Exodus 37-38; Psalm 52

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Exodus 37-38; Psalm 52

Verses chosen for meditation: Exodus 37:1-5 ESV:

1 Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. Two cubits1 and a half was its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 2 And he overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold around it. 3 And he cast for it four rings of gold for its four feet, two rings on its one side and two rings on its other side. 4 And he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold 5 and put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark.

Reflect

The above 5 verses are but a representation of the two chapters of Exodus combined. During my first read, they had appeared only as a detailed account of the construction of items found or placed in the tabernacle, and nothing more. I had wondered what lessons, truths or applications I could get out of them, so much so that the initial thought was to relegate the study to another time.

However, upon realising that there's no escaping the task, I decided to ask questions from the observations made. From there, I formulated further questions, dug even deeper and tried connecting all the dots to arrive at a possible bigger picture and hopefully, the central truth.

Surprisingly, what was thought a literary desert at the outset, all dry and unrefreshing, turned out to be an oasis of inspirations. This itself is a lesson to me that no part of Scripture is ever void of merit.

But before going further, let's take a look at the sample of questions:

1. Why is Bezalel mentioned alone in the construction of the ark? (All the other items were presumably constructed by both Bezalel and Oholiab working as a team.) (38:22,23)

2. Why is pure gold and acacia wood singly mentioned and specifically highlighted out of all the materials used such as silver and bronze, which were mentioned only towards the end (38:25-31)?

3. Why is gold taken from the wave offering and silver from the collection? (There appears to be a difference between offering and collection.)

4. What are the reasons behind the specific dimensions, materials and instructions? (There seems to be a lot of 'what to do' and 'how to do', but a dearth of 'why do'.)

5. How is all this relevant? 

Relate

The name 'Bezalel' means 'in the shadow of God'. He was the best artisan there was at that time. Being the best, he was entrusted with the task of constructing the ark, considered to be the most sacred of religious relics. Lives have been lost for simply touching the ark without permission. For only the high priests were allowed to come close and touch it. Even then, they could only do so on appointed days, not just any day. Besides, they would need to be ceremonially clean on those given days. Bezalel was also the great grandson of Caleb if that could have served as a consideration in the selection.

Concerning the ark, not just any gold, but only the finest was used in its construction, together with the other items. Acacia wood was similarly chosen as it was the most suitable timber found around the area. The wood also gave off a fragrant scent, which made it ideal for the making of items used in worship. Acacia was also the purported 'burning bush,' which Moses encountered. And according to tradition, the crown of thorns worn on Christ's head was thought to have been woven from it.

Wave offering got its name from the ritual waving of a portion of offering in the air before presenting it. Collection, on the other hand, refers to offering that was given towards a cause. It goes without saying that a wave offering represented an offering to God. It made absolute sense therefore to use the gold from the wave offerings for the construction of the most precious and sacred items.

The lesson here couldn’t be more obvious that only the best is used. For God himself would do the same a thousand over years later when he gave his only son as the ultimate sacrifice. He who is better than the best.

After reading the two chapters, I was also amazed by the details that went into the descriptions of the construction of the various items in the tabernacle. The dimensions and materials mentioned were nothing short of specific. So were the instructions, they were precise to a tee. From a simple analysis of the observations, three essential types of question surfaced: The What, The How and The Why. Many things in life including the way we practice and the way we run a ministry revolve around these three.

Much information is in fact given in the foregoing two chapters about the 'What' and the 'How', but not the 'Why'. Except for one perhaps, the poles, which were used to carry the ark so that it would not be touched by anyone. Even that was not explicitly made clear.

Of the 3 types of question cited, I would say the 'Why' is the most important of them, but that's not to say the 'What' and 'How' are not. Ironically, the 'Why' is often the most hidden from us as it's the prerogative of God to reveal the reasons. Granted as we may never fully understand since his thoughts are higher than ours. 

Having said that, asking the right 'Why' at the right time can be of help in some situations. It helps us review our motive, purpose, and even understanding. It becomes a check, from time to time, to keep us on the right track, and especially when differences of ideas, opinions or practices exist.

In the context of present-day worship, the 'Why' has stayed largely unchanged while the 'What' and 'How' have changed with the time. For example, the tabernacle or temple in the New Testament now refers to our body, both individually and collectively (1 Corinthians 3:16,17). The essence of it is nevertheless the same. We are to glorify God with all of ourselves. Why? Because he deserves the best of us as well as the best from us. And this has not changed a single bit.

Finally, before I close the day's meditation, let me do a quick correlation of What, How and Why to the 3 cardinal things that Paul mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13: 13 - Faith, Hope and Love.

If you ask me, I see 'What' as 'Hope', that is to know 'what' is in store; 'How' as 'Faith', that is to know 'how' to know God more as the person we're to trust; and 'Why' as 'Love', that is to know 'why' we're doing the things we do.

In conclusion, know too that in the construction of the tabernacle, only the best is used. Only the best also should be offered. And that is Love. (Deuteronomy 6:5)

 

Rest

Lord, remind us that our body is your temple. And collectively with the others, we are your temple when we worship and pray. So let the wave offering be our life, the pure gold and acacia wood be our attitude and service. Just as you've given us the best in Christ, may we do likewise in love.

Naville Chia