Mishkan: “I Will Dwell Among Them”
-- T O R A H P O R T I O N --
Introduction:
When you meet someone important, how do you feel, and where do you usually meet them?
Last week, God invited Moshe, Aaron and his sons, and the elders to go up to the mountain to worship Him, to affirm His covenant, and to have fellowship with them. Then God made another set of invitations, but this time it was only Moshe, because God gave him the tablets of stone, the Torah, and the mitzvot, which God wrote so that Moshe may teach the children of Israel.
Our Torah portion deals with the making of the tabernacle. In chapter 24, only Moshe, Aaron and his sons, and the elders were invited, but this time God wants the children of Israel to get involved in bringing an offering for the sanctuary. Going back to Exodus 12:35, they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, gold, and clothing, and these were the offerings that God wants for His sanctuary. The word sanctuary in Hebrew is miqdas, which means “sacred place” or “holy place,” and this is possibly the reason why God wants gold, silver, bronze, different colors, fabrics, stones, and more.
The sanctuary is part of the Mishkan that God wants the children of Israel to make so that His holy presence may dwell among them. Here, God is the architect, where verse 9 says: “According to all that I show you, that is the pattern of the Tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.” The Hebrew word for tabernacle is Mishkan, which means “dwelling place,” and as He dwells among the Israelites, He instructed them to make the following:
The Ark of the Testimony (vv. 10–22) – Made of acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold inside and out. These are the Ten Words, and this is the most important part of the Mishkan, where the holy presence of God would dwell among the Israelites. This testimony is the agreement between God and His people. Remember how the ark became important to Noah when the earth was flooded because of the wickedness of man; the same is true for the children of Israel, as the ark would remind them that God is not only faithful but also just. Notice there is a mercy seat, which in Hebrew is kaporet, meaning “place of atonement.” The blood of the blameless animal would be sprinkled here once a year through Aaron for the sins of the people. This is a foreshadowing of Yeshua, for His blood not only atoned (covered) our sins but paid for them fully (propitiation). HalleluYAH, Baruch HaShem! Also, there are two cherubim at the two ends of the mercy seat facing one another, and their faces were toward the mercy seat to remind Israel and us that our attention should be focused on what is inside the ark, which is the mitzvot—our agreement with God.
The Table for the Showbread (vv. 23–30) – This is also made of acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold. Since they were in the wilderness, this showbread reminded them of God’s sustenance. In Leviticus 24:5–9, it says that Aaron and his sons shall eat the bread every Shabbat. In spite of the journey of the children of Israel in the wilderness, where food was difficult to find, God provided bread. This bread also foreshadows Yeshua as the Bread of Life from heaven (John 6:35).
The Menorah (vv. 31–40) – It is also made of pure gold, and it stands in front of the table of showbread. It has seven branches adorned with almond flowers. This menorah gives light inside the Mishkan for Aaron and his sons to serve God. The menorah is also a foreshadowing of Yeshua as, first, the Light of the World (John 8:12), and second, the True Vine (John 15:1, 5), and apart from Him we cannot bear much fruit. Regarding the almond blossoms, the Hebrew word for almond is saqad. Of all the trees, it is the first to arouse and awaken from the sleep of winter, so it is a reminder to the Israelites and to us that we should always be prompt in serving God.
The Mishkan (26:1–30) – Going back to the dream of Yaakov at Bethel in Genesis 28:13–15, which says:
“And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: ‘I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants… Behold, I AM WITH you and will KEEP you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not LEAVE you until I have done what I have spoken to you.’”
For God to fulfill this, He did many things, and one of those was the building of the Mishkan so that He may dwell among them (Exo. 25:8). The Mishkan has three sections: the courtyard, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. The Mishkan was made of valuable materials, showing us that God is King—majestic, detailed, and organized.
Now, what can we learn from the Mishkan?
Adonai is Humble – He came from His throne. Though He was rich, He became poor (2 Cor. 8:9). He made Himself of no reputation by taking the form of a bondservant, and being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death (Phil. 2:7–8). The King of heaven came down to earth, born in a sukkah, and declared Himself as the Son of Man (Matt. 8:20).
Adonai is Approachable – When He invited Moshe, Aaron and his sons, and the seventy elders to come up to the mountain (Exo. 24:1), it means He is approachable. Even Yeshua said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). This means He is approachable. It is comforting to know that we have a God who can be approached at any time. Ephesians 3:12 (NLT) says: “Because of Christ and our faith in Him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.”
It All Points to Yeshua – From the entrance to the mercy seat, it is Yeshua. There is only one entrance in the courtyard of the Mishkan, just as Yeshua is the only way to Adonai YHVH (John 14:6). The altar of burnt offering, where the animal sacrifice was burned, and the bronze basin, where the priests washed their hands before entering the Holy Place, point to Yeshua, for He offered Himself once for all (Heb. 7:27), and He washes our sins (Heb. 9:22). Inside the Holy Place, He is the menorah because He is the Light of the World (John 8:12). In front of the menorah is the table of showbread, and Yeshua is the Bread from heaven (John 6:31–33). The altar of incense, which stands before entering the Most Holy Place, pictures Yeshua as our intercessor to Adonai YHVH (Heb. 7:25). Finally, the Ark of the Covenant and the mercy seat also foreshadow Yeshua. As the high priest entered the Most Holy Place every year during Yom Kippur with the blood of an innocent animal, Yeshua offered Himself once to bear the sins of many (Heb. 9:27).
The Mishkan reveals that the Holy One does not merely want to be worshiped from a distance. He desires to dwell in the midst of His people, according to His design, His order, and His holiness.
The Mishkan was not built by human creativity but by divine instruction. Every measurement, material, and placement mattered because God was teaching Israel how to live with His holy presence in their midst.
As we reflect on the Mishkan, consider:
How do you make God your dwelling place?
Psalm 91:9–10
“If you say, ‘The LORD is my refuge,’ and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you; no disaster will come near your tent.”
A holy God chooses to dwell among a willing and obedient people.
The Mishkan challenges us not only to admire God’s dwelling but to prepare ourselves to host His presence.
Are you following God’s design for holiness, or shaping worship according to your own preferences?
-- H A F T A R A H P O R T I O N --
Our Haftarah deals with the final chapter of the book of Isaiah and its conclusion. God is not after a Mishkan that is made of stone. He is looking for someone who is poor in spirit and repentant. In Matthew 5:3, Yeshua said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
God reminds Israel that He is the Creator, the Maker of all things. How could they think they could build Him a place to reside? Everything in the universe is the product of His hands, and without Him there would be nothing.
John 1:1–3
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing made had being."
Also in this portion, God is not after offerings and sacrifices as if they are merely routine. He wants to dwell in the heart of someone who is willing to obey His words. First Samuel 15:22 says: “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.”
God condemns worship that lacks humility, obedience, and sincerity. Sacrifices without a surrendered heart are meaningless to Him.
Micah 6:6–8
“With what can I come before Adonai to bow down before God on high? Should I come before him with burnt offerings? with calves in their first year? Would Adonai take delight in thousands of rams with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Could I give my firstborn to pay for my crimes,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” Human being, you have already been told
what is good, what Adonai demands of you — no more than to act justly, love grace and walk in purity with your God."
That is why in Jeremiah 31:33, God said through the prophet Jeremiah: “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My Torah in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
The Torah written on the heart means a heart that is willing to obey the words of God.
Ezekiel 36:25–27 (NKJV)
“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.”
Our Creator is not impressed with outward appearances. He wants someone with a humble and contrite heart. Therefore, let humility be our focus, and let us ask God to help us. James 4:6 says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
God does not dwell in buildings shaped by human hands, but in hearts shaped by humility.
Heaven is His throne, earth His footstool—yet He draws near to the one who trembles at His word.
The question is: Does your heart tremble at His word, or only listen when it is convenient?
May we not offer Him empty worship, but hearts that are yielded, teachable, and ready to obey.
-- APOSTOLIC P O R T I O N --
In the Apostolic portion, Paul urged the believers in Corinth to glorify God through their bodies. How? By reminding them of the following:
First, the body of a believer is no longer for sin, but for the LORD, and the LORD for the body (v. 13).
Second, the body is a member of Yeshua (v. 15). In Romans 12:4–5, Paul said: “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”
Third, the body is the temple of the Ruach HaKodesh (v. 19). In Romans 12:1, Paul said: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”
Paul ended chapter six by reminding not only the believers in Corinth, but also us, that we were bought at a price; therefore, we should glorify God in our bodies.
Our bodies, like the Mishkan, are not our own, they are consecrated spaces where God chooses to dwell.
To misuse the body for sin is to treat the dwelling place of God casually. To honor the body through obedience is to declare that God is truly present within us. Holiness, therefore, is not legalism; it is love expressed through obedience.
1 Peter 1:18–19 (NKJV)
“Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
Paul’s teaching does not introduce a new idea, but builds upon the Torah foundation already established in the Mishkan. Just as the Mishkan was set apart, consecrated, and filled with the presence of Adonai, so the believer is now called to live as a sanctified dwelling place of God.
The same God who dwelled among Israel in the Mishkan now dwells within His people through the Ruach HaKodesh. This truth places responsibility upon the believer to live in holiness, obedience, and reverence.
The same God who filled the Mishkan with His glory now fills His people with His Spirit.
Paul’s message confronts us with a serious question:
If our bodies are truly the dwelling place of God, how are we treating His sanctuary?
Reflect honestly:
- Does my lifestyle reflect the holiness of the One who dwells within me?
- Do my choices glorify God, or grieve His Spirit?
- Am I presenting my body daily as a living sacrifice, set apart for His purposes?
The Apostolic portion reminds us that redemption was costly. We were bought not with silver or gold, but with precious blood. Therefore, let us live as living Mishkans, holy, devoted, and fully surrendered so that God may be glorified in us.
The connection in Parasha 63 centers on God’s desire to dwell among His people. In the Torah, God instructed Moshe and Israel to construct a sanctuary so that He could dwell with them. In the Haftarah, God seeks a humble and repentant heart—one that trembles at His Word—so that He may dwell within. In the Apostolic writings, Paul reminds the believers in Corinth that their very bodies are God’s temple, where He desires to dwell.
We all have favorite places where we meet loved ones or friends, from childhood to the present. But for God, there is no need for a building, a location, or a ritual. He desires to dwell in us through His Son Yeshua, the living Mishkan, the Torah made flesh, who tabernacled among us.
Isaiah 7:14 NKJV
"Therefore the LORD Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel (God with us)."
John 1:14 NKJV
"And the Word (Torah) became flesh and tabernacled among us, and we beheld His glory—the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
Psalm 90:1-2 NIV
"Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God."
God’s heart has always been the same: to dwell with His people, in humble hearts, through Yeshua—Immanuel, God with us.
May we open ourselves fully, so His presence fills every corner of our lives, and we reflect His glory to the world.
Shabbat Shalom,
Topher
***************************************************************************
Sources:
blueletterbible.org
bethmelekh.com
reformjudaism.org
shema.com
oneforisrael.org
4truth.ca
sdarm.org
The Mac Arthur Study Bible
According to Roger Volume2
God’s Wilderness Tabernacle by Roger Walkwitz
No comments:
Post a Comment