God of War…and Curtains.
- AfraOpoku
- October 27, 2026
- Uncategorized
- 0 Comments
I’m reading the bible.
While that’s a fairly normal occurrence, I’m reading two parts of the bible at once and my discoveries are fascinating.
After a failed peace deal,1 Assyria is attacking Judah. Unlike his ancestor David, Hezekiah loses sight of the might of the God of Judah and everyone in the kingdom is freaked out by this beyond formidable enemy.2 Assyria’s army is too big. Judah doesn’t have enough resources, and amidst the desperation, Hezekiah turns to the Almighty and God lets him know He’s got this.3
Sennacherib -destroyer of multiple nations- and the full force of Assyria’s army is about to realise that God’s people are not to be trifled with.
In one night , God sends a single angel and Sennicherib discovers the Lord of Judah is no ordinary enemy.
Under circumstances no one can explain, 185,000 soldiers stop breathing.4
Gone. Dead. Caput. No missile fired. No grenades deployed. Just raw heavenly power on display.
God sends ONE angel and the enemy gets blown away…literally.
It’s a story that inspires awe even now.
I can’t imagine the experience of the people of Judah after they realised God had won the battle for them, without them.
Put a pin in that.
I can imagine a God who is victorious.
God having the last word? Absolutely.
Man being nothing against God? Not a surprise.
What I struggle with, is juxtaposing that with what I’m reading in Exodus. 5
Long before Isreal had a King, the newly formed nation were out of Egypt and Moses was receiving instructions on the tabernacle
He had been a prince and a shepherd but Moses was not an architect.
Then again, he didn’t need to be
The Lord gave him the exact blue print for the earthly housing of His heavenly being. The ark was to be made with a certain kind of wood. 6 The lamp stands come with a base a shaft and branches.
Where I absolutely lose it is when God talks about curtains. 7
They are to measure 42 feet by 6 feet…in today’s units.
Hold on one second.
God does interior design? Really?
Picture this; you’ve moved into a new house. You’re excited to decorate and can’t wait for the interior designer to show up. When he arrives, you’re staring at a US marine.
At first glance you’re sure there has been some sort of mistake. You know those eyes are trained to hit a bulls eye half a mile away, but can they really differentiate between contemporary and minimalist design?
One glimpse at his arms and you know he can snap you in two at a moments notice, but how does brute strength and finesse exist in the same being?
Now multiply that emotion a billion times over and you’ll get my point of view…maybe.
I understand a God who’s sovereign.
A God who controls the universe, I get.
A God who commands the elements? Sure thing
A God who can do all the above and still be delicate? Err..
A God with that much attention to detail? That’s hard for me.
A God who wants 5 curtains joined together with golden clasps and loops of gold? Hmm.7
Why do I struggle?
I am human.
There is only so much discrepancy my little brain can take.
I tend to pigeon hole individuals and entities.
When you’re battle hardened, you can’t be quite as tender as someone who’s not.
When you’re in charge of decor, you can’t take out 185,000 men in one night.
As I read these contrasting scriptures, I chuckle because why would God include these details?
If I were to guess; He’s telling me I cannot stereotype Him.
Even better, I think He wants us to know that He can meet our every need.
From our big battles with the medical , to our grieviances with traffic, we can come to Him.
The one who can handle Middle East conflicts can reassure me when I’m having a bad day.
The same God who isn’t turned off by the grime on our souls, is delighted by the aesthetically pleasing.
That’s a God we may struggle to reconcile, but that’s who He is.
His ultimate reminder of this was when He made himself a baby.
One that crawled, and cried.
One that ate and danced.
One that grew and stood between us and the death that was our biggest foe.
He’s the God of the impossible and the natural; and He asks not to be understood but to be trusted…with everything.
Let’s learn to do that.
1- 2Kings 18 v 14-17
2- 2Kings 18 v 37: 19 v 1- 4
3- 2Kings 19 v 5-7
4- 2Kings 19 v 35-36
5- Exodus 25
6- Exodus 25 v 10
7- Exodus 26 v 1-6