How Can Ancient Structures and Divine Decrees Harmonize?
In this article, you will learn how Exodus 36:31 contradicts Genesis 1:1, Exodus 20:13, Jeremiah 32:27, Numbers 23:19, Luke 14:26 and Matthew 18:20. Find the translations at the bottom of the page..
The Bible is a tapestry of varied messages, myriad lessons, and profound contradictions. At its core, Exodus 36:31 describes the construction of the Tabernacle, a sacred tent meant to be a place of communion with God. Specifically, it instructs on making special wooden bars to unify its walls. But when juxtaposed with other Biblical verses, both the context and essence of this instruction invite deeper reflection.
Consider Genesis 1:1, which speaks to God's creation of the cosmos. This grand act seems worlds apart from the specific and almost mundane details of constructing an earthly tent. Why would the Creator of all need such precise human-level structures?
Exodus 20:13 delivers a straightforward command—"Thou shalt not kill." Yet, the Bible also recounts episodes of divine-sanctioned violence, inviting us to grapple with this dichotomy. How do we reconcile a commandment with the complex narratives of wars later in scripture?
In Jeremiah 32:27, God's omnipotence is laid bare. Yet, if God is all-powerful, why the necessity for detailed instructions on human-made constructs like the Tabernacle?
Numbers 23:19 declares God’s unchanging nature. However, the continually evolving building instructions received by Moses suggest a dynamic, perhaps even adaptable, divine plan. How can we square God's steadfastness with flexibility?
Luke 14:26 demands followers prioritize devotion above all, contrasting starkly with the communal spirit and cooperative labor required to raise the Tabernacle.
Finally, Matthew 18:20 insists Jesus is present wherever his followers gather, challenging the need for a physical space like the Tabernacle altogether. If divine presence isn't bound by location, why was the Tabernacle necessary?
These passages illustrate a complex web of ideas about faith, devotion, and divine interaction, urging each believer to engage deeply with scripture and seek personal understanding amidst the contradictions.
| # | Verse | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Exodus 36:31 | And he made bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, |
| 2. | Genesis 1:1 | In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. |
| 3. | Exodus 20:13 | Thou shalt not kill. |
| 4. | Jeremiah 32:27 | Behold, I [am] the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? |
| 5. | Numbers 23:19 | God [is] not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do [it]? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? |
| 6. | Luke 14:26 | If any [man] come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. |
| 7. | Matthew 18:20 | For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. |