I haven't really commented on all of the details here in Exodus on the construction of the ark of the covenant and the tabernacle. Exodus 28 now has exact details on the priestly garments to be worn by Aaron and his son.

I think it's interesting to note from Exodus 25:2 that all of the materials for building and making these things -- all of the gold and other precious metals, all of the jewels, all of the expensive materials -- were to have been collected from the Israelites. So into the making of all of these things went a sacrificial offering from everyone. They were giving up their best, their finest -- for their Lord.

That had to have been hard for them to imagine. Years in slavery and now drug out and wandering the desert, not really sure where they were heading. Following this old man and his brother who kept trotting up mountains to get "the word". Now "the word" includes all of these detail descriptions of how they need to give up their best things.

I am sure that they all liked their things. Goodness knows that we like our things. Man hasn't changed that much in that respect. Yet God's call on us to willingly give up all of the things of this world in order to follow Him? That hasn't changed. We don't have Moses directly bringing us direction but we do have the Word clearly showing us that direction.

It all makes me wonder about just how far off the mark we might be, myself included.