ALL THAT GLITTERED
Opening Prayer
Today, Heavenly Father, give me light for my darkness, wisdom for my confusion, yourself for myself.
Read EXODUS 37:1-29
The Ark
37 Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.[a] 2 He overlaid it with pure gold, both inside and out, and made a gold molding around it. 3 He cast four gold rings for it and fastened them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. 4 Then he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. 5 And he inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it.
6 He made the atonement cover of pure gold—two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. 7 Then he made two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. 8 He made one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; at the two ends he made them of one piece with the cover. 9 The cherubim had their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim faced each other, looking toward the cover.
The Table
10 They[b] made the table of acacia wood—two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high.[c] 11 Then they overlaid it with pure gold and made a gold molding around it. 12 They also made around it a rim a handbreadth[d] wide and put a gold molding on the rim. 13 They cast four gold rings for the table and fastened them to the four corners, where the four legs were. 14 The rings were put close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table. 15 The poles for carrying the table were made of acacia wood and were overlaid with gold. 16 And they made from pure gold the articles for the table—its plates and dishes and bowls and its pitchers for the pouring out of drink offerings.
The Lampstand
17 They made the lampstand of pure gold. They hammered out its base and shaft, and made its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms of one piece with them. 18 Six branches extended from the sides of the lampstand—three on one side and three on the other. 19 Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms were on one branch, three on the next branch and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand. 20 And on the lampstand were four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. 21 One bud was under the first pair of branches extending from the lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair—six branches in all. 22 The buds and the branches were all of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold.
23 They made its seven lamps, as well as its wick trimmers and trays, of pure gold. 24 They made the lampstand and all its accessories from one talent[e] of pure gold.
The Altar of Incense
25 They made the altar of incense out of acacia wood. It was square, a cubit long and a cubit wide and two cubits high[f]—its horns of one piece with it. 26 They overlaid the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and made a gold molding around it. 27 They made two gold rings below the molding—two on each of the opposite sides—to hold the poles used to carry it. 28 They made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.
29 They also made the sacred anointing oil and the pure, fragrant incense—the work of a perfumer.
Footnotes
- Exodus 37:1 That is, about 3 3/4 feet long and 2 1/4 feet wide and high or about 1.1 meters long and 68 centimeters wide and high; similarly in verse 6
- Exodus 37:10 Or He; also in verses 11-29
- Exodus 37:10 That is, about 3 feet long, 1 1/2 feet wide and 2 1/4 feet high or about 90 centimeters long, 45 centimeters wide and 68 centimeters high
- Exodus 37:12 That is, about 3 inches or about 7.5 centimeters
- Exodus 37:24 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms
- Exodus 37:25 That is, about 1 1/2 feet long and wide and 3 feet high or about 45 centimeters long and wide and 90 centimeters high
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
‘Jesus, priceless treasure, source of purest pleasure, truest friend to me.’* Tell Jesus how precious he is to you.The US National Archives Rotunda houses America’s ‘Charters of Freedom’: its Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights. At the enshrining ceremony in 1952, President Truman said, ‘We are engaged here today in a symbolic act. We are enshrining these documents for future ages… This magnificent hall has been constructed to exhibit them, and the vault beneath, that we have built to protect them, is as safe from destruction as anything that the wit of modern man can devise.’ Precious things are esteemed and protected.
Bezalel made an ark ‘overlaid … with pure gold, both inside and out’ (vs 1,2) and an ‘atonement cover of pure gold’ (v 6), flanked by a pair of golden cherubim (vs 7–9), which represented God’s throne. This ark would house ‘the tablets of the covenant law’ (Exodus 25:16). This sacred covenant-treaty was like a birth certificate – defining who Israel was and to whom she belonged and a constitution – the holy laws of a holy God for a holy nation.
Gold signifies something pure, untarnished and precious. Bronze was used for the courtyard, and for the altar of burnt offering and basin found there (38:1–20). But in the sanctuary, all that glittered – ark (37:1–9), table (37:10–16), lampstand (37:17–24), incense altar (37:25–28) – truly was gold!
Apply
Can you honestly say to God, ‘Truly I love your commandments more than gold, more than fine gold’ (Psalm 119:127, NRSVA)?
Closing prayer
Lord Jesus, I have signed on with you. I believe, trust, and follow you. May Your kingdom rule be in me and work through me.
* ‘Jesus, Priceless Treasure,’ J Franck, trans. C Winkworth http://www.hymnsite. com/lyrics/umh532.sht
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