[Exodus 37] The Furnishing of the Holy of Holies. In this chapter we observe Bezaleel as he constructs the Ark of the Covenant, the Table of Shewbread, the Lampstand, and the Altar of Incense. Each of these articles represent something of the work of redemption that Christ wrought for us on the Cross and also our participation with Him as kings and priests in His kingdom.
[Exo 37:1-29 KJV] 1 And Bezaleel made the ark [of] shittim wood: two cubits and a half [was] the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it: 2 And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold to it round about. 3 And he cast for it four rings of gold, [to be set] by the four corners of it; even two rings upon the one side of it, and two rings upon the other side of it. 4 And he made staves [of] shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold. 5 And he put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, to bear the ark. 6 And he made the mercy seat [of] pure gold: two cubits and a half [was] the length thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth thereof. 7 And he made two cherubims [of] gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat; 8 One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the [other] end on that side: out of the mercy seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof. 9 And the cherubims spread out [their] wings on high, [and] covered with their wings over the mercy seat, with their faces one to another; [even] to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubims. 10 And he made the table [of] shittim wood: two cubits [was] the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof: 11 And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made thereunto a crown of gold round about. 12 Also he made thereunto a border of an handbreadth round about; and made a crown of gold for the border thereof round about. 13 And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings upon the four corners that [were] in the four feet thereof. 14 Over against the border were the rings, the places for the staves to bear the table. 15 And he made the staves [of] shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold, to bear the table. 16 And he made the vessels which [were] upon the table, his dishes, and his spoons, and his bowls, and his covers to cover withal, [of] pure gold. 17 And he made the candlestick [of] pure gold: [of] beaten work made he the candlestick; his shaft, and his branch, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, were of the same: 18 And six branches going out of the sides thereof; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side thereof, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side thereof: 19 Three bowls made after the fashion of almonds in one branch, a knop and a flower; and three bowls made like almonds in another branch, a knop and a flower: so throughout the six branches going out of the candlestick. 20 And in the candlestick [were] four bowls made like almonds, his knops, and his flowers: 21 And a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches going out of it. 22 Their knops and their branches were of the same: all of it [was] one beaten work [of] pure gold. 23 And he made his seven lamps, and his snuffers, and his snuffdishes, [of] pure gold. 24 [Of] a talent of pure gold made he it, and all the vessels thereof. 25 And he made the incense altar [of] shittim wood: the length of it [was] a cubit, and the breadth of it a cubit; [it was] foursquare; and two cubits [was] the height of it; the horns thereof were of the same. 26 And he overlaid it with pure gold, [both] the top of it, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns of it: also he made unto it a crown of gold round about. 27 And he made two rings of gold for it under the crown thereof, by the two corners of it, upon the two sides thereof, to be places for the staves to bear it withal. 28 And he made the staves [of] shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold. 29 And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the apothecary.
In Exodus 37 Bezaleel continues making the artifacts of the tent of the tabernacle (the ceremonial tent that housed the ark of the covenant and was the center of Hebrew worship when they came out of Egypt). The previous chapter describes the various materials used and this chapter opens (vs. 1-5) centered on the Ark of the Covenant and its dimensions and the rings and staves fashioned to be used when the Ark was moved from camp to camp in the Israelites wilderness journeyings.
The ark of the covenant was where the Glory of God was present in visible form. It is a type of the heart of man. God dwelled above the cherubim above the mercy seat. He dwells in our hearts by faith – we are his habitation. This is why the ark was made of wood overlaid with gold and not solid gold. Any of these sacred artifacts constructed of wood overlaid with gold implies an aspect of God’s dealing that includes us. Some things God instructed to be of solid gold signifying Christ alone, some were wood overlaid with gold denoting our connection to Him and participation with Him in the New Birth. Wood is a type of humanity as the Psalmist makes clear in Psalm 1:3
Psalm 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
that bringeth forth his fruit in his season;
his leaf also shall not wither;
and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
that bringeth forth his fruit in his season;
his leaf also shall not wither;
and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Jude also makes reference to men as trees when he describes false brethren:
[Jde 1:12 KJV] 12 … trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
As Bezaleel constructed the Ark of acacia wood and then overlaid it with gold, even so God inhabits our fleshly hearts when He covers us with His divinity (gold). Notice it was covered with gold within and without. God doesn’t want us to simply be covered without – he intends us to be transformed within.
The ark was to be transportable. We tend to see things that are most sacred as immovable and we go to them. This is the difference between pagan concepts of deity and how God portrays Himself to us. God wanted the ark of the covenant and He wants us to be flexible, mobile and transportable – in place, and time and situation.
In vs. 6-9 the Mercy Seat atop the Ark is detailed. Unlike the ark itself the covering or mercy seat was all of gold. This tells us that we are covered by the mercy of God and also that we have nothing to do with it. The mercy seat being constructed of pure gold speaks to us of the unconditional, no-strings-attached love of God toward us. As objects of God’s Mercy there is nothing we bring to the table and no way that we can influence or garner His clemency in our lives in any way. Isa. 64:6 tells us that our righteousness (or, our alleged moral quality or purity before God) is as filthy rags. Thus God’s acceptance of us in the New Birth as participators in His Kingdom, is based solely upon who Jesus is and what He did for us, and what we do or do not do cannot figure in to the equation either to qualify or disqualify us for God’s blessings.
In v. 7 we see that there were two cherubim on one side and then the other, on the left and on the right. If you understand the biblical significance of right and left this speaks of the instrumentality of God servicing your NATURAL LIFE (right) and your SPIRITUAL LIFE (left). Contrary to popular Christian conceptions God is not just interested in our spiritual well-being, He is also keenly interested in our natural state as well. John the Beloved wrote the following:
[3Jo 1:2 KJV] 2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
The angels above the Mercy Seat were constructed in such a way that their faces covered because they do not understand and cannot look into the plan of salvation. Peter refers to this inability of the angels to fully comprehend redemption in 1 Peter 1:12:
[1Pe 1:12 KJV] 12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
Isn’t it amazing that the angels don’t understand redemption yet their whole existence is to facilitate the implementation in our lives that which redemption affords?
In vs. 10-15 we turn our attention to the Table of Shewbread where the bread of God’s presence was kept freshly laid upon it every day. Among other things, the table of showbread speaks to us of healing. Jesus said that healing was the children’s bread:
[Mar 7:27 KJV] 27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast [it] unto the dogs.
Notice that this table is of wood and gold implying that redeemed man is a participator with God in the ministry of healing. Matthew 10:1 and other passages in the New Testament agree to this:
[Mat 10:1 KJV] 1 And when he (Jesus) had called unto [him] his twelve disciples, he gave them power [against] unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
The table had a border specifically designed to be the width of your hand. What is the significance of this? Healing comes by laying on of hands. When you lay hands upon the sick you are bringing them to the table of the Lord and they will be no means be denied.
The table of showbread was likewise required to be portable. The commission to heal always surfaces when Jesus is sending out the disciples in apostolic travel. We see healing as a ministry to pursue and seek out. God intended healing to be a ministry that was to be accessible and available in our midst as a ready resource.
In vs. 16-24 the Golden Lampstand is described, regarding its construction, dimensions and purpose. The lampstand speaks of the word of God and also the church of God.
[Psa 119:105 KJV] 105 NUN. Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Rev. 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
The lampstand also speaks of Christ himself:
[Jhn 1:1-4 KJV] 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
The light that God gives the believer is His word and Jesus is revealed in John chapter one as the Living Word of God in His person and His substance. Thus we see in connection with the Lampstand that Jesus is the word released to us and through us as well in view of the fact that scripture teach us that as Jesus is the Light of the World so we as believers are light IN the Lord.
The lampstand was decorated with buds, blossoms and full fruit of the almond tree. The Hebrew word for almond means “to hasten…” because it was the first tree of winter to begin to bring forth fruit in the middle of winter. When you see the almond motif of the lampstand it corresponds to the hastening of God’s word to come to pass in our lives.
[Jer 1:12 KJV] 12 Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.
In vs. 25-29, Bezaleel turns his attention to the Altar of Incense. The altar of incense was also of wood overlaid with gold. This altar represents prayer. Jesus continually intercedes for us and when we pray we enter into His intercession:
[Heb 7:25 KJV] 25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
As Jesus is our intercessor at the right hand of God so we also should pray, thus entering into participation with the intercession of Christ:
[Luk 18:1 KJV] 1 And he spake a parable unto them [to this end], that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
In this parable Jesus makes an ironclad statement about whose prayers God will respond to:
[Luk 18:2-8 KJV] 2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
Faith and continual prayer are on God’s agenda for our lives and comprise the process leading to His involvement ini our lives in response to answered prayer. The Altar of Incense stood directly before the Ark of the Covenant with the veil hanging between them. In Christ the veil is taken away signified by the fact that the veil was rent in two at the moment of Jesus’ death. This points to the fact that when we engage in prayer (metaphorically offering incense to Him at the Altar of Incense) there is never so much a time that we are completely centered in His will.
