Cubits?

I must confess, as I read today's passages, especially Ezekiel, I found myself skimming through wondering why this crazy level of detail was necessary when describing Ezekiel's temple. As I read, I told myself I would not be writing a blog post about this drawn-out description because how can it be of any relevance to people?

However, as I went back to read for a second time, my mind changed. I thought more about why this level of detail was mentioned when describing the temple. It became more of an artistic expression to me. I saw the word cubit so many times that I looked up what a cubit was (approximately 1.5ft). This helped me to visualize the size of the temple and all of its parts as I re-read. The walls to the "Most Holy Place" were seven cubits thick, which is about 10.5ft. Those are some thick walls! I found myself wondering what purpose or symbolism might be behind them. It had a raised base all around it - symbolic of a firm foundation. Windows were covered by wood, rooms widened as you went upward, there was dressed stone, carved cherubim and palm trees. Such creative and artistic imagery. Palm trees were used when Jesus entered Jerusalem, but they also represent the victory of martyrs, or the victory of the spirit over the flesh.

Some propose that the temple's beauty is expressed in geometry rather than the typical material signs. There is definitely something to be said about the detail that is given. Measurements in this passage were repeated over and over again, meaning there must be some importance to them. This was a new way of looking at the passage for me. There are many aspects of this description which I initially glanced over, but upon doing a little research I was able to appreciate more so the grand picture.

While James, Psalms, and Proverbs had some more tangible takeaways, I found myself enjoying the artistic expression of this temple description and letting my imagination run with it. I encourage you to do the same.