Exodus 37:10-24 (ESV)

He also made the table of acacia wood. Two cubits was its length, a cubit its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made a molding of gold around it. And he made a rim around it a handbreadth wide, and made a molding of gold around the rim. He cast for it four rings of gold and fastened the rings to the four corners at its four legs. Close to the frame were the rings, as holders for the poles to carry the table. He made the poles of acacia wood to carry the table, and overlaid them with gold. And 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.

He also made the lampstand of pure gold. He made the lampstand of hammered work. Its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers were of one piece with it. And there 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; three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on one branch, and three cups made like almond blossoms, each with calyx and flower, on the other branch—so for the six branches going out of the lampstand. And on the lampstand itself were four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers, and a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out of it. Their calyxes and their branches were of one piece with it. The whole of it was a single piece of hammered work of pure gold. And he made its seven lamps and its tongs and its trays of pure gold. He made it and all its utensils out of a talent of pure gold.

The lampstand is a single piece of hammered work of pure gold. … He made it and all its utensils out of a talent of pure gold. The lampstand doesn’t sit on a table; it’s like a floor lamp. But a talent of gold is less than a half-gallon in volume. How can a floor lamp be made from such a small amount of metal (especially soft metal)?

By hammering the gold over a wooden frame. That’s how the lamp is large enough to stand on its own at floor height.

http://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/golden-lampstand/

This contrasts with how the table is overlaid with pure gold, that is gilded with gold leaf. There, thin gold sheets are overlaid onto wood. That’s how the mask of King Tut was made.

http://www.ancient.eu.com/gold/

This is all about excellence. The least fancy thing in the whole place is as ornate as one of the most famous treasures in all antiquity.

Be challenged by this, but don’t just think in terms of doing excellent things for the LORD. The main thing God wants to see be excellent is you.

You’re the temple now.

The weekly study guides, which include all six devotionals plus related questions for discussion or meditation, are available for download here:

https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies