That I May Dwell among Them: Incarnation and Atonement in the Tabernacle Narrative

by Gary A. Anderson

Publisher:

Eerdmans

, 2023

Overview

What does Israel’s tabernacle mean for Christians today?

The Tabernacle Narrative comprises passages in Exodus and Leviticus that detail the construction, furnishing, and liturgical use of the tabernacle. Given its genre and style, the narrative is often passed over by those reading Scripture for theological insight.

But what can these complex passages reveal about Christ? Gary Anderson shows how these passages shed light on incarnation and atonement both in ancient Israel’s theology and in Christian theology. Anderson explains how the chronology of the narrative reflects sacred time, how the Israelites saw divine features in the physical aspects of the tabernacle, and how Isaac’s sacrifice foreshadowed the sacrificial rite revealed to Moses at Mt. Sinai.

Ultimately, Anderson shows how the Old Testament can deepen our understanding of the gospel. For Athanasius and many church fathers, God’s “indwelling” in the tabernacle offers a unique witness to the nature of incarnation, supplementing the story told in the gospels. Likewise, careful analysis of the purpose of sacrifice at the tabernacle clarifies the purpose of Christ’s passion. Far from connoting penal substitution, sacrifice in the Old Testament demonstrates self-emptying as an antidote to sin. Theologians, pastors, and serious readers of the Bible will appreciate how Anderson’s canonical and literary analysis of the Tabernacle Narrative illuminates Christian theology.

Key Features

• Shows how the tabernacle sheds light on incarnation and atonement both in ancient Israel’s theology and in Christian theology
• Provides careful analysis of the purpose of sacrifice at the tabernacle
• Explores how the Old Testament can deepen our understanding of the gospel

Contents

Part One: The Priestly Narrative

“That I may dwell among them”

• 1. Inauguration of the Tabernacle: One or Two Theophanies?
• 2. Seeing God
• 3. Serving God

“[They did] as he had not commanded them”

• 4. Liturgical Beginnings and Immediate Sin
• 5. Nadab and Abihu and Apophatic Theology

Part Two: The Priestly Narrative in Its Larger Canonical Setting

“These are your gods, O Israel!”

• 6. The Sin of the Golden Calf
• 7. The Binding of Isaac and Sacrifice

“The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us”

• 8. Incarnation
• 9. Atonement

Product Details

• Title: That I May Dwell among Them: Incarnation and Atonement in the Tabernacle Narrative
• Author: Gary A. Anderson
• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Print Publication Date: 2023
• Logos Release Date: 2023
• Pages: 254
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
• Subjects: Bible. O.T. Exodus; Bible. O.T. Leviticus; Tabernacle; Incarnation; Atonement
• ISBNs: 9780802883063, 0802883060
• Resource ID: LLS:THTMYTBRNCNRRTV
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2023-11-15T20:22:14Z

About Gary A. Anderson

Gary A. Anderson (PhD, Harvard University) is Hesburgh Professor of Catholic Theology at the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, and is a past president of the Catholic Biblical Association. He is the author or editor of more than ten books, including the award winners Sin: A History and Charity: The Place of the Poor in the Biblical Tradition. Anderson has also written for The Christian Century, First Things, Commonweal, and America.