When you think about items made out of gold, what comes to mind? Jewelry, medals, coins, ornaments, watches, or crowns perhaps? All of these items made from gold have a lot of worth and value. They are expensive items that are often difficult to come by, and especially rare to find authentically made from pure gold. In today’s society, it is very common for individuals to use cheaper materials that appear as gold, but are lower quality and tarnish faster. In chapter 25 and 26 of Exodus, God gives Moses detailed instructions about how to build His sanctuary and tabernacle. God repeatedly emphasizes the fact that everything should be made out of pure gold and the finest materials such as scarlet, blue, and purple linens made out of goat hair (Exodus 26:7). God even provides specific dimensions that the tabernacle should be. In addition to the detailed instructions God provides Moses, God expresses that the materials and creation of His sanctuary should be willingly given by His people out of the love in their hearts for God. Specifically, God says “speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth if willingly with his heart shall take my offering” (Exodus 25:2). Through these words, it is clear that God hopes that His people will genuinely want to build Him a sanctuary so magnificent and sacred.
Another important idea from these chapters of Exodus is the mention of the seat of the most merciful in the tabernacle. Placed between two cherubims, the most special place of the sanctuary is located in the tabernacle. God said to Moses “Thou shall put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place” (Exodus 26:34), and “The vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy” (Exodus 26:33). This language God uses to describe His own position in the most venerated and powerful place in the sanctuary is very interesting. God makes it very clear to Moses that He deserves the finest sanctuary with the most powerful seat in the house, yet He sends His only son Jesus as a common man born into a humble household. God lives through His prophet Moses who was enslaved by the egyptians. Why does God do this? Why does He demand such honor and power yet demonstrate such humility through His son Jesus and His prophets?
Halfway through The Ten Commandments film, Moses is enslaved by the Egyptian Pharaoh and is struggling through intense labor in the field. The soldiers are brutal and abusive to the slaves, beating them, shouting, and whipping them. Moses’s friend says, “we are not animals, we are men made in the image and likeness of God” (1:12:30-36). Afterwards, the man is stabbed in the chest and dies in the mud. The development of Moses as a religious leader in some ways parallels the development of Jesus as a leader. For example, Jesus and Moses both started powerless and humble and grew into strong and admirable leaders. Even though they were not respected by everyone, they obtained a sense of sacred power and respect as they carried out their missions for God. When Moses begins his journey to save his enslaved people, people say “the slave will be king” (1:42-43) and call him the chosen one. Similar to Jesus, Moses obtained followers along his journey and mission for God.
The Book of Exodus and the The Ten Commandments film together demonstrate a very complex concept in which God wants His people to know how powerful He truly is, but also He demonstrates such humility and grace throughout His missions to save His people. Through the stories of Jesus and Moses, God communicates and connects with His people in such a way that His intentions are clear that all individuals regardless of class, wealth, identity, and background can serve God and understand Him. These texts and works are incredible examples of the complexity of God’s role and presence in everyones’ lives and that He exists everywhere.
Leave a Reply