If you’ve followed along super close in the Exodus narrative concerning the building of the Tabernacle, you might have noticed one ingredient that pops up more than any other: acacia wood.
To be fair, I didn’t notice it myself until the end of Exodus 26. My eyes were focused on the descriptions of the Ark of the Covenant, the walls of the Tabernacle, the tables for incense and showbread. Those seemed to be the most important part of this section (and rightfully so).
But somewhere along the line, I noticed the repeated mentions of acacia wood. It’s used in the construction of all the above elements (the Ark, the tables in the holy place, the boards for the Tabernacle), and it will continue to be used throughout Exodus. In fact, it’s the only wood used in the construction of the Tabernacle.
Why is that? The easy answer is that it’s the most readily available. Although the vegetation in the Sinai Peninsula is diverse, there aren’t a lot of “trees”—at least in the sense that you and I would think about them. Acacia trees are all over the place, so much so that when the Tabernacle was built, people donated the acacia wood they already had on hand (Exodus 35:24).
The other answer is that acacia wood is extremely durable and resistant to decay, which meant the elements would last for a very long time. It’s still a very popular choice for outdoor furniture, due to its low maintenance and versatility in creating various items.
As with most things in the Bible, people have tried desperately to find some kind of “hidden meaning” with the acacia tree. Does it signify our own durability? Our own “resistance” to sin? Do we grow in spiritual deserts just the same as the tree?
I personally think a lot of those are misguided questions, as well-intentioned as they may be. The inclusion of acacia wood in this section isn’t a metaphor for our spiritual growth as much as it is a testament to God’s understanding of His own creation. Since He anticipated the Tabernacle being around a while (and especially the Ark), He told them to make it out of something that would last.
