THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS
Opening Prayer
Gracious God, keep me alert today as I read Your Word and pray. Enlighten my mind with Your truth and fill my heart with Your love.
Read Exodus 25:23–40
The Table
23 “Make a table of acacia wood—two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high.[a] 24 Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding around it. 25 Also make around it a rim a handbreadth[b] wide and put a gold molding on the rim. 26 Make four gold rings for the table and fasten them to the four corners, where the four legs are. 27 The rings are to be close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table. 28 Make the poles of acacia wood, overlay them with gold and carry the table with them. 29 And make its plates and dishes of pure gold, as well as its pitchers and bowls for the pouring out of offerings. 30 Put the bread of the Presence on this table to be before me at all times.
The Lampstand
31 “Make a lampstand of pure gold. Hammer out its base and shaft, and make its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms of one piece with them. 32 Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand—three on one side and three on the other. 33 Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on one branch, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand. 34 And on the lampstand there are to be four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. 35 One bud shall be under the first pair of branches extending from the lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair—six branches in all. 36 The buds and branches shall all be of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold.
37 “Then make its seven lamps and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it. 38 Its wick trimmers and trays are to be of pure gold. 39 A talent[c] of pure gold is to be used for the lampstand and all these accessories. 40 See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.
Footnotes
- Exodus 25:23 That is, about 3 feet long, 1 1/2 feet wide and 2 1/4 feet high or about 90 centimeters long, 45 centimeters wide and 68 centimeters high
- Exodus 25:25 That is, about 3 inches or about 7.5 centimeters
- Exodus 25:39 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Think back over the activities and events of your past few days. Do some aspects of your life seem more important to God than others? Why might that be?As the plans for God’s tent are spelled out, we are overwhelmed with the detail. Exact materials are specified (vs 23,31), precise measurements given (vs 23,39), and design features described minutely (e.g. vs 31–36). We are not told the particular ‘meanings’ of all of these details, but we clearly see something about the nature of God. He cares about the small stuff!
To this point in the journey, God had revealed himself as the God of a dynamic salvation project: now he shows himself to be master of a detailed building project. Israel was to know that there was no part of their life that fell outside of his concern.
Like Israel, we stand in awe of God’s grand historical salvation scheme, taking in as it does all of time from creation to new creation. But like Israel, we need to remember that God knows and cares about the small – even hidden – things of our lives. The God who knows when every sparrow lands can surely be trusted with even the small things that make up our daily lives (Matthew 10:29–31).
Apply
Reflect on this verse: ‘The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives’ (Psalm 37:23, NLT). Bring the details of your life to God today.
Closing prayer
Mighty God, You are my refuge. Surround me with Your light, fill me with Your wisdom, seal me with Your Spirit, and strengthen me with Your power. I love You Lord.
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