Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. Its length was two and a half cubits, and its width a cubit and a half, and a cubit and a half its height. He overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold for it around it. He cast four rings of gold for it in its four feet—two rings on its one side, and two rings on its other side. He made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold. He put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to bear the ark. He made a mercy seat of pure gold. Its length was two and a half cubits, and a cubit and a half its width. He made two cherubim of gold. He made them of beaten work, at the two ends of the mercy seat: one cherub at the one end, and one cherub at the other end. He made the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at its two ends. The cherubim spread out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, with their faces toward one another. The faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat.

He made the table of acacia wood. Its length was two cubits, and its width was a cubit, and its height was a cubit and a half. He overlaid it with pure gold, and made a gold molding around it. He made a border of a hand’s width around it, and made a golden molding on its border around it. He cast four rings of gold for it, and put the rings in the four corners that were on its four feet. The rings were close by the border, the places for the poles to carry the table. He made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold, to carry the table. He made the vessels which were on the table, its dishes, its spoons, its bowls, and its pitchers with which to pour out, of pure gold.

He made the lamp stand of pure gold. He made the lamp stand of beaten work. Its base, its shaft, its cups, its buds, and its flowers were of one piece with it. There were six branches going out of its sides: three branches of the lamp stand out of its one side, and three branches of the lamp stand out of its other side: three cups made like almond blossoms in one branch, a bud and a flower, and three cups made like almond blossoms in the other branch, a bud and a flower; so for the six branches going out of the lamp stand. In the lamp stand were four cups made like almond blossoms, its buds and its flowers; and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, and a bud under two branches of one piece with it, for the six branches going out of it. Their buds and their branches were of one piece with it. The whole thing was one beaten work of pure gold. He made its seven lamps, and its snuffers, and its snuff dishes, of pure gold. He made it of a talent of pure gold, with all its vessels.

He made the altar of incense of acacia wood. It was square: its length was a cubit, and its width a cubit. Its height was two cubits. Its horns were of one piece with it. He overlaid it with pure gold: its top, its sides around it, and its horns. He made a gold molding around it. He made two golden rings for it under its molding crown, on its two ribs, on its two sides, for places for poles with which to carry it. He made the poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold. He made the holy anointing oil and the pure incense of sweet spices, after the art of the perfumer.

Commentary

There were three men who were chiefly concerned with the ark of the Old Testament:  Moses, Beseleel, and Aaron.  Moses was taught how it should be made on the mountain of our Lord. Beseleel fashioned it and made it in the valley, according to the directions which were revealed on the mountain. Aaron had it in his keeping in the Temple, to touch it and see it as often as it pleased him. According to the example of these three, we make progress in the grace of contemplation in three ways. Sometimes we make pr ogress by grace al one, and then we are like Moses who, for all the hard cost of the mountain climb, could only come to see it seldom; and that sight was only through the revelation of our Lord, when it pleased him to show it; and not as a reward which Moses deserved. Sometimes we make progress in this grace by our own spiritual skill, supported by grace; and then we ae like Beseleel, who could not see the ark before he had fashioned it with his own skill, helped by the pattern which was revealed to Moses on the mountain. And sometimes we make progress in this grace by others’ teaching; and then we are like Aaron who had it in his keeping, and could regularly see and touch the ark whenever he liked, after Beseleel had fashioned and made it ready for him. (Meister Eckhart)

We know that in God’s tabernacle not only bowls but ladles too were made at the Lord’s bidding. The bowls signify a more than sufficient teaching, the ladles a small and limited knowledge. One full of true teaching fills the minds of his hearers and in this way provides a bowl by what he says. Another cannot expound what he perceives, but because he proclaims it as best he can he truly offers a ladle to taste. You who are in God’s tabernacle, in his holy church, if you cannot fill bowls with the wisdom of your teaching, give to your neighbors ladles filled with a good word, as much as you have from the divine bounty. Draw others as far as you consider you have advanced. Desire to have comrades on your way toward God. (Gregory the Great)

Musical Selection (John Michael Talbot)

There is one thing I ask of the Lord
For this I Long
To dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life

To behold his Glory
within his temple
he will hide me in the shelter of his tent
all the days of my life

There is one thing I ask of the Lord
For this I Long
To dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life

My head is held high
above all my foes
I will offer the sacrifice of praise
I will seek unto the Lord

The Lord is my light
The Lord is my salvation
The Lord is the refuge of my life
Of whom shall i be afraid

Though an army encamped
my heart will not fear
though a war be raged on me
even then
I will trust

There is one thing I ask of the Lord
For this I Long
To dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life

Collect