By Jamin Roller
I walked into the jewelry store looking for an engagement ring. I knew very little about jewelry and nothing at all about diamonds. What I did know was that I loved my girlfriend. I planned to propose to her and wanted her to love whatever I put on her hand (assuming she said yes).
It took no time for the woman to help me realize my ignorance. She suggested I learn about the “4Cs of diamonds” to make an informed decision. So, I did. I found some articles, watched a few videos, and even spoke to a local jeweler in my hometown. It was a lot of information. The “4Cs” are, cut, color, clarity, and carat. Each category offers a grade range used to determine the value of any given diamond. After learning all I could, I found the most valuable diamond I could afford to offer as an engagement ring.
She said yes. On the night of our engagement, I told my fiancé (now wife) everything I could about her ring. I told her about its cut, color, clarity, and carat. I shared every detail I knew. It was a lot of information. Admittedly, there was part of me that wanted her to be impressed, but it was more than that. In some way the significance of the moment deserved all the detail. The ring is valuable not just because of its worth but because of the relationship it represents and who it is for. It seemed fitting to surround something that special with as much description and information as I could. It deserved all the detail.
I often get lost in the details in passages like Exodus 37. It’s a lot of gold, a lot of wood, and a lot of numbers. It’s a lot of information. My tendency is to speed through it. Bezalel is constructing everything according to the command God had given a few chapters earlier to Moses. Every single detail is to be observed, and every detail is described for us to read.
Why?
Think about what it all represents. It represents a sacred relationship with God and His covenant people. At this point in redemptive history, Israel and Israel alone can claim that God has made them His special people. The Old Testament compares the relationship to a marriage. The entire tabernacle, but especially the ark is the place where God’s presence would dwell with his people in a special way. Upon the completion of the tabernacle, God would once again make his home on earth as He had in the garden.
The ark represents both a beautiful relationship between God and His people and the most sacred place in the tabernacle in which God would dwell. In all the gold, wood, and numbers, we are invited not to speed through but to slow down. To consider all the detailed descriptions and see the beauty of the love relationship between God and His people, and to marvel at God’s mercy that He would once again bless the earth with his presence. That kind of significance is emphasized by all the information. It deserves all the detail.
Post Comments (0)