I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Exodus 25-27.

The detailed description of the Tabernacle and its furnishings contained in today’s passage carries little meaning for me.  However, there are a few things in this passage I want to highlight.  We will see if I get to them all.

First, I want to highlight that the donations for the building of the Tabernacle were purely voluntary.  People donated whatever their heart prompted them to give.  Second, and completely unrelated, Moses was shown a pattern for building the Tabernacle in addition to being given specific instructions.  I have always wondered if that pattern was an image of what the Tabernacle should look like, or something more like a blueprint (or a modern clothing pattern).

The final thing I want to look at is the description of the Tabernacle lamp stand, also known as a menorah.  Now, despite knowing that the description here referred to it as a lamp stand, I have always pictured it as a candelabra.  This is partly because every modern reproduction I have seen is a candelabra and not a lamp stand.  However, realizing that it is a lamp stand lends more significance to the command to set the lamps up to light the area in front of the menorah.  Candles give out light in all directions, but lamps, depending on the design, may give out more light in some directions than another.  I have no idea if there is any significance to this, other than that Moses was instructed to make sure the lamps were placed to light the area in front of the menorah, but it feels like there is.  It feels like the idea that the backside of the menorah was in shadow is significant.