So. About today’s reading. Pretty uneventful. Just Bezalel and the guys building the ark, table, lampstand, and altar according to the exact measurements and instructions God gave Moses in Exodus 25–27. Today’s chapter is literally giving me “nothing to see here” vibes. But, if we lean in real close, I think we find a hidden gem in this seemingly mundane chapter.
Between God giving Moses the construction plans for His home, the tabernacle, in Exodus 25–31, and the execution of those plans in Exodus 37–40 was the golden calf of Exodus 32. Israel was on the verge of losing it all. God was so angry He contemplated killing them all and starting over with Moses, which would’ve been entirely just and righteous for Him to do. Thankfully, for their sake, Moses swayed God to spare them. However, there is still uncertainty in the air. God had chosen to forgive and even fulfill His promise by agreeing to still leading them to the land of milk and honey, but He was on the fence as to whether or not He would reconcile with them.
Though forgiveness and reconciliation are often treated as synonyms, they’re two different steps. It’s beautiful when these two work together, but imagine with me for a moment what would’ve happened if God had chosen only to forgive Israel and not go with them.
The tabernacle and its furnishings were not just representative of God’s presence with Israel; it was of the place where God dwelled. With Bezalel and the guys measuring out acacia wood and setting gold on the mercy seat, it testified to the people of Israel that God was going with them. Their work, which took place in full view of all the people, revealed that God was indeed Yahweh—full of compassion, mercy, forgiveness, and reconciling love.
Though this chapter is often skipped over to get to the so-called good stuff, it is an important link in the story of God. It also previews the work Christ would do with another kind of wood before the eyes of many so that we might be forgiven and reconciled to God. Let us rejoice and celebrate our God, who offers us forgiveness and extends the gift of reconciliation to us.
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43 thoughts on "Making the Ark"
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Amen
I googled the question “How long did it take to build the tabernacle?” The response came up with 9 months.
During the Golden Calf incident in Exodus 32, the Bible uses the term ‘all the people’ (Exodus 32:3). So, this would lead me to believe that Oholiab and Bezalel (as well as all the other men who helped to construct the temple) took part in this sin. Having God-given ‘skill, intelligence, knowledge, and craftmanship’ (Exodus 35:31), doesn’t make you exempt from the temptations to sin nor the need to repent of sin. Yet, God still allowed them to take part in constructing the temple, not because they deserved the opportunity, not because they proved to God that they were ‘good enough,’ not because their skill was unmatched, not because God needed them, but because of His grace and mercy ALONE! Just as the Golden Calf incident was a public sin, God then used these same men who all partook in that public sin, to take part in constructing the temple in public, again to showcase His grace & mercy ALONE! Praise God!
Molly R this is beautiful and so applicable to my current stage of life. Thank you for this!!
The horns on the altar caught my attention today. I looked up horns and in the Bible they represent kings. The horns of the altar provided sanctuary to those seeking it. I think the horns on the altar represented Jesus, the King of all and the one who was sacrificed for all of our sins. I find it amazing that even in the details that I would gloss over usually, God has great meaning! God is good!
LEE, praying for your brother, and the wider family as you navigate this next season..
BUT GOD..
He is near, in all circumstances, He is near..
Sending love and prayers wrapped in hugs for you all.
Angie Mills, thank you so very much for the insight. So very good and definitely needed to hear/see as u am one who tends to skim over things I believe do not affect this day and times..
Thank you sister.
Thank you God.
BUT GOD..
❤
Thank you Angie Mills for sharing the revelations. Truly God is deep and even His texts have multi layered symbolic messages. We are His workmanship indeed, day by day being developed to be pure gold. Amazing capture.
Thanks for sharing those insights!
Amen Marianne. Praying for requests spoken and on hearts.
Such good insight. God is there even in the mundane moments of our lives.
This is where the narrative changes from “make to made” and this is where the Israelites posture changes FROM slavery in Egypt building Pharaoh’s temple TO worship in Sinai building Gods temple.
Wonder how long it took for them to build the tabernacle in the desert? Anyone knows?
Praying !!!!
Couldn’t agree more! Maybe we’re just Bible nerds because I didn’t find it to be mundane :(
The image of God going with His people is emphasized in the creation of the lampstand. The use of the almond flower is not only beautiful but meaningful–the Hebrew word for ‘almond flower’ sounds similar to the word for ‘watch over’ (per Biblia notes).
None of God’s Words should be regarded as trivial or not needed or looked past. Yes it describes something that doesn’t apply to us any more but it is very significant and it is part of our history. A history we should be very proud of.
Good news sisters, my sister Carol has found an apartment near mine. She can start to move in on Thursday. She is still in rehab but she is doing better. The doctors started her on prednisone for the swelling and it has helped greatly. My brothers are lending such great help in talking to her regularly and offering to help financially.
Be blessed and know God answers all prayers in HIS TIME NOT ours.
I love this promise from the Lord: “I watch over my word to accomplish it.”Jeremiah 1:12
His word is never void!
I don’t know if I posted this before, but there is a video through the Smithsonia Channel on youtube showing modern craftsmen building the ark with the tools they had back then. It really puts in perspective how much work went into building the ark and the amount of talent the Israelites had to have to complete this task. This is the name of the video if you want to take a look: A Master Craftsman Tests the Baffling Ark of the Covenant
Lee- praying for your nephew and family!
ANGIE MILLS – fantastic!
“Shine the light of Christ in our fallen world”
MARIANNE REUTER, you make an excellent point – thank you for sharing :)
Such good insights today. Thank you for sharing, Ladies. Hugs ❤️
I don’t see how these readings are uneventful, here the hard work is being done!!! Bezalel is a boss!!! Lol I mean if you don’t envision the work being done, I can see it being boring.
I’m just like, dang, that is laborious work. Angie Mills, your comment thoroughly supports that. You have a way of tying things together — thank you. I like that you related to the workmanship of the hammered golden lampstand to our walk with Christ.
Also, anyone else get super excited when they saw the Advent preview on SRT’s Instagram post!!
I was hearing the song “Burn” from Brooke Ligertwood’s album “Seven” as I read the scripture today. She references today’s scripture in the song. Wonderful album!!
Wow!
Not sure why the article downplayed the scriptures today as being mundane…. Definitely can’t relate… found it weird actually. Anyway the construction of the holy ark of the covenant where Gods very presence would dwell amongst his people is so detailed it helps me visualize what it truly looked like and it sounds magnificent.
How many times in life do I feel like I have been wandering in a wilderness? Parched, hungry, unsure of how to get to a land of plenty. And how many times have I missed the beautiful plans, work, and hope God is trying to gift me in those places of wilderness?
Here are the Israelites, just out of Egypt – a land known for its wonders and opulence in the ancient world – surrounded by bareness and hopelessness, building the very thing that will allow God to dwell among them.
God, I don’t need “all the things”, I don’t need security and plenty for you to show me how to make beautiful things for your glory and honor in my life. I am enough, and when I give myself to You, You use my temporary temple in this wilderness of life this side of Heaven to do marvelous wonders. A beautiful, gracious gift to fill me as the day begins, the sun is almost rising, and our new rooster is filling the morning with his energetic greeting of a new day. You are so good, and I praise you for the gifts that fill my cup to overflowing!
LEE: absolutely. Praying God’s greatest to be experienced by your nephew and his family. Praying that throughout whatever is in front of him, the ability for him to grow more intimately close to his Father and experience Him in a new and powerful way.
Over the years I have learned to wait better. When affliction or conflict comes my spirit feels trapped and I want to lash out or run. I want relief from the pain or difficulty I face. Fight or flight seems natural. But to stop and breathe, to wait for God’s lead will fan the flame of my faith. The seemingly dark corner I feel trapped in begins to glow with the light of Jesus. “This little light of mine” shines because of Him. He is light. And He gives me light to see in the darkness. God’s promise of life and light flows throughout His Word. Reading in Exodus I am smiling at the lampstands described with such detail. Made of pure gold with almond tree branches, buds and flowers. These are symbols of light and life, renewal and goodness, and God’s watchfulness over His word that will be fulfilled. A reminder of the tree of life in Eden. A reminder of the renewal of His coming Kingdom. A reminder of our forever home. Lampstands in the tabernacle, and later in the temples gave sacred and holy light where God was worshipped. And now that light is in us as believers. We have life and light everlasting. And so, this is why I can stand, I can wait on God to lead me. A lamp, filled with the oil of His Word, ready always to heed His call. To follow where I am led, or to wait with patience, shining brightly as I stand with Him. Selah. Maranatha. Amen.
The value of the ark is what stands out to me. To read that it was crafted with 75lbs of gold stuck out, so I looked up the value of gold today: $1,800 per oz. At 75lbs, it’s about $2.2 million dollars for the throne of God. To know that the Israelites still had even more gold provided to them for their journey is a true testament to the riches of God and his provision for his people!
I don’t comment often but today I have a prayer request. My nephew who is 32 and a new dad was given frightening news from a biopsy yesterday. Please pray for him.
Amen
Amen Marianne, so often we aren’t satisfied being ourselves and think we have to live up to others. We are enough as are others in Christ.
The podcast this week talked about how when Bezalel crafted all of these things, they went from “make to made.” Suddenly Gods visions and plans are coming to fruition for all the people to see – His promises are beginning to take shape and they can see hope in the smallest details. Any one of them unwilling to believe could have read the stone tablets with the directions and seen how incredible this was. Sometimes we don’t see things happening in the timing or the way that we want, but we can trust that God is laying out the plan before us. The greatest thing is now, that we don’t have to wait for a place to be constructed to go to God – we can just look inside and he’s there, working out all the details.
While reading today, I was struck that the lampstand was the only piece that was made out of hammered gold. The rest of the pieces in the tabernacle were made of wood overlaid with gold. It is interesting to me that this piece is the piece that represents the church in the book of Revelation.
In looking up the process of hammering out gold, I saw many insights.
1. The gold is first put in a crucible & melted in a furnace. This reminds me of God purifying our hearts.
2. The melted gold is molded into bars. This reminds me that our thinking needs to be transformed so that we think God’s thoughts. We must be molded to look like Him.
3. The bars are repeatedly put through a rolling mill; and each time, the rollers are adjusted to make the gold thinner. Then the gold is cut into squares and hammered out to expand the squares. There are several rounds of the striking process and each round takes at least one hour. The first rounds use a heavier hammer than the final round. We suffer repeated blows here on earth, but that suffering is used by God to make something beautiful in our lives and to help advance His kingdom. God only allows suffering that will glorify Him and will help us grow in Christlikeness and help us comfort others in their suffering.
4. The gold is beaten on large, heavy blocks of marble or granite. This reminds me that our foundation must be on Jesus Christ, the Rock of our salvation.
5. There are materials used throughout the process such as leather, Mylar, and gypsum powder to ensure that the gold is not damaged and to help absorb the shock of the blows. The Lord comforts us, supports us, and encourages us in our suffering. He helps to carry our burdens. We are not alone in our suffering.
It was interesting to look up this process and see how even the process of hammering out gold points to Christ’s work in the church and how people who suffer can be used to shine the light of Christ in a world darkened by sin.
Thank You for Your living and active word Lord God! Amen
This passage reminds me how intertwined forgiveness and grace can be, and that if God can chose to love us through our worst then we can do the same and be the better for it.
MARIANNE REUTER – well said. Amen.
The beauty of God’s “dwelling” place is only a shadow. It is a representation of the reality of heaven. “I can only imagine. . .”
HEIDI – praying for you and your husband.
TINA – lifting you and your family up to the Lord. May He continue to bring comfort and peace.
TRACI GENDRON – baby steps ❤
Amen
So good! And I love that God’s presence is with me (is with us) as we go about our days.
What struck me when reading today‘s text is that Bezalel got instructions on the material and measurements for all he did, but the details like how the cherubim actually looked, were up to him. Also the stitching on the curtains would have been left to the imagination and interpretation of the artists who did it. And isn’t this the way God works with us? He gives us rules in his word and set the frame how living with him should look like, but the very details of how we put this into practice is up to us. Each one of us is different and so is the way we live our faith (within the God given frame of course). Why do we so often think other christians have to live their faith the way we do?