Memorials

Moreover, he made the laver of bronze with its base of bronze, from the mirrors of the serving women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting.
— Exodus 38:8

I love little passages like this. There’s not many times that givers are recognized on this project (the tabernacle / tent of meeting). If you read too fast, you’ll miss this one. The fact that this gift is singled out means that there is something special about the gift.

Perhaps they were giving sacrificially. Giving what they had — something dear to them — to glorify God. Perhaps they did it as an example. “It was customary for the Egyptian women to carry mirrors with them to the temples.”[1] Perhaps these ladies set out to break off this tradition (rooted in idolatry) as an example to the other women to do the same. (We see a lot of this in Exodus.)

Whatever makes this gift special, I always think it’s cool to find stuff like this in the scriptures. Little memorials of real people, in real situations, really giving of themselves to God.

[1] — Jamieson, Fausset & Brown commentary on Ex 38:8