These are the amounts of the materials used for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the covenant law, which were recorded at Moses’ command by the Levites under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest. – Exodus 38:21

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 12, 2013): Exodus 38

The youngest son is a stock character in a number of folk stories. Typically the youngest son is seen as weak and unable to do the task that is given to the older brothers. Overlooked, the youngest son usually waits until the end of the story to emerge as the hero of the tale, accomplishing what the older brothers couldn’t – in spite of his youth and weakness. Biblically, maybe the best example of the youngest son is King David. As Samuel comes to the house of Jesse to look for the new king, and Jesse parades before the prophet his seven oldest sons. The one son that he doesn’t parade in front of Samuel is his youngest son – a little boy named David. Samuel passes by all of the seven sons Jesse presents to him, and asks Jesse if he has any other sons. Jesse does, his youngest who is out in the field taking care of the sheep. But he can’t be the one that Samuel wants to see – except that this young, weak boy is the one that Samuel seeks. And Samuel anoints David as King.

The story of David and Goliath again features a David who is once again too young to fight in the war that Israel is involved in with the Philistines. His brothers, however, are part of the army, but none of them are willing to take on the giant Goliath. But David takes on the giant with just a slingshot and five stones.  David succeeds where his brothers fail – and once again the youngest son is the hero.

Ithamar was just another youngest son. In this story there is no mention of his inability, but rather his ability. The youngest son of Aaron was placed in charge of the most important project that Israel had ever attempted in its young history – the building of the Tabernacle. There is no mention of why the job didn’t go to one of his three older brothers, but Ithamar excelled at the task that he was given. And the experience may have proven to be an important experience for the young priest, who would one day rule with his brother over all of the priests of Israel, but only after his two oldest brothers were disqualified from the task. In the end, Ithamar and his slightly older brother Eleazar would succeed where the two oldest sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, would fail.

And once more, the youngest son would become the hero of the story.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Exodus 39