Exodus 25:31-40 The Lampstand
This is the third internal furniture piece for God’s temple. The lampstand which will be what provides ALL the light within.
When we looked at the other two pieces God commissioned I wondered about how elaborate the design was. We know that the temple Solomon built was extremely intricate and elaborate. I wondered about what embellishing features the ark and the table might contain. I was leaning towards a more minimalistic exterior design but after reading and feeling the design of the lampstand I have changed my mind.
God gave Moses an elegant design to use for the lampstand. He even included embellishments like flower parts. He included almond flowers and their calyxes in His design. To me that speaks of artistry beyond function. He also used on of my favorite principals in creating; symmetry. His design was perfectly balanced.
I wonder what the dimensions of His final finished product was. We are not given this information but the lampstand didn’t sit on a table top. It stood independently on one side of the room. We also know that it was made from a talent of gold. That would be about 75 pounds of gold.
I was looking at gold bars and found that the standard gold bar from the U.S. mint weighs about 25 pounds and is 7 x 3 5/8 x 1 3/4 inches. So it would take three bars to equal one talent. That is not a tremendous amount of gold but when you consider that one gram of gold can be hammered into a one square meter sheet of gold leaf it gets impressive. But then again, gold leaf is VERY thin.
This was a “hammered” work that was made into one piece. I’m assuming that each of the delicate flowers, the calyxes, the branches and even the lamps were not fashioned all in one piece but were assembled and permanently fixed together. Or maybe not. Could it have been “carved” out of a block of gold like one carves in marble? I know it wasn’t melted and poured into a mold. I would love to see a “video” of the making of these pieces when I get to Heaven.
What an incredible craftsman God must have assigned to this task! I can’t even draw a flower, never mind constructing 22 separate flowers and calyxes around the branches and stem of this piece. Each one placed in perfect symmetry with its counterpart. Each branch being the same thickness. Each pair of branches having the same curvature. And to top them all seven lamps designed to reflect the light in the right direction to illuminate God’s home.
Reflecting deeply on the design of this lampstand brings to mind the intricacy that each of us is made with. No, not all of our pieces are EXACTLY in proportion to one another. Sometimes there are defects in the finished product. But the care and love that God pours into making each of us is astounding. EACH of our systems are designed to work in balance. Our form is made with symmetry and function in mind. And God’s original design was PERFECTION. Sin brought the imperfections and distortions. Even so, we are fearfully and wonderfully made!
Another example of perfect design that came to my mind when reading the detail God invested in this item is the True Lampstand. Jesus is that True Lampstand or Light of the World. God took exquisite care in bringing Him to man. God shaped and molded the world through direct and indirect interventions until the EXACT moment was ready to bestow His greatest gift upon us.
God created all there ever was, is and will be. He fashioned man with His own hand. He brought forth from the earth the animals, plants, water, and even the hills for His creations. I don’t know if that means that He spoke them into being or if He sculpted them Himself. I like to imagine Him sculpting the various flowers and then placing them into the soil He created then bringing them to life. What an imagination He had/has!
But He didn’t stop there. He used His influence to direct man many times through acts brought about by Him. The latest one we are studying was His influence over Pharaoh. God didn’t make Pharaoh act any way contrary to his nature but He did give him a harder heart to penetrate than he might otherwise have exhibited.
God continued His work throughout history, including disciplining His own chosen people when they refused to obey, until just the right moment to introduce His Son. The hearts of the people were ready to receive their Messiah. No, not all of them; not even most of them. But just enough to bring His purposes to fulfillment. And this included having enough opposition to complete the critical work of Jesus’ sacrifice.
Imagine what would have happened if EVERYONE had followed Jesus. There wouldn’t have been a crucifixion. Our sins would not have been atoned for. God’s perfect gift would have been wasted. His purpose would have been incomplete. God knew EXACTLY when to act. He knew when and where to apply a little “heat” to soften the “gold.” He knew just where to place the hammer and how hard to strike it to bring about HIS desired result.
He is no less a Craftsman today than He was in the beginning. He is just as concerned with the design for my life as He was the design for His lampstand. He was no less motivated to adorn my life with beauty than He was His own sanctuary.
But I have to give Him the opportunity to do His work. He won’t chase me down and force me to sit still while He embellishes me with His latest design. Instead He invites me to come to Him and promises only the finest results when I submit myself to His expert hands. Is it always easy and pain free? NO. But it IS worth it!
Father God, thank You for taking the time to create me exactly how You wanted. Yes, I have what I consider defects. But without them I would not be who I am now. I would not have learned the lessons I have through them. I would not know persistence if I had not needed to push through the hard things. I would not know compassion for others if I had not needed it myself. I would have missed out on SO MANY things if it weren’t for the things You allowed in my life. AND the people You put in my life! Thank You Father for I AM fearfully and wonderfully made.
