31 January | Youth
«He made the laver of bronze and its base of bronze, from the bronze mirrors of the serving women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.» Exodus 38:8
Mirrors were created about 5,000 years ago in Sumer. They were made of bronze plates polished with sand and had a rounded shape. The mirror as we know it today was invented in 1835 by the German chemist Justus von Liebig, who used a thin layer of metallic silver on a glass surface.
The mirror is probably one of the most used objects in the world. There is one everywhere: in the bathroom, in the car, in the elevator, in the mall and even in your bag. Flat, concave, or convex, this artifact has the ability to change people's mood several times in the same day. For many, it is a kind of “savior,” capable of avoiding everything from car accidents to embarrassment caused by leftover food in a tooth.
When the people of Israel left Egypt, after the plague of death of the firstborn, they took with them many spoils (Exod 12:36). In addition to gold, precious stones and expensive fabrics, the Hebrews took several mirrors used by the Egyptians. These were rare objects of luxury, made with bronze plates fitted into richly decorated handles.
However, the Bible says that Hebrew women did not use these mirrors for long. When Moses began the construction of the sanctuary under divine order (Exod 25:8), he invited the people to voluntarily offer their valuables. The Hebrews' response was impressive, to the point of bringing more than was necessary (Exod 36:5-7). Among these objects, there were women's mirrors that were “assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.”
Their attitude shows that they were more concerned with the adornment of their character than with their outward appearance (1 Pet 3:3-4). Ostentation and vanity had no home in their heart. By donating the mirrors to the sanctuary, they demonstrated that they loved God more than themselves.
If half the time spent looking for a better appearance was dedicated to cultivating inner beauty, what a difference it would make in people's lives! Invest today in knowledge, mercy and building your character. Compared to this, physical beauty is just a detail.