Exodus 25:23-40
The Table, the Lampstand, and the Pattern
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23You are also to make a table of acacia wood two cubits long, a cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high.
24Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding around it.
25And make a rim around it a handbreadth wide and put a gold molding on the rim.
26Make four gold rings for the table and fasten them to the four corners at its four legs.
27The rings are to be close to the rim, to serve as holders for the poles used to carry the table.
28Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, so that the table may be carried with them.
29You are also to make the plates and dishes, as well as the pitchers and bowls for pouring drink offerings. Make them out of pure gold.
30And place the Bread of the Presence on the table before Me at all times.
31Then you are to make a lampstand of pure, hammered gold. It shall be made of one piece, including its base and shaft, its cups, and its buds and petals.
32Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand—three on one side and three on the other.
33There are to be three cups shaped like almond blossoms on the first branch, each with buds and petals, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches that extend from the lampstand.
34And on the lampstand there shall be four cups shaped like almond blossoms with buds and petals.
35For the six branches that extend from the lampstand, a bud must be under the first pair of branches, a bud under the second pair, and a bud under the third pair.
36The buds and branches are to be all of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold.
37Make seven lamps and set them up on the lampstand so that they illuminate the area in front of it.
38The wick trimmers and their trays must be of pure gold.
39The lampstand and all these utensils shall be made from a talent of pure gold.
40See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
A table and a lampstand are the next furnishings God describes. The table will hold the Bread of the Presence before Him at all times. Its dishes, pitchers, and bowls are to be made of gold, and poles will allow it to be carried.
The lampstand is to be hammered from pure gold in one piece, with six branches extending from its central shaft. Cups shaped like almond blossoms, with buds and petals, will decorate it. Seven lamps will light the area in front of it. Even the wick trimmers and their trays receive attention.
These instructions combine beauty with use. The blossoms are carefully worked, the lamps give light, and the tools serve the work of maintaining them. God cares about the place where He will meet His people, including details that might seem too ordinary to matter.
The closing command keeps the work anchored: Moses must follow the pattern shown on the mountain. Israel does not have to guess what will please God. It can receive His instruction and carry out the work He has given.
Questions
1 What is to remain on the table before God?
AnswerThe Bread of the Presence is to be there at all times. The table and its gold utensils have a continuing place in Israel's worship.
2 What makes the lampstand both beautiful and useful?
AnswerIts gold branches are decorated with almond blossoms, buds, and petals, and its seven lamps illuminate the area in front. The design gives attention to appearance and to the light it supplies.
3 Where is Moses to find the pattern for this work?
AnswerHe must follow what God showed him on the mountain. The furnishings are shaped by God's instruction, rather than by whatever Moses or the workers happen to prefer.
4 Which ordinary preparations help people worship together?
AnswerSetting out Bibles, making a room usable, or helping someone reach a gathering can make a real difference. We can share such tasks instead of expecting the same person to handle them unnoticed.
What This Means for Us
The lampstand needs wick trimmers as well as beautiful blossoms. Preparing for worship includes ordinary work, and that work deserves care. If someone in your family helps set up, clean, or welcome others, thank them for the actual help they give.
Beautiful surroundings can serve worship, but they cannot replace listening to God. A simple room is enough for a family to hear His word and pray.
Prayer
We pray: God of light and order, teach us to attend carefully to the worship you command. Let our outward practices point to your presence, and keep us from mistaking beautiful detail for a substitute for faithful hearts. Amen.
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