What Popeye, Shelley Duvall, and the Temple all Have in Common

Exodus 27: 20-21

Short passage here. God tells them to command the Israelites to bring clear oil oressed of olives to keep the lamps burning. Aaron and his sons are assigned to keep the lamps going from evening until morning. And this ordinance will continue for generations.

Is the lesson here to let your light shine? Show people God working through you? That's certainly a biblical principle- but to me this is more about God shining. It maybe a semantic difference (or even one that exists only in my head), but maybe the point here isn't as much about our good deeds that emulate Christ (which to me is much of Christianity)- but about a sensory reminder that God reigns, even today.

When all around you is falling apart- when nothing else in your life makes sense- when life is nothing but a struggle...there is still a light in the world. When we look to it, we find God...and perspective returns.

When the Israelites need a reminder about Who is in charge in the midst of the night, they need only look to the lights and be reminded- we have a God who cares for us.

And so those of us who serve God today keep those lights going. Not pointing to us- but to Him.

Curing Insomnia

Exodus 27:9-19

Warning: The surgeon general has declared it unsafe to read this passage directly before operating heavy machinery. Yikes- maybe it's just me- but this last stretch has been pretty dry.

Here we get instructions for building the courtyard. It's to be 150 feet by 75 feet. Seems like a pretty good size for some serious wiffle ball- and the ball would probably bounce pretty well off of all that bronze. Alas, I don't think much wiffle ball would have been allowed in this courtyard.

We get specifics about posts, and hooks and curtains and ultimately told that you can't use too much bronze. Pretty much everything else used in service for the tabernacle, including tent pegs will be made from bronze.

Growing up, I may have I had the impression that these kinds of passages stressed God's desire to dictate every detail- stressing the need for authority...if God doesn't spell it out, then you probably shouldn't do it. He doesn't mention instruments of music in New Testament worship- better not use them. Look at all the detail here, if it was ok, He would have spelled it out. He hasn't mentioned it- probably means you should stay away.

But my perspective has drastically changed. Maybe these passages are supposed to show us that when it does matter to Him- detail follows. "If I don't give you detail, then it really doesn't matter to Me. If I expected you to build it from bronze...haven't you learned that I'll tell you...in thorough detail...and leave little room for doubt?"

Instead of a stressing of legalism- maybe these thorough passages are the opposite- the freedom that comes from silence.

Strange Fire-Place

Exodus 27: 1-8

Now we're on to building the altar. It's to be about 4 1/2 feet high and about 7 1/2 feet long and wide. It's to be made of acacia wood and covered with bronze. Horns are to be carved into the ends. Utensils are to be bronze- there's to be a bronze grating and bronze rings which will hold bronze covered poles for carrying. The altar is to be hollow.

Seems to be more of the same here. We're on to bronze instead of gold- although I'm not sure why. Once again- careful, specific detail.

It would be nerve-racking to be responsible for paying attention to such detail. If nothing else, perhaps these sections should emphasize our "freedom in Christ"- our ability to connect the dots with a pen of grace- instead of measuring minituae to earn God's pleasure. I don't know that that's what they're doing here- but it seems a lot more nit-picky than what the new law's about.

Put it on my Tab...ernacle

Exodus 26

OK- so more boring detail about the building of the tabernacle. I almost long for geneologies...almost.

In an oversimplified version- they are to make and use lots of curtains. Cherubim are to be worked into the crafting and there are specifc guidelines to this curtain creation. The curtains are to have lots of loops- like 50 per curtain and gold and bronze clasps are to fasten the curtains together.

They are also to make curtains of goat hair to cover the tent of the tabernacle. There is also to be a covering made from ram skins dyed red- and then over that a covering of hides of sea cows.

Then it's on to the frames. Each 15 feet high, 20 on the south side, 20 on the north side, and then others on the west and in corners. Of course the frames are to be covered in gold as well as golden crossbars and rings. Bases accompany the frames.

There is a curtain to be made to separate the holy place from the most holy place. It's to be made of blue, purple and scarlet yarn with cherubim worked into the design. The ark of the testimony goes behind the curtain. The table goes outside the curtain on the north end and the lampstand outside the curtain on the south end.

Finally, there is also a curtain to be made for the entrance made of blue, purple and scarlet yarn. These are also to have hooks, posts and bases.

Seems like a whole lot of boring to me. One thing that is interesting in the midst of it all though is observing the servants taking center stage here. It's so easy to think of God's work as teaching, preaching, proclaiming -and as a public speaking teacher, I naturally value the contribution of orators to the work of the kingdom, I would flounder if service were centrally building and sculpting.

I wouldn't know how to function in a context where praising God sprang from physical construction. And this realization causes me to wonder about the psyche of the person good with hands but not with tongue. Does today's construction worker struggle to find a venue for service?

And the answer comes in the realization of both of these roles springing from misconceptions about the role of God's children in the first place. Despite what we may think, glorifying God involves so much more than eloquence or construction know-how. They both can serve to praise Him, but the methods of praise can be as diverse as the people who praise Him. And when our definitions of what pleases God are too specific we not only rob God of glory, but we rob each other of opportunities to please Him.

So however the metaphor works for you...build His temple.

Hide it Under a Bushel? No!

Exodus 25:31-40

So the last several sections are a painful reminder of deformed napkin holders and impractical miniature racecars from 8th grade woodshop. I'd have never made it as an Israelite...except that whole complaining thing- that's more my speed.

More carpentry class in this section as Moses is instructed on building a lampstand- pure gold this time. It's all to be one piece- with three branches coming out of each side of it. All six branches are to have three "almond flowers" patterns and each side of the lampstand is to have two golden flowers with buds and blossoms.

So it seems like there are three lamps on each side and one at the top for a total of seven lamps on the stand. The wick trimmers are also to be made of gold. In all about 75 pounds of gold are to be used for this project. King Midas, where are you?

I've always been told that seven is one of those mystical numbers that signifies completeness, but I have no idea where that comes from- and frankly, I don't put a whole lot of importance in the numerical symbolic signifiacance of things in scripture- I may be missing something major- but somehow I think that the way to heaven isn't contingent upon my algebra grade.

To be fair, I don't think it's contingent on a lot of other things that can be gleaned from scripture either though, and I'm confident that those numbers mean something, so maybe there's something there- it's just beyond me.

There's so much detail and specificity in these sections, which is a bit puzzling. I wonder though if it served to bring the people together. This was an undertaking large enough to involve many I would imagine. Was God trying to bring His people together? Teach them about the value of creating something holy? Contrasting the compicated law of Moses' time with the grace of Jesus'? Helping carpenters learn their trades?

I'm a little ready to leave the tedium of hand tools and sandpaper. However, I think we'll be blueprinting for a while yet.

Tabled Discussion

Exodus 25: 23-30

An awfully lean section here. Moses gets some more oral blueprints, this time regarding a table. There's a gold rim that's to surround the edge and golden rings to attach so it can be carried without touching it. They're also supposed to build wooden carrying sticks, covered in gold to transport this table around.

Then they are to build golden plates, dishes, pitchers and bowls (for the pouring of offerings)- no word on sporks.

On this table they are to put the "bread of the Presence" to be before God at all times. So is this magical never-molding bread? Bread that becomes hard as a rock- or do they share this communion with God often enough that the bread stays fresh?

I don't pretend to really understand the purpose or practice of this bread served on golden plates- but it's interesting to ponder the practicality of a physical emblem that triggers the presence of God. Communion can serve a similar function for us- and maybe this is just another finger pointing toward the coming of Christ. Or maybe Christ's establishment of our "feast" is a reference to this "bread of the presence."

He says- remember that thing God told Moses to do? Keep doing it- the form and grandeur aren't quite so important anymore, but just like their bread- mine will remind you of what I've done for you- and that I'm still right here. Sleep well- I've taken care of you.