I’ve read and enjoyed Marva Dawn’s intriguing book, Powers, Weakness, and the Tabernacling of God. It presents a powerful antidote to any success or strength orientated writings, which have become quite common in recent decades.
This article highlights a theme in the book which I found very helpful.
2 Cor 12.9, Paul writes that his power was brought to an end in his weakness; Paul glories in his weakness because Christ’s power tabernacles in him. The well-known phrase, ‘my power is made perfect in weakness’ is more accurately translated ‘my power dwells in weakness.’ And, remarkably, the word dwells, or tabernacles, means ‘the shekinah glory of God dwells.’ These familiar words provide a strong link between my weakness and the in-dwelling glory of God.
In the description of the construction of the tabernacle (Ex 24-38), this same word appears 140 times. Such was the significance of God dwelling in the midst of Israel.
Just as God had revealed Himself in shekinah glory at Mount Sinai, so He continued to dwell amongst the people in their subsequent journeys.
A key theme, which occurs elsewhere (e.g: Acts 7) is that God’s dwelling amongst His people is not a stationery thing. The NT continues the OT theme of God dwelling among His people, but without any geographical restriction. In particular, the emphasis, from the time of Solomon onwards, on the temple in Jerusalem, can no longer apply.
The NT picks up the theme of ‘tabernacle’ in John 1.14; the new dwelling place of God amongst men is Jesus Christ. And this opens up a further subject for contemplation, of Christ’s genuine human weakness.
