He Dwelt Amongst Us

[Artwork by John Musgrove of Musgrove Painting http://www.musgrovepainting.com]

When we get to Old Testament descriptions of how the Israelites were to construct a tabernacle for God (Exodus 25-31), many of the details are lost on us as modern readers. We look to reconstructed illustrations or archaeology to get some sense of what that could have looked like. And still, the ancient forms seem foreign to our understanding of what God’s dwelling amongst men would have looked like.

As an art historian, the beautifully crafted description of the objects for worship are like a chef savoring a list of fine ingredients - but instead of truffles and saffron, I marvel at such details as the luxurious gold overlay on the acacia wood ark and table, the lamp stand with almond blossoms and floral flourishing, the painstakingly thought-out composition and exact dimensions, the purposeful insertion of color and texture and material…

But lest I get carried away with these descriptions, the standout detail to me is how the Hebrew word for “tabernacle” or mishkan is translated in New Testament Greek as skenoo. We read in John 1:14:

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (ESV)

The word “dwelt” in our English translation is the word “tabernacle” from the Old Testament. The truth that God took on human form in His Son Jesus and dwelt amongst us is something I need to remember in my ordinary, far from glamorous routine. When the Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us, there was no gold overlay on His manger. No layering of curtains to shield from the livestock. When He came, He made His residence amongst us in ordinary, humble fashion. And now His presence remains with us in the Holy Spirit. This nearness of God is particularly invigorating to me, especially as our routines in these socially distant days seem even more ordinary.