Exodus 37: The Ark and the Holy Furnishings
Bezalel crafts the ark and mercy seat, the table, the golden lamp stand, and the altar of incense, each made of gold according to God's design.
Exodus 37 (WEB)
1 Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. Its length was two and a half cubits, and its breadth a cubit and a half, and a cubit and a half its height.
2 He overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold for it around it.
3 He cast four rings of gold for it, in its four feet; even two rings on its one side, and two rings on its other side.
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 bear the ark.
6 He made a mercy seat of pure gold. Its length was two and a half cubits, and a cubit and a half its breadth.
7 He made two cherubim of gold. He made them of beaten 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 its two ends.
9 The cherubim spread out their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward one another. The faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat.
10 He made the table of acacia wood. Its length was two cubits, and its breadth was a cubit, and its height was a cubit and a half.
11 He overlaid it with pure gold, and made a gold molding around it.
12 He made a border of a hand breadth around it, and made a golden molding on its border around it.
13 He cast four rings of gold for it, and put the rings in the four corners that were on its four feet.
14 The rings were close by the border, the places 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 vessels which were on the table, its dishes, its spoons, its bowls, and its pitchers with which to pour out, of pure gold.
17 He made the lamp stand of pure gold. He made the lamp stand of beaten work. Its base, its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its flowers were of one piece with it.
18 There were six branches going out of its sides: three branches of the lamp stand out of its one side, and three branches of the lamp stand out of its other side:
19 three cups made like almond blossoms in one branch, a bud and a flower, and three cups made like almond blossoms in the other branch, a bud and a flower: so for the six branches going out of the lamp stand.
20 In the lamp stand were four cups made like almond blossoms, its buds and its flowers;
21 and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, for the six branches going out of it.
22 Their buds and their branches were of one piece with it. The whole thing was one beaten work of pure gold.
23 He made its seven lamps, and its snuffers, and its snuff dishes, of pure gold.
24 He made it of a talent of pure gold, with all its vessels.
25 He made the altar of incense of acacia wood. It was square: its length was a cubit, and its breadth a cubit. Its height was two cubits. Its horns were of one piece with it.
26 He overlaid it with pure gold, its top, its sides around it, and its horns. He made a gold molding around it.
27 He made two golden rings for it under its molding crown, on its two ribs, on its two sides, for places for poles with which to carry it.
28 He made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold.
29 He made the holy anointing oil and the pure incense of sweet spices, after the art of the perfumer.
Exodus 37 (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.
Exodus 37 (ASV)
1 And Bezalel made the ark of acacia 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, in the four feet thereof; even two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it.
4 And he made staves of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold.
5 And he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.
6 And he made a mercy-seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
7 And he made two cherubim of gold; of beaten work made he them, at the two ends of the mercy-seat;
8 one cherub at the one end, and one cherub at the other end: of one piece with the mercy-seat made he the cherubim at the two ends thereof.
9 And the cherubim spread out their wings on high, covering the mercy-seat with their wings, with their faces one to another; toward the mercy-seat were the faces of the cherubim.
10 And he made the table of acacia wood: two cubitswasthe 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 thereto a crown of gold round about.
12 And he made unto it a border of a handbreadth round about, and made a golden crown to the border thereof round about.
13 And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that were on the four feet thereof.
14 Close by the border were the rings, the places for the staves to bear the table.
15 And he made the staves of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold, to bear the table.
16 And he made the vessels which were upon the table, the dishes thereof, and the spoons thereof, and the bowls thereof, and the flagons thereof, wherewith to pour out, of pure gold.
17 And he made the candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work made he the candlestick, even its base, and its shaft; its cups, its knops, and its flowers, were of one piece with it.
18 And there were 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 cups made like almond-blossoms in one branch, a knop and a flower, and three cups made like almond-blossoms in the other branch, a knop and a flower: so for the six branches going out of the candlestick.
20 And in the candlestick were four cups made like almond-blossoms, the knops thereof, and the flowers thereof;
21 and a knop under two branches of one piece with it, and a knop under two branches of one piece with it, and a knop under two branches of one piece with it, for the six branches going out of it.
22 Their knops and their branches were of one piece with it: the whole of it was one beaten work of pure gold.
23 And he made the lamps thereof, seven, and the snuffers thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, of pure gold.
24 Of a talent of pure gold made he it, and all the vessels thereof.
25 And he made the altar of incense of acacia wood: a cubit was the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, foursquare; and two cubits was the height thereof; the horns thereof were of one piece with it.
26 And he overlaid it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns of it: and he made unto it a crown of gold round about.
27 And he made for it two golden rings under the crown thereof, upon the two ribs thereof, upon the two sides of it, for places for staves wherewith to bear it.
28 And he made the staves of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold.
29 And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices, after the art of the perfumer.
Summary
This chapter records the making of the sacred furnishings for the holy place, all by the hand of Bezalel and his fellow workers. He makes the ark of acacia wood overlaid with pure gold inside and out, with a molding of gold, four golden rings, and gold-covered poles for carrying it. Upon it he sets the mercy seat of pure gold, with two cherubim of beaten gold at its ends, their wings spread upward and their faces turned toward one another and toward the mercy seat—the place where God promised to meet his people. Bezalel then makes the table for the bread of the presence, overlaid with gold and fitted with its dishes and vessels, and the lamp stand of pure gold, hammered from a single talent into a base, shaft, branches, cups, buds, and almond-blossom flowers, with seven lamps. Finally he makes the golden altar of incense of acacia wood overlaid with gold, with its horns, molding, rings, and poles, and he prepares the holy anointing oil and the pure, fragrant incense after the perfumer's art. Each piece, gleaming with gold and made exactly as God commanded, prepares the place where heaven and earth would meet. The ark and its mercy seat especially point to Christ, the place of atonement where God's presence and mercy meet sinners.
Main Characters
- Bezalel — The master craftsman who fashions the ark, mercy seat, table, lamp stand, and altar of incense of gold, exactly as the Lord commanded.
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The God who gave the pattern for these holy furnishings and who promised to meet his people from above the mercy seat.
- The cherubim — The two golden figures of beaten work at the ends of the mercy seat, wings spread and faces turned toward the place of God's presence.
Key Verse
Exodus 37:9 (WEB)
The cherubim spread out their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward one another. The faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat.
Lessons Learned
- God carefully provides a place of meeting, the mercy seat, where he draws near to his people.
- The beauty and value of the furnishings reflect the worthiness of the God who is worshiped.
- The lamp stand, bread, and incense picture light, provision, and prayer in God's presence.
- The mercy seat over the ark points to Christ, where God's holiness and mercy meet for sinners.
- God meets his people at the mercy seat. The cherubim's faces are turned "toward the mercy seat" (Exodus 37:9, WEB), the very place God said he would speak with Moses. Atonement is where God draws near.
- What is offered to God is made beautiful. The furnishings are overlaid with "pure gold" throughout (Exodus 37:2, 11, 26, WEB). The worth of the workmanship reflects the worth of the One worshiped.
- God's light is given by his own hand. The lamp stand is "one beaten work of pure gold" (Exodus 37:22, WEB), a single piece giving light in the holy place—a picture of God supplying illumination for his people.
- Prayer and presence belong together. The golden altar of incense (Exodus 37:25-29, WEB) stands before the place of meeting, joining the fragrance of prayer to the nearness of God.
- Why is the mercy seat, with the cherubim, given such central importance among the furnishings?
- What do the lamp stand, the table of bread, and the altar of incense each picture about life in God's presence?
- Why are these objects made of pure gold and crafted with such care?
- How does the mercy seat point forward to what God accomplished in Jesus?
- Which picture—light, daily bread, or rising prayer—speaks most to your walk with God right now, and why?
- The mercy seat is where God promised to meet and speak with his people (Exodus 25:22; 37:9). It sits atop the ark holding the law, so that mercy covers the broken commandments—the heart of how a holy God dwells with sinners. Let the group dwell on this gospel picture.
- The lamp stand gives light, the bread of the presence pictures God's provision and fellowship, and the incense represents prayer rising to God (37:17-29). Together they portray a people living in God's light, fed at his table, and communing with him in prayer.
- The pure gold and exquisite craftsmanship reflect the surpassing worth of God himself; nothing common will do for the place of his presence. This invites us to bring our best to God, honoring him with excellence and reverence in worship and service.
- The mercy seat (Greek hilasterion) is the place of atonement, and the New Testament applies that very word to Jesus, whom God set forth as the propitiation for our sins (Romans 3:25). At the cross, God's holiness and mercy meet so that we may draw near.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to share which image resonates—needing light, hungering for God's provision, or longing to pray. As leader, point each one to Christ, who is our light, our bread, and our intercessor before the Father.