Hearts Ascending

My colleague James Jordan likes to say that the tabernacle is made out of hearts. He cites Exodus 25:2: “Tell the sons of Israel to raise a contribution for Me; every man whose heart moves him shall raise my contribution.” And Exodus 35:21: “Everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose heart moved him came and brought Yahweh’s contribution for the work of the tent of meeting.” What Israel brings flows out of the heart; what craftsmen make arises from the skill or wisdom that Yahweh places in their hearts (Exodus 35:25, 35; 26:1-2).

The variation in terminology between Exodus 25 and 35 is worth noting. 25:2 speaks of hearts that are “moved” (nadab) to contribute. 35:21-22 speaks of spirits (ruach) that have been moved, an hearts that have been “lifted up” (nasa’). The first verb speaks of something done willingly; their hearts and spirits incite or impel them to give. But the second verb suggests something more: Impelled to act, their hearts are “lifted up” to give. They offer their hearts upward to their enthroned king, to the One whose names they “lift up” (Exodus 20:7).

Christian liturgy repeats this gesture in the sursum corda. “Lift up your hearts,” and “we lift them up to the Lord.” Because the new sanctuary like the old is made from the hearts of God’s people, hearts lifted to give and to praise, hearts ascended to God.