13 January | Youth
«And they shall make an ark of acacia wood; two and a half cubits shall be its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height.» Exodus 25:10
The ark of the covenant –the only piece of furniture that was in the most holy compartment of the sanctuary and which stored the tablets of the Ten Commandments, a pot of manna and Aaron's rod– was made of acacia wood. Both the ark and the wooden poles that were used to transport it were made with this material and covered with gold. But why acacia wood?
This particularity draws attention, as acacia is an ugly, twisted, thorny, knotty shrub that grows in the most arid places in the desert. That wood, in human eyes, was useless. Not even the insects wanted it! The tree deposits substances in its core that are undesirable to predators, making it dense and difficult to penetrate.
Could not God have ordered Moses to make the ark out of a finer, more noble material, like hardwood or pine? Why not use the cedar of Lebanon, mahogany, or Jatoba to store the Testimonies and reveal His shekhinah?
As it is a plant capable of surviving the most arid places in the desert, God knew that the acacia was very resistant. Only this hard wood, which can withstand extremely adverse situations, would be able to withstand the nomadic life of the people of Israel. Over the centuries, the ark withstood wars, sandstorms, the scorching sun of the day and the intense cold of the night. God knew that if the ark was made of other, more noble wood, it would not withstand the tests.
In life, to fulfill certain functions, God chooses people like acacia wood: resistant to storms and who do not bow down in the face of adversity. In human eyes, they may not have much value, as they do not have external beauty or social status. However, God sees in them a willing, courageous heart that is resistant to the attacks of evil.
Remember that appearance, position, and title have no value before God. To keep His testimony and reveal His glory, He chooses ordinary people like you and me, full of thorns and knots, but who are willing to be used by Him.