There are no throw away lines in scripture, but there are some odd ones. The bronze basin was made from the mirrors of the women who served, Exodus 38:8. It's an unusual detail to include, with a surprising word choice. "Tsaba" the word rendered serve in many translations is unrelated to waiting tables. It means "to wage war."
"Jehovah Tsaba" is the Lord of Hosts.
What was the bronze basin? Who were these women? Why does it matter who brought the materials and what they sacrificed? When we realize the people had to be restrained from giving, this offering seems even more significant, Exodus 36:5-7.
Imagine... People brought too much silver. God announced, "That is enough gold!" Still, He not only accepted those mirrors, the Bible indicates we are to remember those mirrors and their donors. We cannot forget the vessel those looking glasses became.
Scholarly estimates on the size of the basin ranged from six to fifteen feet in diameter. Standing between the alter and the tabernacle, the basin offered a chance for priests to be clean before going into the presence of a holy God. By extension, the basin preserved their lives, Exodus 30:17-2. Redemption- through sacrifice, cleansing, then communion with God, that was the pattern. In reality, it remains the pattern with the Word & Spirit acting as our transforming basin, 1 Corinthians 6:11, John 15:3.
What are we to understand about these women and their offerings? Based on the size of the basin, there must have been an army of women ministering. Laying down more than the plunder of their previous painful days in captivity, these women surrendered their ability to evaluate themselves based on opinions of others. Much like social media today, mirrors were precious for their ability to answer pressing questions. "Am I good enough? Pretty enough? What will others think of me? Will someone choose me? They gave anyway. Being near to the presence of God demanded giving up the view of themselves the enemy offered.
From that day forward, the women's images would flow back to them only through echoes in water, which unlike mirrors offered washing rather than just a display of the world around it. With their actions the maidens demonstrated, the power of God and purity before God must take precedence over the pride and vanity of this world. Cleansing must supersede primping.
Others may choose not to see or refuse to remember these warriors. Scripture acknowledges them. God saw these women, their work and their sacrifice. He sees you. That's worth remembering.
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