“And I have personally appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to be his assistant. Moreover, I have given special skill to all the gifted craftsmen so they can make all the things I have commanded you to make:
the Tabernacle;
the Ark of the Covenant;
the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement;
all the furnishings of the Tabernacle;
the table and its utensils;
the pure gold lampstand with all its accessories;
the incense altar;
the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils;
the washbasin with its stand;
the beautifully stitched garments—the sacred garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to wear as they minister as priests;
the anointing oil;
the fragrant incense for the Holy Place.
The craftsmen must make everything as I have commanded you.” Exodus 31:6-11
I was born again when I was given the humbled opportunity to write devotions over fifteen years ago. However, God has intentionally been with me all my life. I’m aware of this now, and while I marvel at the plans He has for my life, I love to look back to recognize the level of detail He instructed me with even when I did not even know. One of those moments is His introducing me to a man who I realize now was my first spiritual mentor.
Rev. Dr. Frederick G. Sampson was a pastor of one of the largest churches in Detroit, and he took an interest in me because my mother had attended there shortly after I started college and a decade before I gave my life to Christ. He had a gift of simplifying who God was, and while never a member of his church, I would often go to hear him speak. He was indeed a scholar of God’s word, and his sermons were both meticulously delivered and never boring. Imagine listening to someone for well over an hour as a teenager and never being bored. The one thing that I loved about his sermons was the way he ensured a point was not missed by doing this subtle 3-5 second pause after a statement and then saying, “Hello?” Then he would repeat it again as the congregation roared its approval confirming they did not lose sight of the details being said in the lesson.
God’s attention to detail ensures we can see His path for us. In the journey of Moses, today’s scripture is from the middle of the 31st chapter, which is seven chapters past my last devotion. Why? The entire 25th through 30th chapters is devoted to specific instructions on building the Ark of the Covenant between God and Israel and additional construction. It is fascinating reading because of the depth and detail of what God wanted. From types of offerings for the Tabernacle (Side note: my mentor’s church was Tabernacle Missionary Baptist), the materials and measurements of the Ark, the clothing to be worn by priest and its material, and even to the ingredients of the anointing oil, God made clear His intention not only for what was to happen then but also to foretell the future mentioning Joshua and his children prominently in His plans. Needless to say, this was not haphazard production. It was God showing His wealth of knowledge and dominion over His Kingdom and people. The verses today are the culmination of those instructions noting He even blessed individuals with the talents to be used for His will to be done. Details. Tons of details. I can appreciate that thinking how it took me a full day to build an entertainment center the first time. I thought I knew where something fit without reading the instructions carefully only to find I needed to disassemble it because I missed a detail. God often gives us instruction through His word, and we might have to correct ourselves because we missed a detail and God taps us on the shoulder saying, “No. This way.” As a person who focuses on the big picture, I’m grateful to His level of detail that keeps me focused on Him and His plans as well.
God perfects the imperfections in our lives to ensure His instructions are followed. We are not always great in following them, but we have someone who intercedes for us in Jesus Christ to straighten things out. When speaking of the coming of Christ, John The Baptist said:
Every valley shall be filled
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough ways smooth;
And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Luke 3:5-6 (NKJV)
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough ways smooth;
And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. Luke 3:5-6 (NKJV)
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