Week 5 Exodus 33-Leviticus 13
Yesterday I read the seven chapters of Exodus 25-31 at once – the Lord tells Moses how to build the tabernacle.
Today I read Exodus 35-40 – the tabernacle is being built.
Reading the two sections one after the other I notice the echo right away: the doing-it chapters pretty much repeat the what-I-want-done chapters. The Lord wants a bronze grate made; the people make a bronze grate.
Along with the repetition I detect the same cool, detached feeling I have between me and the text. No plot, no characters, no action. The pages don’t turn themselves. Like yesterday I know I’m still in rocky country.
I try to avoid comparisons. I like Ecclesiastes, Ruth, and Ezra better than Exodus 25-40 but that’s not really the point, not really a fair comparison. The author wasn’t trying to stimulate or inspire or excite me. He was describing a construction project.
And I try to avoid certain assessment-words: boring, irrelevant, worthless. I’m not sure they apply. Exodus 20 is a colossus but that doesn’t make chapters 25-40 valueless because they’re not.
I remind myself I’m reading through because everything is valuable, even if it’s not equally valuable.
The last two days I’ve been travelling along at highway speed.