Week 4 Exodus 25-28
Reading through the plans and designs for the Tabernacle I get a pretty strong impression there’s a huge load of detail.
But I also get a pretty strong impression there’s a huge lack of detail.
I’m thinking about it from the perspective of a contractor reading these plans. Questions left unanswered. For example how long are the acacia wood poles? What’s the design of the cherubim? How thick is the gold plating? What’s the load-bearing capacity of the rings? What are the designs & capacities of the platters and bowls? What shape are the petals on the lampstand? What’s the thread count of the curtains? What thickness are the tabernacle boards? What are the designs & dimensions of the horns on the altar? What fashion are the priests’ clothes and the specifications of the ephod and all its extras? Which tribal name gets engraved on which gem? What’s the size of the gold medallion on the turban?
Three times there are references to patterns that Moses was shown on the mountain. So it’s possible that he had specific design ideas in his head that he didn’t write down (and I guess other details might show up later in the book).
But there’s also those occasional references to builders: carpenters, engravers, weavers, metal-workers, artisans and like that. People inspired with individual talent. It’s possible that uniquely gifted people were given freedom to design and craft items of unique & individual beauty…just as long as they complied with the plans’ specified conditions.