Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Greetings, special ones.

Becki and I did a walk/jog. After some breakfast she cut my hair…what’s left of it. I’ll try to get in some urgent sign work before heading to a memorial service at 1:30pm in Salem.

As we did our walk/jog, I think we may have stumbled onto some valid insights regarding our reading in Exodus. Isn’t it possible that Moses was already well-trained in the skills of building and engineering, having been educated with the elite of Egypt? Was Egypt not on the cutting edge of the modern technology of that day? So, as slaves working in the various factories of Egypt, isn’t it reasonable to believe that many Israelites learned trade skills in metal work, textile work, carpentry, etc.? Therefore, isn’t it possible that the Israelites, although on a wilderness trek, were some of the most technologically-advanced people on the planet at that time…knowledge and skills that they would not likely have developed had they remained shepherds in Canaan? Interesting thoughts to consider.

May today’s segment of your sojourn be blessed.

Love, Dad/Ray.

Are you thankful yet that you live on this side of the cross? Nevertheless, maybe it doesn’t really matter that much. The thing that truly matters is that we embrace the cross (the work of Christ as the sacrificial Lamb of God) with a HEART AFTER GOD.

Be reminded that the New Testament counterpart to the Old Testament tabernacle is YOU. “Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple (tabernacle) and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

Notice the reference to “a skilled craftsman.” That quality of person was required. It boggles my mind to think how these people fabricated all the parts and pieces for the tabernacle in such a remote setting—without power tools. They had to be amazingly skilled. Notice too that skill with this kind of work is a gift from God (28:3). It’s all intended to work together toward the same objective—taking the raw materials of stone, metal, wood, animal parts, and human hearts, and fashioning them into becoming instruments of worship to God—“HOLY TO THE LORD” (28:36). We will do well to exercise our God-given skill gifts (different from the instinctive skill gifts He ascribes to animals) of creative thought and discipline (discipleship) to set up and maintain our own HEART-AFTER-GOD temples of worship. That is clearly His primary intention while we are passing through this wilderness.