Exodus 37-Construction Of Ark, Table Of Showbread, Lampstand, Incense Altar And Composition Of Anointing Oil And Incense
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday November 25, 2012
Journey Through The Bible Series: Exodus 37-Construction Of Ark, Table Of Showbread, Lampstand, Incense Altar And Composition Of Anointing Oil And Incense
Lesson # 62
Please turn in your Bibles to Exodus 37:1.
Exodus 37:1 Now Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood; its length was two and a half cubits (three feet nine inches), and its width one and a half cubits (two feet three inches), and its height one and a half cubits (two feet three inches); 2 and he overlaid it with pure gold inside and out, and made a gold molding for it all around. 3 He cast four rings of gold for it on its four feet; even two rings on one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. 4 He made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. 5 He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry it. 6 He made a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long (three feet nine inches) and one and a half cubits wide (two feet three inches). 7 He made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat; 8 one cherub at the one end and one cherub at the other end; he made the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at the two ends. 9 The cherubim had their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward each other; the faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat. (NASB95)
Exodus 37:1-9 records the Israelites constructing the ark in fulfillment of the Lord’s commands to do so as recorded in Exodus 25:10-20.
“Ark” is the noun ʾǎrôn (אֲרֹון) (aw-rone´), which was a chest or ornate box containing sacred artifacts of worship and was the only piece of furniture within the Holy of Holies.
It was made of acacia wood two and a half cubits long, one and a half cubits broad, and one and a half cubits high (external dimensions) and was plated inside and out with pure gold.
Running around each side was a gold border extending above the top of the Ark, so as to keep the lid from moving.
This lid was called the “mercy seat” (Ex. 25:20, 22, Hebrew: kapporet, a “covering”), and was the same size as the Ark itself, and was made of acacia wood covered with gold.
The ark was transported by means of two gold-covered poles run through two gold rings on each side, from which they were not to be moved (25:15) unless it might be necessary to remove them in order to cover the Ark when the Tabernacle was moved (Num. 4:6).
Upon the lid, or mercy seat, or at the ends of the ark, as in the temple, were placed the cherubim, probably figures beaten out of gold, as was the lampstand.
The cherubim were no doubt the normal or full height of a man and are always spoken of as maintaining an upright position (2 Chronicles 3:13).
They stood facing each other, looking down upon the mercy seat, with their wings forward in a brooding attitude (Ex. 25:20; cf. Deut. 32:11).
The ark symbolized God’s presence as well as His holiness and in addition His covenant blessing upon the Israelites who were to respect this symbol, which portrayed the reality of God’s presence.
“Mercy seat” is the noun kǎp∙pō∙rěṯ (כַּפֹּרֶת) (kap-po´-reth), which means “covering” and was a lid on top of the Ark of the Testimony and was the place where sins were forgiven.
Exodus 37:10 Then he made the table of acacia wood, two cubits long (three feet) and a cubit wide (one foot six inches) and one and a half cubits high (two feet three inches). 11 He overlaid it with pure gold, and made a gold molding for it all around. 12 He made a rim for it of a handbreadth (three inches wide) all around, and made a gold molding for its rim all around. 13 He cast four gold rings for it and put the rings on the four corners that were on its four feet. 14 Close by the rim were the rings, the holders for the poles to carry the table. 15 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold, to carry the table. 16 He made the utensils which were on the table, its dishes and its pans and its bowls and its jars, with which to pour out drink offerings, of pure gold. (NASB95)
Exodus 37:10-16 records the Israelites constructing the table of showbread in obedience to the Lord’s instructions recorded in Exodus 25:23-29.
In these pericopes, we have another piece of furniture which would be placed in the tabernacle.
In accordance with the Lord’s instructions, Bezalel constructed the table which measured three feet long, one foot six inches wide and two feet three inches in height.
He overlaid it with gold and made a gold border around it.
A surrounding frame was made for the table about three inches broad and they made with a surrounding border of gold for it.
So the table had two moldings with one at the bottom edge of the top of the structure and the other just inches above it, at the top edge of the top.
The carrying rings for the table were not too low on the legs, which would have given it a high center of gravity and made it difficult to carry upright.
Thus, by having the rings high on the table legs, most of the height of the table would be carried below the poles, hanging.
In Exodus 37:16, Bezalel made plates, ladles, pitchers and bowls, which were all to be made of gold which would make them fit for a king, which the Lord was.
These utensils would be used by the priests who served the Lord in the tabernacle.
The table of the bread of the Presence, or showbread, was a reminder that God fed His people Israel.
Exodus 37:17 Then he made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work, its base and its shaft; its cups, its bulbs and its flowers were of one piece with it. 18 There were six branches going out of its sides; three branches of the lampstand from the one side of it and three branches of the lampstand from the other side of it; 19 three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a bulb and a flower in one branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a bulb and a flower in the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. 20 In the lampstand there were four cups shaped like almond blossoms, its bulbs and its flowers; 21 and a bulb was under the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the second pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the third pair of branches coming out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. 22 Their bulbs and their branches were of one piece with it; the whole of it was a single hammered work of pure gold. 23 He made its seven lamps with its snuffers and its trays of pure gold. 24 He made it and all its utensils from a talent of pure gold. (NASB95)
Exodus 37:17-24 records the Israelites constructing the lampstand in accordance with the Lord’s instructions which appear in Exodus 25:31-39.
The word “lampstand” is the noun menô∙rā(h) (מְנוֹרָה) (men-o-raw´), which was composed of a base, a stem-shaft and holder for the lamp.
The lamplight symbolized to the Israelites that the Lord was home.
The description of the lampstand indicates that it was a floor-standing candelabra-like structure made of pure gold with six branches and a trunk made to resemble an olive tree, which is used in Scripture a designation for the nation of Israel (Jeremiah 11:16-17; Hosea 14:4-6; Romans 11:17-24).
The lampstand not only provided light for the tabernacle but also symbolized that the nation of Israel was to be a light to the nations (cf. Zechariah 4:1-14; Isaiah 42:6; 49:6).
Exodus 37:25 Then he made the altar of incense of acacia wood: a cubit long (foot and a half) and a cubit wide (foot and a half), square, and two cubits high (three feet); its horns were of one piece with it. 26 He overlaid it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and he made a gold molding for it all around. 27 He made two golden rings for it under its molding, on its two sides—on opposite sides—as holders for poles with which to carry it. 28 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. (NASB95)
Exodus 37:25-28 records the Israelites constructing the altar of incense in obedience to the Lord’s instructions which are found in Exodus 30:1-5.
These two pericopes reveal that the altar of incense was smaller than the bronze sacrifice altar or altar of burnt offering since it was eighteen inches square and thirty-six inches high.
Like the ark (25:10-20) and in particular like the table of showbread (25:23-28), the altar of incense was made of acacia wood overlaid with gold but like the bronze altar of burnt offering (27:1-8), it had horns that extended upward from its top.
The altar of incense had a decorative molding of gold around the edge of its top, which would keep the incense on the surface of the table preventing it from sliding off.
Like the altar of burnt offering and the table of the showbread and the ark, the incense altar also had gold rings through poles of acacia wood overlaid with gold, which could be inserted to carry it.
The altar of incense or incense altar stood in the holy place and specifically in front of the veil which separated the most holy place that contained the ark from the holy place, which contained the lampstand and table of showbread.
Exodus 37:29 And he made the holy anointing oil and the pure, fragrant incense of spices, the work of a perfumer. (NASB95)
This verse records the formulation of the anointing oil and incense which was in accordance with the Lord’s instructions found in Exodus 30:22-25, 34-36.
This anointing oil was to be used to anoint the tent of meeting, the ark of the testimony, the table of showbread and all its utensils, the golden lampstand and its utensils, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, the bronze laver of water and its base.
Anointing these articles of the tabernacle would sanctify them meaning that they were qualified to be used in serving God in the tabernacle.
It means that they would be set apart to be used exclusively for worshipping the Lord in the tabernacle.
The anointing oil was also to be applied to Aaron and his sons so that they like the articles of the tabernacle could be set apart to be used exclusively to worship and serve Him in the tabernacle.