The end of Exodus

When I've embarked on Bible timeline plans before, I've always fizzled around Exodus. It starts off with plagues and miracles and a befuddled Pharaoh. This is interesting, page-turning stuff to read. But it ends by going on and on and on about God's instructions regarding the Tabernacle, the priestly garments, etc. And as I read - determined not to skip stuff that doesn't seem to have glaring, immediate implications for my everyday life - I silently asked God what was so important about all those details.

And I thought and thought and though, and came up with a couple of thoughts:

• First, I wondered how God's instructions for the constructing these things might have differed from what the Israelites were familiar with. Perhaps each little detail God set forth revealed Him as unique, sovereign, alone in omniscient deity. It's likely - I think - that the audience who originally received these instructions would have been in awe of them for reasons I'd have to research in order to understand. So, that's my first thought.
• Another is that maybe all God's specificity was linked to the whole golden calf thing. He knew His people. He knew they'd have a repeated tendency to revert to more comfortable, more familiar ways of worship - like idolatry. Were His instructions intended to show His people how to worship Him. If they were going to insist on having some large, elaborate thing, He would tell them exactly how He wanted it made, and while He would dwell in it, the thing itself would not be Him.

So what are your thoughts? Have you insight to share based on reading this material before? Perhaps you've studied this portion of the Bible and can share a link or book title.

Incidentally, this whole golden calf thing (in addition to the other mentions of idolatry in the Old Testament) are still what I consider idolatry to be. It drives me kind of batty when people use the term much more loosely, referring to their families, money, or something else as an idol. In BSF last year, idolatry was once defined as "anything (other than God) that consumes your time, money, and resources." I think the biblical instances of idolatry are much more about heart and worship than time and money...