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By Mike Caton

Exodus 25:10-16, “Have them make an ark of acacia wood – two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it. Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it. The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed. Then put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law, which I will give you.”

The next three chapters will deal with the making of the sanctuary of God and describing the things the Israelites are to make to put into the tabernacle. This section is very descriptive, but not very dramatic. Try to imagine what these things look like and remember the cost of them. These things are going to be made of various metals or overlaid with them, none of which will be cheap. The details are specific as to the size, shape, design, materials and even the ornamentation that is to be included. It should make us realize the attention to detail God has, both in his creation and in the relationship he desires with us. God does not tell them to build just any old thing, this is not an ordinary tent, chest or table.

The ark of the covenant is to be made of wood and then covered with gold. A cubit was the length of a man’s arm from his elbow to the tip of his finger, but we can see one of the problems immediately here; whose arm are they going to measure? The “standard” size for a cubit was about 18 inches. And so this would make the ark about 3.75 feet long, 2.25 feet wide, and 2.25 feet high. It was a rectangular box. There was to be a gold molding around it, four rings fastened to the corners, and two gold covered poles that would go through the rings to be used to carry the ark. There was to be no deviation to this, or any of the other patterns that would be given.

And in the same way we need to give the same attention to detail in our relationship with the Lord. Far too often in most everything in life, we want to cut corners. We think this little thing will not matter, no one will notice. But the truth is, those little things are more often than not, the very things that determine the course and direction of our lives. It is like my friend told his children when they started driving cars; you mind the oil and the gas will take care of itself.

Father, help me do things your way. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Mike Caton is the preacher at Mount Olive Church of Christ in Belhaven. He volunteers at the Ponzer Fire Department and works as a full time AEMT with Hyde County EMS. If you would like to receive daily devotions in your inbox, email mikecaton@centurylink.net.

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