Exodus 37 - Making the Ark of the Testimony, Table for the Showbread, Gold Lampstand, Altar of Incense, Anointing Oil and the Incense

Summary https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com
"This chapter contains detailed construction accounts of making the Ark, the table, the lampstand, and the altar of incense."

https://st-takla.org/bible/commentary/en/ot/matthew-henry/exodus/ch37.html

Exodus 37 Amplified Bible (AMP)
https://www.biblegateway.com

Construction Continues
Bezalel made the ark [of the covenant] of acacia wood—it was two and a half cubits long, and one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high. 2 And he overlaid it with pure gold inside and out, and made a molding (border) of gold to go all around [the top of it]. 3 He cast four rings of gold for it on its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. 4 He made carrying poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. 5 He put the carrying poles through the rings at the sides of the ark, to carry it. 6 Bezalel made the mercy seat of pure gold; it was two and a half cubits long, and one and a half cubits wide. 7 He made two cherubim of hammered gold; he made them at the two ends of the mercy seat, 8 one cherub at 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 spread out their wings upward, covering and protecting the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward each other; the faces of the cherubim were [looking downward] toward the mercy seat.
10 Bezalel made the table [for the bread] of acacia wood; it was two cubits long, a cubit wide, and one and a half cubits high. 11 He overlaid it with pure gold, and made a border of gold for it all around [its top]. 12 He made a rim for it [just under the top] a hand width wide all around, and a border of gold around its rim. 13 He cast four rings of gold for it and fastened the rings to the four corners that were at its four legs. 14 Close by the rim were the rings, the holders for the poles [to pass through] to carry the table. 15 Bezalel made the carrying poles of acacia wood to carry the table and overlaid them with gold. 16 He made the utensils which were to be on the table, its dishes and its pans [for bread], its bowls and its jars for pouring drink offerings, of pure gold.

• INTRICATE ARTISTRY. Our God is a majestic, awesome God and what the Israelites were doing or constructing to make the Tabernacle were a reflection of who God is-- full of beauty and wonders. Who would have think that the Israelites with limited education or talents due to 400+ years of slavery in Egypt, will be able to pull off something this outstanding? It was the mighty Spirit of God indeed! Working and empowering all these special, chosen people to serve God and to take part in His great plans and purposes. It made me think of all the people that Lord Jesus had chosen and gifted with His Holy Spirit to disciple people and advance His Kingdom: Peter and Andrew the fisherman, Matthew the tax collector, Paul the former persecutor, etc. Indeed, God can use anyone for His glory and honor! It doesn't matter if the person's past was dark, ugly, or full of pain and brokenness-- if that person was called and saved by God, and that person repented, accepted and believed in the Good News of how God sent His one and only Son to die on the cross to redeem us-- that person will be infused with the mighty Holy Spirit of God and he/she will have a new life and he/she will bear fruits!

https://livingforjesus.com/god-doesnt-call-the-qualified-god-qualifies-the-called/ 

17 Then he made the lampstand (menorah) of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work, its base and its [center] shaft; its cups, its [a]calyxes, and its flowers were all of one piece with it. 18 There were six branches coming out of the sides of the lampstand, three branches from one side of the center shaft and three branches from the other side of it; 19 three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a calyx and a flower in one branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, a calyx and a flower in the opposite branch—so for the six branches coming out of the center shaft of the lampstand. 20 On the center shaft of the lampstand there were four cups shaped like almond blossoms, with calyxes and flowers [one at the top]; 21 and a calyx was under the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a calyx under the second pair of branches, coming out of it, and a calyx under the third pair of branches coming out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. 22 Their calyxes and their branches were of one piece with it; all 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 the lampstand and all its utensils from a talent of pure gold.
25 Then Bezalel made the incense altar of acacia wood; its top was a cubit square and it was two cubits high; the horns were of one piece with it. 26 He overlaid it with pure gold, its top, its sides all around and its horns; he also made a rim of gold around it. 27 He made two rings of gold for it under its rim, on its two opposite sides, as holders for the poles [to pass through] to carry it. 28 He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. 29 He also made the holy anointing oil and the pure, fragrant incense of spices, the work of a perfumer.
Footnotes: Exodus 37:17 The leaf-like outer part of the flower.

https://biblestudentsdaily.com/tag/beauties-of-the-tabernacle/

• GOD THE FATHER, GOD THE SON, GOD THE SPIRIT. God is our light, forever and ever. The Menorah or lampstand symbolizes that in the physical Tabernacle. God loves the Israelites so much that He allowed them to have an everyday remembrance of it in the middle of the wilderness-- God knew how forgetful and sinful we are, God knew how stubborn and rebellious the Israelites could be, and yet God remained faithful and steadfast in guiding them.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:1-5


https://marksbiblejourney.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-book-of-exodus-chapter-1-israel.html 
From "Thru the Bible with J Vernon McGee:"  "The two articles of furniture in the outer court were the brazen altar and the laver.  When you stepped inside the Holy Place, there were three articles of furniture:  the golden lampstand, the table of showbread, and the altar of incense.  In the Holy of Holies was the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat...There were seven articles of furniture arranged in such a way as to give us a wonderful picture.  The brazen altar speaks of the cross of Christ where we receive forgiveness of sin.  The laver speaks of the fact that Christ washes or cleanses those who are His own.  The laver is where we confess our sins, and receive his forgiveness and cleansing.  The Holy Place is the place of worship.  In it is the golden lampstand typifying Christ, the Light of the World.  The table of showbread pictures Christ as the Bread of Life upon which we feed.  The altar of incense is the place of prayer.  It speaks of the fact that Christ is our Intercessor...The Holy of Holies pictures Jesus Christ in the presence of God.  In the Book of Hebrews we are told to come to the throne of grace.  The mercy seat pictures this, and this is where we find grace to help and mercy in time of need.  There is a mercy seat for believers in heaven...The Holy of Holies is in heaven today.  We do not go horizontally to God by going to a building or to a man, but we look to heaven and go directly to Him--through Jesus Christ.  "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5).