when beauty got in the way

The Word for today:
1 Kings 6:1 -- 7:12

[The book of Hebrews in the New Testament develops the rich spiritual significance of the tabernacle's design and furnishings. Why does Hebrews use the simple, portable tabernacle to illustrate these truths when it could have used the ornate Temple? We begin to answer that question today, and will continue our answer tomorrow.]

God proposed the Tabernacle. Man proposed the Temple.

The Tabernacle was simple. The Temple was ornate and complex.

There was nothing wrong with the Temple. It was good. But God's initial idea--the Tabernacle--was great.

The purpose, for both the Temple and the Tabernacle, was to illustrate that man's access to God was through sacrifice--ultimately the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

But the very splendor of the Temple focused attention on itself. The wonderful truths it was meant to convey got lost amidst its ornate and breath-taking decor. Its own beauty hindered its purpose.

The Tabernacle, though exquisitely fashioned by Spirit-filled craftsmen, did not draw attention to itself. It showed us the way to God.

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