Exodus 26:26-30: a reflection

26“You shall make bars of acacia wood: five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, 27and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the far side westward. 28The middle bar in the middle of the boards shall pass through from end to end. 29You shall overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars. You shall overlay the bars with gold. 30You shall set up the tabernacle according to the way that it was shown to you on the mountain.

As God gives the design for the tabernacle, he ends with a clear charge: set it up according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain. You shall set up the tabernacle according to the way that it was shown to you on the mountain, God says. Every detail of the tabernacle, the boards, the bars, the gold, was to be made and assembled not according to human ideas or improvements, but according to the pattern God had shown Moses. The tabernacle was God's design, revealed to Moses; and Moses' task was to follow that pattern faithfully, not to improvise his own version or add his own ideas, but to make it as God had shown him. This shows the call to follow the pattern God gives, not improvise our own. Follow the pattern God gives, rather than improvising your own. Be faithful to God's design, not your own ideas or improvements. What pertains to God is to be done as he directs, not as we prefer. Do God's work God's way, according to the pattern he has shown.

Notice the charge that concludes the instructions: set it up according to the pattern shown you on the mountain. God had given Moses a detailed design for the tabernacle, its structure, materials, and arrangement; and the charge was to follow that design faithfully. Moses was not to improve on it, to substitute his own ideas, to build a version he thought better; he was to make it according to the pattern God had shown him. The tabernacle was God's, designed by him, and to be built his way. This holds a principle about how we handle what pertains to God. There is a temptation, in God's work and worship, to improvise our own ways, to substitute our own ideas and preferences for what God has shown, to build our own version of things. But the charge to Moses reminds us that what pertains to God is to be done according to his pattern, his design, his revealed will, not according to our own improvements or preferences. God's work is to be done God's way. This is not to stifle all wisdom or effort, but to keep us faithful to what God has actually shown and commanded, rather than replacing it with our own ideas. In our worship, our service, and our following of God, we do well to be faithful to the pattern God has given in his word, rather than improvising our own version according to our preferences. We do well to follow the pattern God has shown, being faithful to his design rather than improvising our own. Follow the pattern God has shown, rather than improvising your own version. Be faithful to God's revealed design, not your own preferences or improvements. Do God's work and worship God's way, as he has shown. Do not substitute your own ideas for what God has actually directed.

That is worth taking to heart, for what pertains to God is to be done according to the pattern he has shown, and we do well to be faithful to his design rather than improvising our own, as Moses was to build the tabernacle by the pattern shown him. We can be tempted to substitute our own ideas and preferences for what God has shown; but Moses was charged to build according to the pattern God gave, not his own version. Follow God's pattern. Do not improvise your own version of God's work and worship; be faithful to the pattern he has shown in his word, doing his work his way. Follow the pattern God has shown rather than improvising your own version, being faithful to his revealed design rather than substituting your own ideas and preferences, as when God gave the design for the tabernacle he ended with a clear charge to set it up according to the pattern shown on the mountain, so that every detail, the boards, the bars, the gold, was to be made and assembled not according to human ideas or improvements but according to the pattern God had shown Moses; for the tabernacle was God's design revealed to Moses, and Moses' task was to follow that pattern faithfully and not to improvise his own version or add his own ideas but to make it as God had shown him, which holds a principle about how we handle what pertains to God, since there is a temptation in God's work and worship to improvise our own ways and substitute our own ideas and preferences for what God has shown and build our own version of things, but the charge to Moses reminds us that what pertains to God is to be done according to his pattern, design, and revealed will and not according to our own improvements, so that God's work is to be done God's way, which is not to stifle all wisdom or effort but to keep us faithful to what God has actually shown and commanded rather than replacing it with our own ideas, so that in our worship, service, and following of God we do well to be faithful to the pattern God has given in his word rather than improvising our own version according to our preferences.

Lord, as you give the design for the tabernacle, you end with a clear charge: set it up according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain. You shall set up the tabernacle according to the way that it was shown to you on the mountain, you say. Every detail of the tabernacle, the boards, the bars, the gold, was to be made and assembled not according to human ideas or improvements, but according to the pattern you had shown Moses. The tabernacle was your design, revealed to Moses; and his task was to follow that pattern faithfully, not to improvise his own version or add his own ideas, but to make it as you had shown him. Show me the charge that concludes the instructions: set it up according to the pattern shown you on the mountain. You had given Moses a detailed design; and the charge was to follow that design faithfully. Moses was not to improve on it, to substitute his own ideas, to build a version he thought better; he was to make it according to the pattern you had shown him. The tabernacle was yours, designed by you, and to be built your way. This holds a principle about how I handle what pertains to you. There is a temptation, in your work and worship, to improvise my own ways, to substitute my own ideas and preferences for what you have shown, to build my own version of things. But the charge to Moses reminds me that what pertains to you is to be done according to your pattern, your design, your revealed will, not according to my own improvements or preferences. Your work is to be done your way. This is not to stifle all wisdom or effort, but to keep me faithful to what you have actually shown and commanded, rather than replacing it with my own ideas. Take that to my heart. In my worship, my service, and my following of you, keep me from improvising my own version or substituting my own preferences for what you have directed; help me be faithful, Lord, to the pattern you have given in your word, doing your work and worship your way, as you have shown.