Follow God’s Pattern

Text: Exodus 39:42-43

            This section of the book of Exodus deals with the time when the Israelites (under Moses’s leadership) were building the tabernacle, along with its furniture and accessories, and the priestly garments that God had instructed them to make. But, they were not just to make these things in whatever ways they believed to be best. Instead, they were to carefully follow the pattern God had given them concerning all these things. As they had done this, God was pleased and these things would be used for generations in the worship and service of God.

            We do not always understand why God wants the things that He does and people often develop their own ideas as to how those things might be changed to better fit their ideas. For example, there were several components of the pattern for the things the Israelites were to make and how they were to do things that may not have made any sense to them. Yet, it is what God wanted and they were to simply obey what God had instructed them to do.

            Today’s response to hearing God’s word is this: Follow God’s pattern. God has continued to give patterns for what He desires of those who follow Him. This includes patterns for what a person must do to be saved, how a person is to live, how a church is to worship and work, leadership in a church, roles in the home, etc. While human ideas and wisdom often differ from the pattern God has given, we must always remember that it is His pattern – not ours! No matter how senseless or outdated we may think a detail of God’s pattern is, we must humbly obey. For, we must recognize that God always knows what is best for us physically and spiritually. Then, He is the only one who knows what it will take to please Him!