Acacia wood and cherubim

When God gives instructions to build the tabernacle he makes a big deal about using acacia wood. It was used to build the Ark of the Covenant (25:10), the table for the shewbread (25:23), the upright frames for the tabernacle (26:15), the crossbars (26:26), posts (26:32), the altar (27:1) the poles to carry the Ark (25:13), the table (25:28) and the altar (27:6). God was very specific in these instructions. Why acacia wood? I read somewhere that it is light weight and yet very sturdy. That would make sense. Funny thing...today as I was taking the train from Champaign to Chicago, a guy named Mike and I struck up a conversation. He was holding in his hand a book called "The Meaning of Trees." I thumbed through it and it gave interesting facts/myths/folklore/medical properties about trees...it specifically talked about acacia trees and that God gave instructions to use this wood in building the ark and the tabernacle. Interesting tid-bit. I'm also fascinated with the fact that God instructed them to weave cherubim into the curtain. When God cast Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden a cherubim and a flashing sword were placed at the entrance to keep them from coming back into the presence of God and eating from the Tree of Life. Well...when Jesus died on the cross, the temple curtain was torn from top to bottom signifying that Jesus has made a way back into the presence of God...we can now eat again from the Tree of Life. Come to think of it...Mike, the guy on the train showed me his journal and a pin he had...both had the Tree of Life symbol on them. He said that the Tree of Life was an important symbol in his life. Interesting connections to today's reading.

Lord, your ways are a mystery to me.