Reading the Bible...or what is God saying in this passage or that passage?

Read Exodus 25 through Exodus 31.

Did you ever wonder why God took the time and precision to write out all the details in these 7 chapters? Why bother you might think & what does it mean for us today?

"Ever since God dictated the blueprints of the tabernacle to Moses, people have wondered about the significance of the exact details. Several terms are used to indicate times in the Bible when events, persons, or things represent larger ideas: typology and foreshadowing. For example, the sacrifice of the lambs in the Old Testament had not only limited immediate significance in understanding the cost of forgiveness, but this practice also foreshadowed the eventual sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus, on the cross.

Because at least some parts of the tabernacle hold special significance--the ark representing God's covenant with His people--students of Scripture have looked for other possible deeper meanings. Ingenuity in linking very item of furniture and every piece of building material to Christ may appear most intriguing; but if New Testament statements and allusions do not support such linkage and typology, students ought to proceed with caution. The beauty and efficiency of the tabernacles's design presents a tribute to God's creative character, but those who look for hidden meaning in every tent peg and covering stitch run the risk of missing the big picture in the details. The New Testament points repeatedly to the awesome fact of God's presence with people as represented in the Tabernacle. Other New Testament lessons (particularly the Book of Hebrews) help identify the intended symbols and deeper meanings."
taken from The MacArthur Daily Bible, John F. MacArthur, Jr., Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2003, p. 128.