Exodus 37: 1 – 29
The Ark of the Covenant is found
37 Then Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood; two and a half cubits was its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height. 2 He overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold all around it. 3 And he cast for it four rings of gold to be set in its four corners: two rings on one side, and two rings on the other side of it. 4 He made poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold. 5 And he put the poles into the rings at the sides of the ark, to bear the ark. 6 He also made the mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits was its length and a cubit and a half its width. 7 He made two cherubim of beaten gold; he made them of one piece at the two ends of the mercy seat: 8 one cherub at one end on this side, and the other cherub at the other end on that side. He made the cherubim at the two ends of one piece with the mercy seat. 9 The cherubim spread out their wings above, and covered the mercy seat with their wings. They faced one another; the faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat. 10 He made the table of acacia wood; two cubits was its length, a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height. 11 And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made a molding of gold all around it. 12 Also he made a frame of a handbreadth all around it, and made a molding of gold for the frame all around it. 13 And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings on the four corners that were at its four legs. 14 The rings were close to the frame, as holders for the poles to bear the table. 15 And he made the poles of acacia wood to bear the table, and overlaid them with gold. 16 He made of pure gold the utensils which were on the table: its dishes, its cups, its bowls, and its pitchers for pouring. 17 He also made the lamp stand of pure gold; of hammered work he made the lamp stand. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and its flowers were of the same piece. 18 And six branches came out of its sides: three branches of the lamp stand out of one side, and three branches of the lamp stand out of the other side. 19 There were three bowls made like almond blossoms on one branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower, and three bowls made like almond blossoms on the other branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower—and so for the six branches coming out of the lamp stand. 20 And on the lamp stand itself were four bowls made like almond blossoms, each with its ornamental knob and flower. 21 There was a knob under the first two branches of the same, a knob under the second two branches of the same, and a knob under the third two branches of the same, according to the six branches extending from it. 22 Their knobs and their branches were of one piece; all of it was one hammered piece of pure gold. 23 And he made its seven lamps, its wick-trimmers, and its trays of pure gold. 24 Of a talent of pure gold he made it, with all its utensils. 25 He made the incense altar of acacia wood. Its length was a cubit and its width a cubit—it was square—and two cubits was its height. Its horns were of one piece with it. 26 And he overlaid it with pure gold: its top, its sides all around, and its horns. He also made for it a molding of gold all around it. 27 He made two rings of gold for it under its molding, by its two corners on both sides, as holders for the poles with which to bear it. 28 And he made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold. 29 He also made the holy anointing oil and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the perfumer.
Got your attention didn’t I. The Ark of the Covenant has inspired a lot of curiosity over the years. The ark was a holy chest that God instructed the Israelites to build. It represented the throne of God which is in Heaven. In the past, it has been the subject of documentaries and movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark.
After the movie’s interest has now faded we see that now very few people are talking about the Ark today. Yet a fascinating verse in the Bible says that in this modern era, many people will be talking about it. The implication is that very soon, the Ark of the Covenant is going to be found! If the ark is found, it would electrify many people around the world!
The prophecy about the Ark of the Covenant being found is in the book of Jeremiah chapter 3. To understand it, we need to look at the context. “6 The LORD said also to me [Jeremiah] in the days of Josiah the king: “Have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot. 7 And I said, after she had done all these things, ‘Return to Me.’ but she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. 8 Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also. 9 So it came to pass, through her casual harlotry, that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees. 10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense,” says the LORD. 11 Then the LORD said to me, “Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah. 12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say: ‘Return, backsliding Israel,’ says the LORD; ‘I will not cause My anger to fall on you. For I am merciful,’ says the LORD; ‘I will not remain angry forever. 13 Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the LORD your God, and have scattered your charms to alien deities under every green tree, and you have not obeyed My voice,’ says the LORD. 14 “Return, O backsliding children,” says the LORD; “for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. 15 And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. 16 “Then it shall come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days,” says the LORD, “that they will say no more, ‘The ark of the covenant of the LORD.’ It shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it, nor shall it be made anymore. 17 “At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts.”
When did the Ark of the Covenant disappear? The last historical mention of the Ark in Scripture is in Second Chronicles chapter 35, where King Josiah (who reigned in Judah c. 640-609 BC) asked the Levites to return the Ark to the Temple where Solomon had originally housed it after completing and dedicating the Temple sometime in the 10th century BC (Second Chronicles, chapter 5). There is no mention as to why the Levites had removed the Ark in the first place, nor is there any indication as to whether or not the Levites acquiesced to King Josiah's request
In the apocryphal book (that is, non canonical book) of Second Maccabeus, chapter 2 (verses 1-8), we read that the prophet Jeremiah "following a divine revelation, ordered that the tent [i.e. the tabernacle of meeting] and the ark [i.e. the ark of the covenant] should accompany him and how he went off to the mountain which Moses climbed to see God's inheritance [i.e. Mt. Nebo; see Deuteronomy 31:1-4]. When Jeremiah arrived there, he found a room in a cave in which he put the tent, the ark, and the altar of incense; then he blocked up the entrance." (verses 4-5)
So when did the Ark of the Covenant disappear? It seems that it disappeared sometime immediately prior to the Babylonian Captivity in the 6th century BC.
Oftentimes when we ask when did the Ark of the Covenant disappear, we also ask why? Why did God allow the Ark to be removed? We must keep in mind that not only did God allow the Ark to be removed from the Temple but that He also allowed the nation to be removed from the Promised Land and the Temple to be destroyed. This was in fulfillment of the consequences which He had outlined to Moses before the nation had even entered the land
The nation was allowed to return and the Temple was rebuilt but the Ark was not permitted to return. God says that the Ark of the Covenant, which played a prominent role in orthodox Jewish worship, would no longer play that role, nor would it be missed by the faithful. The Lord made this declaration during the reign of Josiah's reign. The only other mention of the Ark of Covenant in Scripture occurs almost 700 years later when it's mentioned briefly in the Book of Hebrews (9:4-5) and in the Book of Revelation (11:19). By this time the Ark had already disappeared (see Hebrews 9:5b)
We know that from scripture there will be two more Temples. One made by the Israelites and the other made by our Lord Jesus. We know that we will have no need to think about the Ark after our Precious Lord and Savior Jesus comes back to the earth in His Second Coming so we are talking about the Temple the Jews will construct. From this passage in Jeremiah will the original Ark be brought forth from hiding or will the Jews make up a new one and put it in the New Temple as might be indicated when it says, neither shall it be built again? So, one way or the other the Ark will be back in Jerusalem.
Anyway, let’s get back to our study.
37 Then Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood; two and a half cubits was its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height. 2 He overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold all around it. 3 And he cast for it four rings of gold to be set in its four corners: two rings on one side, and two rings on the other side of it. 4 He made poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold. 5 And he put the poles into the rings at the sides of the ark, to bear the ark. 6 He also made the mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits was its length and a cubit and a half its width. 7 He made two cherubim of beaten gold; he made them of one piece at the two ends of the mercy seat: 8 one cherub at one end on this side, and the other cherub at the other end on that side. He made the cherubim at the two ends of one piece with the mercy seat. 9 The cherubim spread out their wings above, and covered the mercy seat with their wings. They faced one another; the faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat.
In our last study we concluded with the making of the veil. The veil separated man from the holy of holies. It was behind this veil and in the 10 cubit squared room called the holy of holies that the most sacred piece of furniture in the whole tabernacle structure was found. This was the Ark of the Covenant which was mentioned first before all the other furniture in the tabernacle. The lid on top of the ark was traditionally known as the Mercy Seat which was considered a separate piece of furniture but one with the ark. The ark was right in the center of the camp and the glory cloud was seen above the mercy seat and above the back portion of the tabernacle.
The ark was a rectangular wooden chest (acacia wood) overlaid with pure gold, inside and out. 2 1/2 cubits long by 1 1/2 cubits wide and high (3 3/4 feet x 2 1/4 feet) it had a gold molding or crown around the top.
The Ark of the Covenant was where Gods justice and judgment toward sin was satisfied. Inside the ark were 3 things;
. The Ten Commandments
It is important to note that the ark contained the two tablets of The Ten Commandments. Remember that God had made a covenant with Israel, but the people had broken it. In grace God renewed it and ordered that its enduring record (the unbroken tablets) should be deposited in the Holy Ark. The Book of the Covenant, which dealt at length with other aspects of law and procedure, was deposited alongside the ark. But the 10 commandments were stored within the ark itself.
. A golden pot containing an omer of Manna
An omer (24 liters) of manna was placed in the Ark as a memorial of God's provision. It spoke of our Lord Jesus Christ as The bread which came down from heaven
. Aaron’s rod that budded
The third item which would be added was Aaron's rod that sprouted buds and blossoms and bore ripe almonds in a single night, authenticating God's choice of Aaron for the priesthood.
The Ark of the Covenant was a picture of Jesus Christ. The Acacia wood speaks of the indestructible humanity of Jesus. He was 100% man. God Himself became flesh and suffered the agonies of the human experience. He was tempted, He was weary, He thirsted. Not only does the Acacia wood tell us that He was 100% man but the pure gold that overlaid the wood teaches us that He was 100% God. Jesus said "unless you believe that I AM you will die in your sins." The Jewish Messiah was none other than Jehovah Himself visiting His people and becoming their savior by dying for the sins of the world and that is the etymology of the name Jesus (Hebrew - Yeshua - Yaweh has become salvation'). Jesus condemned the religious leaders for not recognizing "the day of their visitation."
The crown of gold around the top of the ark speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus overcame the onslaught of opposition that was set against Him His whole life by the religious leaders, the wealthy Jewish aristocracy, Rome itself, and even all the power of the enemy. He overcame even death itself and rose triumphantly and was given a crown, and glory, and honor, because He Is the King. According to John it was Jesus who Isaiah saw seated on the throne of glory with the angels crying 'holy, holy, holy.'
The unbroken tables of stone set forth Jesus as the One who perfectly kept the Law and never broke God's Commandments. The Bible says that He "committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth." Jesus felt the pressure of temptation at its full intensity yet he never sinned. Even the look in His eye and the tone of His voice reflected the very perfections of the holiness of God Himself.
Aaron's rod that budded also speaks of Jesus as something that had died and supernaturally came to life again. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life." The golden pot of manna speaks of Jesus as the bread of life who came down from heaven to bring food, the Word of God, to a world in darkness and dying of hunger.
10 He made the table of acacia wood; two cubits was its length, a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height. 11 And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made a molding of gold all around it. 12 Also he made a frame of a handbreadth all around it, and made a molding of gold for the frame all around it. 13 And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings on the four corners that were at its four legs. 14 The rings were close to the frame, as holders for the poles to bear the table. 15 And he made the poles of acacia wood to bear the table, and overlaid them with gold. 16 He made of pure gold the utensils which were on the table: its dishes, its cups, its bowls, and its pitchers for pouring.
When the priest passed through the door of the tabernacle and entered the holy place at his right hand was The Table of showbread or also referred to as the Table of the Presence. It was made of acacia wood overlaid with pure gold. Its size was 2 cubits (3 feet) in length by one cubit (1 1/2 feet) in breadth and a height of 1 1/2 cubits (2 1/4 feet). Around the table was a border of gold and then a little further in, on the table top, an additional border which would hold the contents in place. The table had four legs, and two gold plated poles were inserted through golden rings attached to the legs for transporting.
The purpose of the golden table was to hold 12 cakes of bread made of fine flour. They were placed there in two rows of six, each loaf representing one of the tribes of Israel (Leviticus 24:8). This bread is sometimes referred to as being the 'shew bread' because its literal meaning is 'bread of the face', that is bread set out before the face or presence of God.
There were 4 vessels of pure gold on the table with the bread:
1 Dishes (bread plates)
2 Pans or Spoons (to sprinkle frankincense)
3. Pitchers (for liquid offerings)
4. Bowls (vessels containing the frankincense)
The table of shew bread or show bread was referred to as the table of the Presence. Gods light forever shines on His people. The 12 baked cakes of bread spoke of Gods people who were one with Him as the priests joined together for the fellowship of eating the bread and becoming one. Jesus referred to Himself as the bread of life and said if we eat this bread we will live forever. The very nature of bread is to provide physical sustenance and as you eat the bread and digest it, it becomes part of you. The very nature of the Word of God is to provide spiritual sustenance and as it is received it becomes part of our very nature. Just as the table always speaks of fellowship and communion, so the table of the shew bread points to Jesus who has made a covenant built on better promises and provided a blood covenant meal for us to partake that we might all be one in the Spirit.
17 He also made the lamp stand of pure gold; of hammered work he made the lamp stand. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and its flowers were of the same piece. 18 And six branches came out of its sides: three branches of the lamp stand out of one side, and three branches of the lamp stand out of the other side. 19 There were three bowls made like almond blossoms on one branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower, and three bowls made like almond blossoms on the other branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower—and so for the six branches coming out of the lamp stand. 20 And on the lamp stand itself were four bowls made like almond blossoms, each with its ornamental knob and flower. 21 There was a knob under the first two branches of the same, a knob under the second two branches of the same, and a knob under the third two branches of the same, according to the six branches extending from it. 22 Their knobs and their branches were of one piece; all of it was one hammered piece of pure gold. 23 And he made its seven lamps, its wick-trimmers, and its trays of pure gold. 24 Of a talent of pure gold he made it, with all its utensils.
In the holy place there was no window or place to let in the light. It was lit from a glorious golden lamp stand, which stood directly opposite the table on the south side in the Holy Place. Made from one piece of solid beaten gold it weighed about 43 kg. (over 100 lbs.). In Hebrew it is known as the 'menorah' and has developed into one of the most commonly used symbols of Judaism.
The Lamp stand within the holy place of the ancient tabernacle was a work of extraordinary beauty and consisted of three main parts: the base, the shaft and the branches. Out of the base a vertical shaft arose and from either side of the shaft there sprang three branches curving outward and upward.
Each of the six branches and the center shaft ended in a cup made in the form of an open almond flower. At the very top the opened petals of the flower held an oil lamp. The branches and the central shaft were skillfully decorated with that same open-almond blossom design with three on each branch and four on the center shaft. Each of the six branches ended in a cup made like an open almond flower. The seven oil lamps resting in the flower petals were like small bowls.
The decoration was so exquisite and intricate that God commanded that only the most highly skilled craftsmen anointed by the Holy Spirit should make it. No measurements are given as to its exact size (who can measure the light of God?). A flax or linen wick would be placed in the lamp and the fire was never to go out. Twice every day, morning and evening, a priest attended to the wick and replenished the pure beaten olive oil for the lamps
All day and all night, whether anyone was present or not, these seven lamps constantly lit up the glory of the Holy Place and especially on the table of the shew bread as a reminder that Gods Presence is always with His people
The golden lamp stand was the only source of light in the holy place. Its primary purpose was to give light in front of it. It was to shine on the table of shew bread and never to be put out. It was never to stop shining. This was a constant reminder that God was with His people. The Bible says that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. When the apostle John said, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it," he was referring to Jesus coming into the world. Jesus made the world and created life and came to bring Gods life to fallen man but since man is in darkness apart from Jesus they could not comprehend the light that comes with the life of God. The golden lamp stand illuminated the shew bread and so God illuminates His people. The Spirit of God illuminates the dark mind of man to the knowledge of God and to spiritual life. John went on to say, "That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." Man is blind apart from Jesus. Man cannot know God apart from Jesus. Even if God were to come Himself to His very home, man is incapable of perceiving any spiritual light because the darkness has made him blind. The golden lamp stand speaks of Jesus as the light of the world.
25 He made the incense altar of acacia wood. Its length was a cubit and its width a cubit—it was square—and two cubits was its height. Its horns were of one piece with it. 26 And he overlaid it with pure gold: its top, its sides all around, and its horns. He also made for it a molding of gold all around it. 27 He made two rings of gold for it under its molding, by its two corners on both sides, as holders for the poles with which to bear it. 28 And he made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold.
It was the Golden Altar of Incense which was straight ahead, before the veil, this third piece of furniture in the Holy Place on which the holy incense was burned. Made from acacia wood overlaid with pure gold it stood higher than any other article of furniture in the holy place, 2 cubits (3 feet) tall. It was one cubit square and it had around the top a crown of gold. It had four golden horns just as the bronze altar in the courtyard. Lower down on each side there were golden rings to insert the poles for carrying.
It had 4 horns of gold, one with it, a horn on each corner. These horns represented the 4 groupings of the nation. When the Israelites set up camp they were divided into 4 sections [N, S, E, and W]. If you happened to be on a high mountain and look down on this camp arrangement it would display the shape of a cross.
The golden altar was used for burning incense, which twice every day was offered by the priest after he had tended the wick and oil on the holy lamps. Its horns were also sprinkled with the blood of the sin offering.
The incense was a mixture of three rich and rare spices, which cannot be identified today. These were blended with frankincense and beaten to a fine powder and then salt was added. It was totally forbidden for this formula to be used by any private individual. It had to be used only in the worship of God in the holy place.
The incense was burnt on pieces of hot coal, which the priest removed in a sensor or fire pan from the altar of burnt offering in the courtyard. A censer apparently was a shallow bowl or pan with a handle on it. It could be also be used for removing the ashes from the altar or gathering up the burnt parts of the wick from the lamp stand.
Poured out on burning coals the incense produced a delightful aroma in the Holy Place. It was the offering of the person whose sins had been forgiven by blood and who then went on to express the fragrance of love and worship, which was most pleasing to God.
The Golden Altar speaks to us of the worship of Jesus Christ and God's people through him as our high priest and mediator. It was only on the basis of His one sacrifice on the altar of the cross that worship is made possible. The coals, which lit the incense, were carried from the altar of sacrifice to the altar of incense.
The golden altar of incense tells us of the ministry of Jesus as our intercessor whose prayers never stop ascending to God on our behalf. Jesus said to Peter, "I have prayed for you." The four horns speak of Christ's ministry extending to the four corners of the earth. He will always pray for His own no matter where they are. He can intercede on our behalf because of the atoning work on the cross of Calvary. The incense was fueled by the fire from the altar. It is not just anyone praying for us but the King Himself as represented by the crown of gold. He knows our weaknesses and our failings and He Is praying for us always. The golden altar of incense tells us of the ministry of Jesus as our intercessor whose prayers never stop ascending to God for us.
29 He also made the holy anointing oil and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the perfumer.
The spices of myrrh, sweet cinnamon, sweet calamus, and cassia were used to make the holy anointing oil being mixed with an hin of olive oil as described in the book of Exodus 30:22-33. There were five ingredients.
The olive oil as a type of the Holy Ghost alludes to this overall work of the Holy G host pertaining to these four ingredients. Four is the number of the world. It speaks of Jesus Christ as God coming in the world as a man of flesh and blood
The first principle ingredient of the holy anointing oil was that of pure myrrh teaching us that all benefits of the Lord Jesus Christ made available to us were paid for on the cross of bitterness resulting in the glorious liberty of His Spirit, the Holy Ghost that flows spontaneously by His precious, holy blood that was shed for us on Calvary. The pure myrrh types Jesus Christ as the way, the truth, and the life of liberty of the Holy Ghost by which we are set free from the works of the law or man.
The second ingredient of the holy anointing oil was "sweet cinnamon". Sweet denotes the savor to God that is pure and holy, not that of a natural sweetener as honey, but that of cinnamon. " The sweet cinnamon speaks of the upright life of Jesus Christ as the perfect man, being the Holy and Just One manifested in flesh and blood as a human being. This speaks of the ingredient of God as to His holiness and righteousness. By Jesus Christ coming in flesh fashioned as a man made of a woman, made under the law, the holiness and uprightness of the law would be satisfied and fulfilled in Him. The law had to be fulfilled in every minute detail for the holiness of God to be satisfied. The sweet cinnamon taught us in the holy anointing oil that only God Himself could provide the supreme holy sacrifice as the Lamb of God in overcoming the world, Satan and his angels, and his own flesh.
The next ingredient was that of the "sweet calamus". "Calamus" is the Hebrew "qaneh" meaning "a reed (for measuring)". This ingredient of the anointing oil speaks of the measure of the reed of calamus, the measure of Jesus Christ as the rod from the stem of Jesse, a Branch out of his roots as the seed of David. This is the seed of David according to the flesh as a human being of man of the lineage of David.
The last ingredient of the holy anointing oil was the cassia. "Cassia" being the Hebrew "qiddah" meaning "cassia (as peeled, the bark, to strip off)" from "qetsiy'ah" meaning "to stoop, bow down". The cassia depicts the truth of Jesus Christ as God Almighty, the Lord of Glory leaving His former state of glory in heaven, taking upon Himself the form of a servant, being fashioned as a man of Adam, thus God manifested in flesh in the incarnation. This is He who was rich, then stooped down from heaven and became poor in order that we might be made rich through His work of the cross.
These four ingredients made up the holy anointing oil that anointed the priests as well as all furniture in the Tabernacle of the Congregation. The holy anointing oil is a type of the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost. Jesus Christ made possible to us by the ministry of reconciliation; that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world back to Him. The anointing is the Holy Ghost and the oil is the Word. The cassia speaks of the man Christ Jesus in the redemption office of the Son of God. Sweet calamus speaks of the office of the Son of man as the reed as a measure of the Kingdom of God that the body of Christ as the church is to be measured by in order to come unto a perfect man. The sweet cinnamon speaks of the perfect man Christ Jesus that was holy, spotless, and undefiled in all things by the Spirit that was resident in him. This is the mixture of the varying offices of God manifested in the one Person of God, Christ Jesus. There is only one Savior Jesus Christ. If any person attempts to concoct another Savior by mixing his own ingredients, that person will surely die spiritually. The Spirit, the water, and the blood all agree in one as depicted in the man Christ Jesus.
