Ram skins dyed red, another type of durable leather; acacia wood. The materials list continues with coverings and structural wood. The ram skins dyed red are the same material as the ram offered instead of Isaac in Genesis 22:13 — the red-dyed ram skin that covers the tabernacle connects the dwelling place of God to the story of substitutionary sacrifice. Acacia wood is the desert wood available in the Sinai Peninsula — hardy, resistant to insects and rot, suitable for construction in the wilderness. The use of available local materials alongside the luxury imports reflects the mixed economy of the tabernacle: what God has provided in the wilderness is sanctified for His dwelling alongside what Israel brought out of Egypt.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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