Exodus 25:23 Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
24 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about.
25 And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about.
26 And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof.
27 Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table.
28 And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them.
29 And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them.
30 And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.
Shittim wood was a very common wood for the vessels that needed to be made for the Tabernacle. Shittim wood is described as Acacia wood. It is like the hawthorn, a gnarled and thorny tree. Those who were working on making these vessels would be given an image of the suffering of the Saviour. God used visual aids at times in the Old Testament to help the people see what He was talking about.
This table was to be two cubits in length and a cubit in breadth. The general size of a cubit is 18 inches. That would make this table 36 inches by 18 inches. The table was to be a cubit and a half in height.
This table too was to be overlaid with gold. This was also due to the table being a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the bread of life. The shewbread was to be made fresh every day and it was to be eaten by the priests when the new bread was put on the table. This table also had a design round about it. This design was to depict a crown. This was to remind the people of the Messiah Who is the King of the Jews. This border was to be a handbreadth round about. This crown was also to be made of gold. We see that God was very specific in the instructions for these items. The people could not just make whatever they wanted to. These vessels were a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were not something to worship. They were to tell an important story.
We see as well that there needed to be four rings of gold, one at each of the four legs of this table. The placement of these rings was also given. Nothing was left to guess work. This table would also need to be carried from place to place as the people were commanded to move when God said so.
The staves to carry this table were also made of shittim wood and they were also to be overlaid with gold. We are told that the table was to be carried by these staves. The table could not be carried properly by the edge of the top because of the golden crown border around it. This table needed to be carried with respect, noting again that it was a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. He would be beaten and bruised and killed by the Romans at the wish of the Jews. However, those who turn to God in repentance and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation do not abuse Him. Lost people curse and swear. They take the Lord’s name in vain. They make light of Who He is. They use slang words like “geez” which is actually a corruption of the name Jesus. Some people think they are so clever and they think they can rebrand a name and get away with it. God knows what is going on and He will hold people accountable for their words and actions.
In verse 29 we see that there were certain dishes and spoons for this table. The dishes were to place the shewbread on. The spoons were like cups to be filled with frankincense.
Leviticus 24:7 And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Everything had its purpose and everything needed to be made according to God’s will. The nation of Israel was divided into two parts after the death of king Solomon. The north never had a godly king. As far as we know they never had a tabernacle either. They had some type of corrupt religious centre, but they would not have this table or the vessels that went with it. The south, Judah, had the Temple until the time of Nebuchadnezzar. God brought Nebuchadnezzar into Jerusalem, to plunder the Temple and destroy it. At the time of Christ a Temple was there. The significance of it and the vessels in it had been lost by that time. Jesus Christ taught the people the purpose of the Temple, and after His ascension that Temple would be destroyed. Jesus taught the people that He was the true Temple.
As we read in verse 30, the shewbread was to be on that table always. Jesus Christ is the eternal bread of life. The shewbread that God told them to make in the Old Testament could not last forever. It needed to be replaced daily to keep it fresh. Jesus Christ never gets stale or old. He is the living bread that is life-giving for all who trust in Him.
God was preparing Moses to give important instructions to the children of Israel. As we have noted, Moses had learned the fear of the LORD for the most part. In these instructions we will find that he was very specific and those God chose to do the actual building of these vessels were also very careful to follow the instructions. These vessels would be well built and they would be able to withstand the many moves that were made with them.
Jesus Christ of course is very durable. He suffered greatly at the hands of wicked people. However, He rose again victorious over sin and death. He is the everlasting Prince of Peace. He will never face abuse like that again. He will come back again as a conquering King. There will be much blood shed at the battle of Armageddon and at the end of this world. Many people will be killed, but Jesus Christ will not be injured at all.
It is important to know Him, the true Jesus, now. Don’t settle for the frauds. Take God at His Word and trust in the true Saviour today.
Pastor Bartel
