Exodus 25-30

“Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them” (25:8). God insisted that the Israelites “make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you” (25:9). They were not free to create any kind of tabernacle or rituals; they were surrounded by idol-worshipping cultures and would have copied them. Instead, God wanted them to worship according to “the pattern I showed you on the mountain” (25:40).

“Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God” (29:45). We don’t have to be led astray by culture or our own thoughts; Jesus is God’s perfect self-revelation. When we worship Him, God dwells among us by His Spirit.