have to confess i have skimmed the reading of making/building clothes/tabernacle, but am curious as to why God would want the israelites to go to such elaborate lengths all of a sudden to please Him. there's such great detail & exactness involved. i know God wants our best, but that doesn't seem to answer my curiosity. i'm such a curious character....
Although I don't have a good answer to Patrice's question, I did find a couple of things really interesting. The first goes along with what Patrice was thinking. As I was reading, I was wondering no so much WHY all the detail, but why it was recorded for us. And then the details are repeated again in the telling of the making of all the items. What is the significance for us? The only thought I have about that is that each detail was fully accomplished just as it had been directed. Not only are we to try to do that for God, but He was willing to fulfill every jot and tittle of the law through His Son...and then sacrifice that Perfect Son for us. The second thing that caught my attention was Bezalel. I don't know how many times I have read through this account and never saw Bezalel, son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. Perhaps there is nothing profound here for anyone else. For me, it was a validation, an affirmation, that artistic talent is indeed God/Spirit given. I have had so many disappointments lately in the art arena that I have thought maybe I should just give it all up. But there it is....God has given the "ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts....[and] the ability to teach others. What a gift those few verses were to me yesterday and then reading today how Bezalel carried out those detailed instructions. Perhaps God has a plan for my artistic leanings after all.
Hey! I am glad that someone else made a comment on this blog. I've just making comments hoping that it will get going and people will enjoy the discussion. I liked your question. It seems to me that there are two possible answers for why the Lord wanted such exactness in what was made. In Hebrews 8 it talks about the fact the the Tabernacle was an exact copy of the sanctuary in Heaven (vs. 5). I enjoy how God links everything together and I think that He was tying together what would happen with Christ and His sacrifice at a later time. I think a second reason for the Tabernacle is that it helped the Israelites to understand the holiness of God. Treating Him in a very special way helps all of us to remember that He is not like us. He is to treated as holy. Nadab and Ahihu were also an example of that. All of this also gave the Israelites an organized manner in which they could worship the Lord. You know how important it is that we have the Lord's Supper to help us to remember how what Christ did for us. This prescribed worship helped the Israelites to know how to worship God and it also gave God a way to make them holy through purification and dedication. I have always wondered what happened to all of the sacred stuff that was in the Tabernacle. Aaron's breastplate with the Urim and Thummin and the 75 pound pure gold lampstand and the Ark of the Covenant-did God just take them up into Heaven, or were they captured and melted down. What would we do, if we found them today?
I liked Joyce'c comment too. I like to build and make things. So I also noticed Bezalel, son of Uri being given the Spirit so that he could make beautiful things for the Lord. I think that, for reasons known only to the Lord, He does give us our special talents, like being an artist. When I looked at the amazing work of Michangelo and others last summer, I was in awe. I have another idea that I have absolutely no proof to support, but I have always wondered about. It seems to me that Jewish people have always been blessed with special doses of talent in many areas. I wonder if that's not true since they were in the presence of God as His chosen people and some of that doesn't carry on. I don't know. Just a thought.
i like & appreciate both these comments; i like to learn from others! Joyce, i picked up on the artistic talents too & thought that was special. God is using you - in ways you may not always know or understand, but your talent is meaningful to Him (and me!) Scott, i truly appreciate your 'artistic' ability to teach in a meaningful way. thx for doing the blog; i was on vacation all last week. keep up the good works!
have to confess i have skimmed the reading of making/building clothes/tabernacle, but am curious as to why God would want the israelites to go to such elaborate lengths all of a sudden to please Him. there's such great detail & exactness involved. i know God wants our best, but that doesn't seem to answer my curiosity. i'm such a curious character....
ReplyDeleteAlthough I don't have a good answer to Patrice's question, I did find a couple of things really interesting. The first goes along with what Patrice was thinking. As I was reading, I was wondering no so much WHY all the detail, but why it was recorded for us. And then the details are repeated again in the telling of the making of all the items. What is the significance for us? The only thought I have about that is that each detail was fully accomplished just as it had been directed. Not only are we to try to do that for God, but He was willing to fulfill every jot and tittle of the law through His Son...and then sacrifice that Perfect Son for us. The second thing that caught my attention was Bezalel. I don't know how many times I have read through this account and never saw Bezalel, son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. Perhaps there is nothing profound here for anyone else. For me, it was a validation, an affirmation, that artistic talent is indeed God/Spirit given. I have had so many disappointments lately in the art arena that I have thought maybe I should just give it all up. But there it is....God has given the "ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts....[and] the ability to teach others. What a gift those few verses were to me yesterday and then reading today how Bezalel carried out those detailed instructions. Perhaps God has a plan for my artistic leanings after all.
ReplyDeleteHey! I am glad that someone else made a comment on this blog. I've just making comments hoping that it will get going and people will enjoy the discussion.
ReplyDeleteI liked your question. It seems to me that there are two possible answers for why the Lord wanted such exactness in what was made. In Hebrews 8 it talks about the fact the the Tabernacle was an exact copy of the sanctuary in Heaven (vs. 5). I enjoy how God links everything together and I think that He was tying together what would happen with Christ and His sacrifice at a later time.
I think a second reason for the Tabernacle is that it helped the Israelites to understand the holiness of God. Treating Him in a very special way helps all of us to remember that He is not like us. He is to treated as holy. Nadab and Ahihu were also an example of that. All of this also gave the Israelites an organized manner in which they could worship the Lord. You know how important it is that we have the Lord's Supper to help us to remember how what Christ did for us. This prescribed worship helped the Israelites to know how to worship God and it also gave God a way to make them holy through purification and dedication.
I have always wondered what happened to all of the sacred stuff that was in the Tabernacle. Aaron's breastplate with the Urim and Thummin and the 75 pound pure gold lampstand and the Ark of the Covenant-did God just take them up into Heaven, or were they captured and melted down. What would we do, if we found them today?
I liked Joyce'c comment too. I like to build and make things. So I also noticed Bezalel, son of Uri being given the Spirit so that he could make beautiful things for the Lord. I think that, for reasons known only to the Lord, He does give us our special talents, like being an artist. When I looked at the amazing work of Michangelo and others last summer, I was in awe.
ReplyDeleteI have another idea that I have absolutely no proof to support, but I have always wondered about. It seems to me that Jewish people have always been blessed with special doses of talent in many areas. I wonder if that's not true since they were in the presence of God as His chosen people and some of that doesn't carry on. I don't know. Just a thought.
i like & appreciate both these comments; i like to learn from others! Joyce, i picked up on the artistic talents too & thought that was special. God is using you - in ways you may not always know or understand, but your talent is meaningful to Him (and me!)
ReplyDeleteScott, i truly appreciate your 'artistic' ability to teach in a meaningful way. thx for doing the blog; i was on vacation all last week. keep up the good works!