阅读经文 

我的祖母有一枚特别的戒指，我很喜欢看。戒指上有七颗彩色宝石，排成一长排。对我来说，它们似乎是不匹配的，直到我了解到每颗宝石代表她的一个孩子出生的月份，而且宝石的顺序与他们的出生顺序相匹配。

从某种程度上来说，《出埃及记》中描述的圣殿陈设可能与那件珠宝相似。每件物品都是不同的，有独特的形状和用途。大部分的物品都是用皂荚木制成的，可能是以色列人在沙漠中制作敬拜神的物件时，可以使用的少数几种木材之一。皂荚木非常适合这种用途，因为它非常坚硬，经久耐用。昆虫不会咬，它也不容易腐烂或朽坏。而且一旦刻好，木头上就会覆上纯金。

然后是灯台，用纯金制成。它的设计看似比较华丽、随意。但灯台有六个分支，“形状像杏花，有球、有花”，灯台就像一棵杏树，在黑暗中给人光明。在古代（有些地方至今仍是如此），杏树是万物复苏和希望的象征，因为杏树是冬季后最先开花的。

所以，圣殿的所有物件，都在诉说一个持久的盼望和与神同在的新生命的信息，不仅表明神是信实可靠的，也表明与祂在一起，最好的还在后面。

My grandmother had a special ring that I loved to look at. It had seven colored gemstones in a long row. To me, they seemed mismatched until I learned that each stone stood for the month in which one of her children was born, and the order of the stones matched the order of their births.

In a way, the temple furnishings described in Exodus may seem similar to that piece of jewelry. Each item was different, having a unique shape and purpose. Most of the pieces were made of acacia wood, probably one of the few types of wood available to the Israelites in the desert as they crafted furnishings for use in the worship of God. Acacia wood was excellent for this purpose because it was very hard and long-lasting. Insects would not eat it, and it would not easily rot or decay. And once it was shaped, the wood was overlaid with pure gold.

Then there was the lampstand, made of solid gold. It may seem rather ornate and random in its design. But with its six branches and its "cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms," the lampstand resembled an almond tree as it gave light in the darkness. In those ancient times (and in some places still today), almond trees were a symbol of renewal and hope, because they were the first to flower after the months of winter.

So, together, the temple furnishings spoke a message of enduring hope and new life with God, indicating not only that God is faithful and reliable but also that, with him, the best is yet to come.