Scripture Passage for Today
Scripture Focus
“Have the people make an Ark of acacia wood… Place inside the Ark the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, which I will give to you. Then put the atonement cover on top of the Ark. I will meet with you there and talk to you from above the atonement cover between the gold cherubim that hover over the Ark of the Covenant. From there I will give you my commands for the people of Israel.” (Exodus 25:10, 21-22 NLT)
Observation
If you can keep from getting swallowed up by all the details, there is much to enjoy from reading God’s instructions for the construction of a tabernacle. The finished product would have been spectacular to behold—on the one hand, just a tent, but on the other, a tent like no other! This tabernacle would have put on display the skills of the finest Israelite craftsmen.
And it starts on the inside. It’s built from the inside-out.
At the heart of the tabernacle—and explained first—are the details for the Ark of the Covenant…a “storage chest”, really…that would (1) contain a copy of the covenant agreement between God and Israel and (2) serve as *the* place where God would meet with and talk with His people. “From there,” God says, “I will give you my commands…”
The whole thing—the tabernacle itself, the furnishings, the garments for the priests—would be spectacular to behold. But the real action would take place in the hidden, innermost place.
And so it is—or certainly ought to be—with us. While man looks on the outward appearance, God looks on the heart. And from there He works, shaping us from the inside out, so that all of who we are can be beautiful in His sight…by means of the blood covenant we enjoy through Jesus Christ.
It’s terribly easy in our hectic, "every-second-a-new-demand-or-expectation-or-opportunity" culture to become consumed with the outside and neglect the inside. When I read where God started the instruction and construction of His dwelling place with Israel, I am reminded that I must give due attention to His dwelling place in me.
3 comments:
I wish I could have seen all of that. All the gold and the craftmanship of Gods dwelling.
I know there is alot of meaning for numbers in the Bible. I was just wondering if the numbers for the exact dimensions of what God wanted have any meaning to them? I was just thinking about that. I dont know if there is any.
Thats one thing of many that I love about God is the fact that he is looking on the inside of me and not on the outside. I hope that i can display what God has been putting in my heart to everybody and thats what they see on the outside.
Have a good day everyone!
Reading God's Word daily and especially in the chronological order that we are, definately reminds me daily (several times daily) to ask, "What would Jesus do?". He is helping me from the inside and I am so thankful. I want to be priviledged enough to be used of God in any and all ways. I think He is working on that! ;)
I know I have a long way to go, but reading and pondering on His Word is such a treasure to my heart. It seems to be consuming more of my time than ever before and that is a great thing!
I admit when I was reading through these passages I was getting lost in trying to visualize the Ark of the Covenant, but my bible went on to explain that when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden. They created a terrible rift in the relationship between God and the human race. But God has spent centuries since then reaching out to us, seeking to heal the relationship. God's declaration that he would dwell among the Isrealites in a Tabernacle was a step in this process of reconciliation. God wanted to live among his people. The details of the pattern he laid outalso show that God clearly sets boundaries within which he relates to his people. Later, when Jesus Christ became a man, God's personal presence among the human race represented an even more personal realtionship with us (John 1:14). Praise God that he is in the business of reconciliation.
This Part also spoke strongly to me. God's command to keep the lamps burning through the night proves that God is a God of light. In the dark it is difficult to judge reality and easier to hide the truth. I took this as God wants his people to be transparent, having integrity and faith. and to be obedient to his word. that is what it means to live in the light of God's presence...Glen H
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