Exodus 37 Devotional

Copies of Something Greater

Chapter 37 can feel like a repeat of chapter 25. Bezalel makes the ark of acacia wood covered in gold, the mercy seat with two cherubim facing each other, the table, the lampstand hammered from a single piece of gold, and the incense altar (37:1-29). Point by point, what God described on the mountain now exists. The ark, the table, and the incense altar each have rings and poles, ready to be carried wherever Israel goes (37:5, 15, 27).

Yet these objects, however beautiful, were made by human hands from wood and metal. Hebrews says the earthly sanctuary pictured realities in heaven, which is why Moses had to follow the pattern so carefully (Hebrews 8:5). It also says Christ did not go into a sanctuary built by human hands, but into heaven itself, to appear before God on our behalf (Hebrews 9:24). The golden ark pointed beyond itself to a meeting with God that only Christ could secure. When you pray, you come through the one who now stands in God's presence for you.

To think about: How does knowing that Jesus appears before God on your behalf shape the way you pray today?