Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“You shall make a table of acacia wood, two cubits long, one cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high.
You shall make a lampstand of pure gold. You shall make the seven lamps for it; and the lamps shall be set up so as to give light on the space in front of it.”
NL Daily Devotion for Saturday, July 9, 2022
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Such specific details about every little thing to be found in the temple! Being someone who doesn’t really think God had anything to do with asking people to build God’s temple to spec, I wonder who came up with all of this? Why a table? Why acacia wood? Why seven lamps? Because of the seven days of creation? Seven (along with twelve and forty) comes up a lot in scripture, and I don’t know that I’ve ever learned exactly why these numbers are particularly significant.
Frankly, I love me some symbolism. If I were to design a house for God, I could come up with all kinds of really cool things I would include. Now that I say that “out loud,” I feel like I need to go do that—what a fun exercise that could be! Maybe you want to join me.
If I were to build a place of worship, what would it look like? What elements would be included? What would they mean?