Day 12 - Exodus 35-40 - the furniture in God's house

The materials required for the tabernacle are detailed, and whoever is willing and able to provide should do so; and so, the people of Israel provide the various special things. These things were provided for by a free will offering, not a tax, obligation, or forced collection - likewise, incidentally, with all our service for the kingdom of God. (It actually turns out in chapter 38 that there was also a tax to cover some of the costs, but the earlier emphasis is on free giving, so we'll focus on that for now.)

It's fascinating to see gifts of creativity and artistic skill, and the ability to teach these things, all recognised as coming from God (e.g. vss 34-35). As careful as we must be in translating this to our own context, there is, it seems, a place for beauty and art in true worship. The offerings from these skilled people overflowed, presumably out of thankfulness, and Moses asked people to stop giving once the required amount was attained - it's not always a case of the more the merrier, at least when it comes to collections of sea cow hides.

Then the inner intricacies of the temple are described in depth. It is carefully made and expensive; no doubt the most impressive structure to be seen in that particular desert through which the Israelites wandered, but it was all just a faint shadow of things in heavenly places, which with the coming of Jesus were to be revealed fully.

I don't know much about the significance of the particular items; some people could talk for many hours on these things I expect, but I can just see intricacy and beauty in amidst a confusing amount of detail and quite a lot of gold. Particularly striking as I reflect, the splendid complexity of the altar in chapter 38 sharply contrasts with the ugly simplicity of the cross on which Jesus died, the site of a far more efficacious sacrifice.

Sometimes we may wonder at the flashy clothing worn by some tele-evangelists - but check out the bling worn by the priests! (chapter 39) Blue, purple and red cloth, with thin strands of actual gold mixed in for added sparkle (or something). Of course, the task of an evangelist and of a priest are rather different things. There is no more need for tabernacle attendants, but if a slot opens up, the clothing allowance will presumably be impressive.

The beauty of the tabernacle was a visual reminder of Israel's relationship with God. Once completed, things went to a whole new level [gross understatement] when the presence of God appeared and filled this mobile tent, being visible to the whole of Israel as a cloud, with fire at night time. As we consider this and marvel, let us remember that just as God was with Israel, He is with us, but in an even more real and personal way, by his Spirit dwelling with us and pointing us to Jesus, God-with-us.