What is the meaning of Exodus 37:10? He also made - The verse opens by highlighting Bezalel’s faithful workmanship, acting exactly as the LORD commanded (Exodus 31:2; 36:1). - His obedience models how God expects His people to translate divine instruction into tangible reality (James 1:22). - This action echoes the pattern of all sanctuary items: first revealed by God (Exodus 25:9), then reproduced without alteration (Hebrews 8:5). the table - This is the Table of the Bread of the Presence, placed in the Holy Place opposite the lampstand (Exodus 26:35; Hebrews 9:2). - On it rested twelve loaves that represented continual covenant fellowship between God and His redeemed tribes (Leviticus 24:5-9). - Like a family table, it symbolizes communion and provision, anticipating the deeper fellowship offered through Christ, the “living bread” (John 6:35). of acacia wood - Acacia is hardy and resistant to decay, mirroring incorruptibility and pointing to the sinless humanity of Christ (compare the acacia-wood Ark in Exodus 25:10-11 and Isaiah 53:9). - Wood overlaid with gold (not mentioned in 37:10 but supplied in 25:24) presents the union of humanity and deity in one piece of furniture, foreshadowing the incarnation (John 1:14). two cubits long - About three feet (0.9 m), this length allowed the twelve loaves to be set in two orderly rows (Exodus 25:30). - The measured precision underscores that God’s provision is complete yet not wasteful; every dimension serves a purpose (1 Corinthians 14:40). a cubit wide - Roughly eighteen inches (0.45 m), wide enough for service yet narrow enough to fit inside the tent’s limited space (Exodus 26:15-30). - It illustrates balance: God makes room for us without displacing Himself or His holiness (Psalm 18:19). and a cubit and a half high - About twenty-seven inches (0.675 m), matching the height of the Ark (Exodus 25:10) and thus aligning the bread of fellowship with the mercy of God. - The equal heights suggest that access to fellowship (table) and atonement (ark) stand on the same level, both provided by the same gracious LORD (Romans 3:24-25). summary Exodus 37:10 records the exact construction of the Table of the Bread of the Presence, stressing meticulous obedience, durable materials, and purposeful dimensions. Together these details portray a God who invites His people to continual fellowship, made secure and incorruptible through His perfect provision, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ. |