of this word in Genesis is talking about a person dwelling somewhere. Always a human.

But EVERY time in Exodus, beginning when it first appears in chapter 24, the word is NEVER used to mean the dwelling place of a person.

It’s exclusively used to describe the dwelling place of GOD.

And wouldn’t you know it, Exodus 24 is the outlay of… the Covenant.

Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it as the people listened; and they said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!
Exodus 24:7 (NASB)

So we have a very clear relationship between Covenant-and-Commitment and The Dwelling Place of God. But how do we see this with Abraham? What evidence is there that God has made his dwelling within Abraham?

Look at these 3 instances of the way the text describes how God meets Abraham.

Genesis 7:15 – “then appeared Yahweh to Abram”
Genesis 17:1 – “and appeared Yahweh to Abram”
Genesis 18:1 – “And appeared to him Yahweh”

The Rabbis see significance in this change.

In the first two instances, God’s name is first, as you’d expect. But in the third, God’s name appears second, after the reference to Abraham. And the rabbis say that this is the meaning: God now dwells WITHIN Abraham.

Going forward, Abraham isn’t described as having visions or glimpses of the Divine. He now walks WITH God. It’s in this same chapter that God says He will not hide things from Abraham. It’s because God lives within him.

The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,”
Genesis 18:17 (NASB)

Abraham IS the Mishkan living out the Shekhinah.

The notion that God’s people are the temple, and that the Holy Spirit dwells in us is tied to this very thing. This is the root of the teaching.

But it’s linked to a Covenant where we must engage in a “spiritual circumision.” We must lean in.

What I’m describing here is not a “heaven vs. hell” scenario. Rather, I’m describing a life where God is either perceived as something on the outside, leading the way… or God is living inside of you and allowing you to see the world through God’s eyes.

According to the text, this isn’t automatic. It requires our heart. Our whole committed heart. “Circumcision.” This is what it means to walk with God.

Is this your desire? I hope so. Because it is also God’s desire.

Prevailing Waters

Then the flood came upon the earth for forty days, and the water increased and lifted up the ark, so that it rose above the earth. The water prevailed and increased greatly upon the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. And the water prevailed more and more upon the earth, so that all the high mountains everywhere under the heavens were covered.
Genesis 7:17-19 (NASB)

In Genesis 7, there’s a dramatic build up of power in verses 17, 18, and 19. It reads a little bit like basic repetition in English, but is a very clear increase in the Hebrew.

Vayirbu ha-mayim: and increased- the waters.
Vayigberu ha-mayim vayirbu me’od: and prevailed- the waters, and increased VERY.
Veha-mayim gaveru me’od me’od: and the waters prevailed VERY VERY.

The increase appears quite dramatic in the Hebrew!

First, we have an increase that raises the Ark.
Then we have water PREVAILING and a LARGER increase that lifts the ark so it fully floats on the surface.
Finally, we have water prevailing VERY VERY (me’od, me’od!), so much that the water covers the mountains.

In the oral tradition, this is an intense story, full of drama and flailing hands and theatrics, I’m sure.

It’s fun. It’s also meant to drive the point home. These are unstoppable waters, covering everything until there is nothing left of the earth to see, save for a boat that is protecting all of us.

Song of Noah

Song of Songs is a poem about a man who loves a woman, to the exclusion of all other woman. She is elevated above all other women, and adorned as such.

The story isn’t about the rejection of other women in the poem. It’s about a special relationship.

In a way, the story of Noah and the Flood in Genesis 6 and 7 is the same story as the Song of Songs.

Here is the difference:

Perhaps neither of these “other” groups are meant to point to people.

The “other women” in Song of Songs are the heavenly hosts that cheer the union.

The “people not on the boat” are the demonic forces that God will destroy because they desire to harm His bride.

The House of the LORD

Then the Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.
Genesis 7:1 (NKJV)

Nearly every translation renders this “before me” or “in my presence,” and those are correct meanings. But the literal Hebrew here is “to my face.” This feels… intimate. As close as lovers. Face to face.

God calls us to come into His boat. His house. His presence.

Can you feel it?

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
Psalm 23:6 (NKJV)

And God said to REST

Then the Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.
Genesis 7:1 (NKJV)

The name Noah means “rest.” Here in Genesis 7, we know it refers to the man’s name, but if you get very, very, absurdly literal, consider this other theological statement that it appears to say:

Then the Lord said to REST. He said stop. Trust.

And because the rest of the verse describes God inviting Noah into the Ark, which represents atonement, we have this:

“Come into my protection. My dwelling. My house, you and your people. I see you desire to be with me, to be near me, to be face to face with me right here, and right now. Come. Be with me.”

I’m telling you, this is a love story.

The Exodus and the Flood

In Exodus, the avenging angel swept through and killed the first-born sons of the land. This was terrifying, but those covered by the sign of atonement were safe.

The flood waters in Genesis 7 were also terrifying, and it served a similar purpose. Terrifying, but those covered by the Ark (which is a place of atonement) were also safe.

God is on the Boat

Then the Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.
Genesis 7:1 (NKJV)

Different translations render Genesis 7:1 as “GO into the ark” or “ENTER the ark” as though these all mean the same thing… but the Hebrew word בֹּֽא־ (“bo”) most often means to “come in.”

God didn’t say “GO into THAT boat over there.” He said “COME into MY boat with Me, right HERE.”

You’re on the Boat

If you read the Bible and you don’t know God loves you with the greatest love, the words will sound like hell.

You’re going to see yourself cast out of the garden.
Marked for death.
A random name in a list of names.
Left off the boat as the flood rises.

But that’s not the story.

He left the garden with you.
He shielded you from vengeance.
He knows your name.
He carries you in the boat.

It is your story. It is the story of His great love for you.

Eat what God has Provided

In Hebrew numerology, you probably know that three and seven are important. This make multiples (3 x 7 = 21) stand out as well.

So I find it amusing that in the Garden, the word “eat” is stated 21 times in the Hebrew in Genesis 1 and 2.

And “eating” is tied to the greenery.

Interestingly, similar to the way the animals in Genesis 1 are described in triplicate (livestock, creeping things, wild animals), we are shown three kinds of plants: grass, herbs, and trees.

In Genesis 6 and 7, the text is specific: God brings all three types of animals. But there’s no mention of the three types of plants. It is only hinted at in this phrase: מִכָּל־מַאֲכָל (mi-kol ma’akhal). This phrase means “of every food.”

You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.
Genesis 6:21 (NIV)

I used to wonder why humans and animals were vegetarian before the flood. Perhaps it’s linked to atonement: the Ark is a grand parable of humanity being preserved.

The three animals are a metaphor for all people, and people should not devour one another. God has provided every food we need.