Meditate

37. The Ark, Table, and Lampstand

Making the Ark of the Covenant

37

Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood; it was two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.²He overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold around it.³He cast for it four rings of gold for its four feet, two rings on its one side and two rings on its other side.⁴He made poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold,⁵and put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark.⁶He made a mercy seat of pure gold; two cubits and a half was its length, and a cubit and a half its width.⁷He made two cherubim of hammered gold; at the two ends of the mercy seat he made them,⁸one cherub at the one end, and one cherub at the other end; of one piece with the mercy seat he made the cherubim at its two ends.⁹The cherubim spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings. They faced one another; the faces of the cherubim were turned toward the mercy seat.

Making the Table for the Bread of the Presence

¹⁰ He also made the table of acacia wood, two cubits long, one cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high.¹¹He overlaid it with pure gold, and made a molding of gold around it.¹²He made around it a rim a handbreadth wide, and made a molding of gold around the rim.¹³He cast for it four rings of gold, and fastened the rings to the four corners at its four legs.¹⁴The rings that held the poles used for carrying the table were close to the rim.¹⁵He made the poles of acacia wood to carry the table, and overlaid them with gold.¹⁶And he made the vessels of pure gold that were to be on the table, its plates and dishes for incense, and its bowls and flagons with which to pour drink offerings.

Making the Lampstand

¹⁷ He also made the lampstand of pure gold. The base and the shaft of the lampstand were made of hammered work; its cups, its calyxes, and its petals were of one piece with it.¹⁸There were six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it;¹⁹three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with calyx and petals, on one branch, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with calyx and petals, on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand.²⁰On the lampstand itself there were four cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with its calyxes and petals.²¹There was a calyx of one piece with it under the first pair of branches, a calyx of one piece with it under the next pair of branches, and a calyx of one piece with it under the last pair of branches.²²Their calyxes and their branches were of one piece with it, the whole of it one hammered piece of pure gold.²³He made its seven lamps and its snuffers and its trays of pure gold.²⁴He made it and all its utensils of a talent of pure gold.

Making the Altar of Incense

²⁵ He made the altar of incense of acacia wood, one cubit long, and one cubit wide; it was square, and was two cubits high; its horns were of one piece with it.²⁶He overlaid it with pure gold, its top, and its sides all around, and its horns; and he made for it a molding of gold all around,²⁷and made two golden rings for it under its molding, on two opposite sides of it, to hold the poles with which to carry it.²⁸And he made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold.

Making the Anointing Oil and the Incense

²⁹ He made the holy anointing oil also, and the pure fragrant incense, blended as by the perfumer.

2. Wisdom From the Spirit

The True Wisdom of God

⁶ Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish.⁷But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.⁸None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.⁹But, as it is written,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,

nor the human heart conceived,

what God has prepared for those who love him”—

¹⁰ these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.

92. Psalm 92

Psalm 92

Thanksgiving for Vindication

A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath Day.

1

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,

to sing praises to your name, O Most High;

2

to declare your steadfast love in the morning,

and your faithfulness by night,

3

to the music of the lute and the harp,

to the melody of the lyre.

4

For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;

at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

5

How great are your works, O Lord!

Your thoughts are very deep!

6

The dullard cannot know,

the stupid cannot understand this:

7

though the wicked sprout like grass

and all evildoers flourish,

they are doomed to destruction forever,

8

but you, O Lord, are on high forever.

9

For your enemies, O Lord,

for your enemies shall perish;

all evildoers shall be scattered.

10

But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;

you have poured over me fresh oil.

11

My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;

my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.

12

The righteous flourish like the palm tree,

and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

13

They are planted in the house of the Lord;

they flourish in the courts of our God.

14

In old age they still produce fruit;

they are always green and full of sap,

15

showing that the Lord is upright;

he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.