Today’s reading includes Exodus 26:1-27:21, Matthew 25:1-30, Psalm 31:1-8, Proverbs 8:1-11.
One word comes to mind as I read today’s text. The word is “details”. Our God is a God of details. We need not fret over the details of life, for He has it all determined exactly the way it should be. We must trust Him in these details. He is not only our Creator, but His creativity continues through the details of the world and the details of our lives.
Because He is a creative God of details, He uses patterns throughout His words. If you stay alert to the patterns, the scripture will have a deeper meaning and your understanding will deepen, as well. We have already seen the patterns of the holy numbers, especially three, seven, twelve, and forty. And hopefully, recognizing these numbers has caused you to pause and think about the deeper meaning when those numbers are revealed. God uses repetition in other ways, not just in the use of numbers. When you see reoccurring descriptions, you may want to pay attention. For example, think of all the colors which were repeated in Exodus when you read about the building of the tabernacle.
Make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim woven into them by a skilled worker.
Exodus 26:1
Over and over, God instructed those working on the embroidery on the curtains, as well as the clothing of the priests to use blue, purple, and scarlet. Today, let’s look at the color blue.
Blue is a color which represents heavenly things. It describes the sky, heaven, and the Holy Spirit. When you see blue mentioned in the scriptures, pause and ask God what the deeper meaning is in His color choice. Color often plays a great, yet subtle role in the symbolic meaning of the passage. We see this in today’s reading and as you go forward in the scriptures you will continue to notice this repetition. In Numbers 15:37-38 we find:
37 Then the Lord said to Moses, 38 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: Throughout the generations to come you must make tassels for the hems of your clothing and attach them with a blue cord. 39 When you see the tassels, you will remember and obey all the commands of the Lord instead of following your own desires and defiling yourselves, as you are prone to do.
The purpose of the blue cord was for them to be reminded of heavenly, holy things. This world is not our home. We should not be carnally minded, but spiritually minded. We should offer ourselves each day to the Lord for the renewing of our minds, for the grace to think differently, see differently. But sometimes we need a reminder. The blue cord reminded them to think of heavenly and holy things—to think of the Holy One who sits on His holy throne in heaven.
Tomorrow we will talk of another one of the colors, but I want you to notice in the coming chapters that most of the colors are used in conjunction with and to compliment the other. The common colors in the building of the tabernacle were blue, purple, and scarlet. Contrast those colors to what we read in Revelation 17:3-4.
3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.
Look at the details describing this vile symbolic woman. What colors are mentioned? Purple and scarlet. What color is missing? The color blue is absent. This evil woman has the affluence of purple and she has the blood of the scarlet, which could represent her own sins or the blood she caused others to shed. But she is missing the blue. These colors attached to her were missing the holy and heavenly component. This was evil, not holy. Some scholars believe this reference of the two colors represents that affluence of the woman was obtained by evil means, not through the blessing of the Lord.
So, we can be encouraged at the creative, detailed traits of our mighty God. Today, look about you. Notice the details of the world around you. Thank the Creator for these details and ask Him for wisdom in understanding.
