You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits broad. The altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits. 2And you shall make horns for it on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze. You shall make pots for it to receive its ashes, and shovels and basins and forks and fire pans. You shall make all its utensils of bronze… Exodus 27:1-3
…All the pillars around the court shall be filleted with silver. Their hooks shall be of silver, and their bases of bronze. The length of the court shall be a hundred cubits, the breadth fifty, and the height five cubits, with hangings of fine twined linen and bases of bronze… Exodus 27:17-18
Exact measurements, thorough instructions, directions about the minutiae of each facet…
And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and of fine twined linen, skillfully worked. It shall have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges, so that it may be joined together… Exodus 28:6-7
You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth… Exodus 28:9-10
A meticulous plan, specific materials, colors, gemstones, metals, in depth ornamentation and decoration…
You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, in skilled work. In the style of the ephod you shall make it—of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen shall you make it. It shall be square and doubled, a span its length and a span its breadth. You shall set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius, topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first row; and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; and the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold filigree. There shall be twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They shall be like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes… Exodus28:15-21
I am struck by the detail.
Piece by piece, item by item, God described the various aspects of the bronze altar, the court of the tabernacle, the Priest’s garments. Each precise feature was designed to be functional and beautiful, as a part of the rituals of praise and atonement. Each portion was also designed to be a prophetic illustration, a foretelling of the coming Christ, as well as a reminder of God’s goodness.
Every time I read these passages about the tabernacle. Every moment I spend in nature, looking at flora and fauna, and learning more about my surroundings. Every day as I watch my daughters grow, I am reminded that God is a remarkable Creator. I look at each element and see the intricacies of each part; and I know that even as I observe, I am still not aware of all of the complexities.
Like God designed the tabernacle and all of its pieces, He designed me. He formed me in my mother’s womb from the inside out. He knows my name and every hair on my head. He sees my going and my coming. He crafted me complete and full of detail. He molded me into a unique being, yet He fashioned me in His image. He created me for such a time as this to show Himself, His love to the world through Christ in me. He chose me.
Yesappa, Thank You for being in the details of everything from the tiniest atom to the largest galaxy and everything in between. Thank You for helping me see Your finished work in those intricate details, for helping me understand pieces of Your vastness. Thank You for letting me be a part of Your plan. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Blessings – Julie (writing from Sholavandan)
Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
From the archives. Originally published February 1, 2014.
Sixty-six books in a year 