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.

    Today’s passage is a description of the plans for the Tabernacle and some of its furnishings. There are two elements to these plans. First, they describe something that would be beautiful and awe-inspiring. Second, they contain a lot of symbolism. The first part shows us that there is a place for creating a beautiful space for us to worship God. Beauty can help us to worship and admire the awesomeness of God. There is another aspect to this as well, making a place of beauty to worship God can be an act of worship in and of itself. This act of worship in building a place of worship was both in the giving of the materials and in using one’s skills.

    For me the symbolism is a little more difficult. When I look at the descriptions in this passage I can visualize how beautiful it would have all been. However, while I can see that there was symbolism in the instructions and the specifics of the design, I do not understand what that symbolism is. There is symbolism in the fact that the carrying poles for the Ark of the Covenant were never to be removed from the Ark, but I do not know what message that symbolism was supposed to convey. There is symbolism in the two cherubim who were part of, or attached to, the cover over the Ark. Again, I do not understand what that symbolism is, unless they are intended to symbolize witnesses to the covenant between God and the people of Israel, but I think there is more to it than that. The only part of the symbolism I do think I understand is that of the two stone tablets containing the terms of the covenant. They represent the conditions on the relationship between God and the people of Israel. In a similar manner, we need to put the Word of God in our hearts as our hearts play the role in the new covenant which the Ark played in the old.