Daily Scripture Reading Exodus 37:1-24
It is easy for people to fall into the habit of thinking that mediocrity is good enough. Some employees have the attitude that they will only do enough to avoid getting fired. Some homeowners only do enough home maintenance to keep their home from becoming a safety hazard. Some churches believe that bland buildings and half-hearted ministry programs are good enough for God.
Today’s passage tells us about the construction of the items that furnished the inside of the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. They did not settle for mediocrity. They pursued excellence. Perhaps we would honor God more if we pursued excellence in all things rather than being satisfied with mediocrity.
Ex. 37:1 ¶ And 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;
A cubit was about 18 inches. The ark was around 4 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 2 feet high.
Ex. 37:2 and he overlaid it with pure gold inside and out, and made a gold molding for it all around.
Notice the words “pure gold”. This was the ark, so the most expensive metal in its purest form was used to overlay the ark.
Look at the words “inside and out”. The ark was a box, so it had an outside and an inside.
Ex. 37:3 He 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.
Ex. 37:4 He made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.
Ex. 37:5 He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it.
Look at the word “carry”. The ark was special, so it was not transported on a cart or donkey. Instead, it was carried.
Ex. 37:6 He made a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide.
The mercy seat was the lid of the ark. While the ark itself was made of acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold, the lid was simply made of pure gold.
Ex. 37:7 He made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat;
Ex. 37:8 one cherub at the one end and one cherub at the other end; from one piece he made the mercy seat with the cherubim at its two ends.
Notice the words “from one piece”. He did not make three pieces and then join them together, which would have been easier. Instead, he started with one piece of gold and hammered it into a mercy seat that had cherubs on each end. He used the harder method to make the mercy seat, indicating the stature of the mercy seat, and the stature of the God it honors.
As we humans live our lives, it is easy to fall into the mentality of thinking that mediocrity is good enough. Whether it is how we perform at work, how we maintain our houses, or how we do ministry, sometimes we think mediocrity is sufficient.
When the Israelites made the tabernacle, mediocrity was not good enough. They used pure gold for the most sacred items. They used the more difficult crafting techniques to make the most sacred items. This reminds us that Yahweh deserves the best.
When we do ministry, perhaps mediocrity should never be good enough. Perhaps we should use the absolute best music that humans can create and gather in the absolute best buildings that humans can build. Maybe our home maintenance, decorating, and housekeeping should demonstrate excellence, not mediocrity, reflecting the fact that we are servants of the Creator of the Universe, the One and Only God.
Ex. 37:9 The 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.
Ex. 37:10 ¶ Then he made the table of acacia wood, two cubits long and a cubit wide and one and a half cubits high.
Ex. 37:11 He overlaid it with pure gold and made a gold molding for it all around.
Notice again the words “pure gold”. This table was to be placed in the Holy Place; therefore it was overlaid with pure gold.
Ex. 37:12 He made a rim for it of a handbreadth all around and made a gold molding for its rim all around.
Ex. 37:13 He cast four gold rings for it and put the rings on the four corners that were on its four feet.
Ex. 37:14 Close to the rim were the rings, the holders for the poles to carry the table.
Take note of the word “carry”. The table was also carried by humans, not transported on a cart or animal.
Ex. 37:15 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold, to carry the table.
Ex. 37:16 He made the utensils which were on the table, its dishes and its pans and its offering bowls and its jars, with which to pour out drink offerings, of pure gold.
Take note again of the words “pure gold”.
Ex. 37:17 ¶ Then 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 the same piece.
Notice the words “pure gold”, “hammered work”, and “of the same piece”. Pure gold was the most valuable material available to them to make the lampstand. The hammering method of constructing it was higher quality and more time consuming than casting it via a mold. The words “same piece” indicate again that they did not make multiple parts and then join them together, which would have been easier. Instead, they started with a solid piece of gold and fashioned the entire lampstand out of that one piece of gold.
Ex. 37:18 There 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;
Ex. 37:19 three 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 coming out of the lampstand.
The words “almond blossoms” indicate the amount of time that went into creating the lampstand. It was not merely a functional item. It was a work of art. Creating a work of art takes much more time and skill than simply creating a functional item.
Ex. 37:20 In the lampstand there were four cups shaped like almond blossoms, its bulbs and its flowers;
Ex. 37:21 and 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.
Ex. 37:22 Their bulbs and their branches were of one piece with it; the whole of it was a single hammered work of pure gold.
Once again the text informs us that the lampstand was one piece.
Ex. 37:23 He made its seven lamps with its tongs and its trays of pure gold.
Ex. 37:24 He made it and all its utensils from a talent of pure gold.
It is easy to fall into the mentality of thinking that mediocrity is good enough. However, when the Israelites made the tabernacle, they used pure gold and the most difficult crafting techniques to make the most sacred items. This reminds us that Yahweh deserves the best.
When we gather as a church, perhaps we should use the absolute best music that humans can create and gather in the absolute best buildings that humans can build. Maybe our home maintenance, decorating, and housekeeping should demonstrate excellence, not mediocrity, since we are servants of the Creator of the Universe, the One and Only God.
Do you strive for excellence in all things, or are you content with being mediocre?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”