My sons and I were reading in Exodus (Exodus 35-40) today about the construction of the tabernacle, ark of covenant and altars. A theme came across to me, God knows the details: He knows what we need long before we realize that we might have a need for them.
Did you know that while they were in the desert and God told the people to build each of these very specific items (down to the exact detail of material and measurement) including: gold, silver, and bronze metals; precious stones as well as blue, purple and scarlet threads. My oldest asked how did they have these items, it’s not like they could head to Home Depot and pick up what they needed. I didn’t have to hesitate in my answer, I reminded him we had read that when the Israelites left Egypt, God gave the Egyptians favor upon His people by having the Egyptians give them (Hebrews) gold and other items from their homes as they left. God knows the details.
Did you know that the colors of thread required for the tabernacle were all considered colors of royalty (perfectly fitting for the glory of the Lord God Almighty) because they were rare and special threads. Blue was likely obtained by shellfish, purple was likely created by the secretions of a murex snail and scarlet was likely created by certain scale insects. Now when I imagine this scenario I have to consider, how do you suppose these very insects and critters came to be exactly where they needed to be in the middle of a desert at the base of Mount Sinai, exactly where the Israelites were at the time the Lord told Moses to construct His tabernacle?
I can’t help but see the many intricacies that God has planned for His people, the materials needed to build the very items used to worship and meet with God - He gave to His people the skills needed, the materials required, and set at the perfect timing to worship - construction was completed at the beginning of the first month, when Passover was to be celebrated.
God had the details planned, not just the threads needed for the embroidery, but the posts for holding the curtains, the bands, and the hooks needed to construct these items, over 7.25 tons of precious metals used in all the construction. Every spice and oil needed to create the incense or for the lampstand, so many specific requirements, yet everything was already given in advance - not a single item was lacking! How awesome is our God!!! I'm reminded that God knows the end to the beginning - there is no detail, no thought, no word, no action, no event that He hasn’t thought of - so why do we worry, why do we come up with scenarios that might mess up our plans, when God knows the details.
