I am sure we could explore much detail and symbolism in regards to the details Jehovah provided in designing the ark. However, something else strikes me while I read Exodus 37… Bezalel took a tremendous amount of time to properly execute the details of the work according to Jehovah’s instructions. He did not just “wing it” or “hurry it”. He used his skills with painstaking detail and patience to complete the work exactly as Jehovah instructed… and it was magnificent.
Construction Continues
1Now Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood; its length was two and a half cubits, and its width one and a half cubits, and its height one and a half cubits; 2and he overlaid it with pure gold inside and out, and made a gold molding for it all around. 3He cast four rings of gold for it on its four feet; even two rings on one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. 4He made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. 5He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry it. 6He made a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide. 7He made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat; 8one cherub at the one end and one cherub at the other end; he made the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at the two ends. 9The cherubim had their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward each other; the faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat.
10Then he made the table of acacia wood, two cubits long and a cubit wide and one and a half cubits high. 11He overlaid it with pure gold, and made a gold molding for it all around. 12He made a rim for it of a handbreadth all around, and made a gold molding for its rim all around. 13He cast four gold rings for it and put the rings on the four corners that were on its four feet. 14Close by the rim were the rings, the holders for the poles to carry the table. 15He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold, to carry the table. 16He made the utensils which were on the table, its dishes and its pans and its bowls and its jars, with which to pour out drink offerings, of pure gold.
17Then he made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work, its base and its shaft; its cups, its bulbs and its flowers were of one piece with it. 18There were six branches going out of its sides; three branches of the lampstand from the one side of it and three branches of the lampstand from the other side of it; 19three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a bulb and a flower in one branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a bulb and a flower in the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. 20In the lampstand there were four cups shaped like almond blossoms, its bulbs and its flowers; 21and a bulb was under the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the second pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the third pair of branches coming out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. 22Their bulbs and their branches were of one piece with it; the whole of it was a single hammered work of pure gold. 23He made its seven lamps with its snuffers and its trays of pure gold. 24He made it and all its utensils from a talent of pure gold.
25Then he made the altar of incense of acacia wood: a cubit long and a cubit wide, square, and two cubits high; its horns were of one piece with it. 26He overlaid it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and he made a gold molding for it all around. 27He made two golden rings for it under its molding, on its two sides—on opposite sides—as holders for poles with which to carry it. 28He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. 29And he made the holy anointing oil and the pure, fragrant incense of spices, the work of a perfumer.
When Jehovah calls us to live a certain way or do a certain task, do not take shortcuts and just try to get it “sort of right”. Take time to understand and follow all of the details in God’s instructions to us. God has much wisdom in His plans. We should take care not to miss the glorious because we choose to cut corners and take shortcuts on our obedience to Him.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to show you any areas in your life where you are not wholeheartedly seeking to obey God even in the details and ask for His help for you to rededicate yourself to live out the details of your life as God intends.
—-
Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.