How was the Ark of the Covenant made?

Exodus 37

1And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it:

2And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold to it round about.

3And he cast for it four rings of gold, to be set by the four corners of it; even two rings upon the one side of it, and two rings upon the other side of it.

4And he made staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.

5And he put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.

6And he made the mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

7And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat;

8One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the other end on that side: out of the mercy seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof.

9And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubims.

Exodus chapters 25 to 27 provide the instructions that God gave the Israelites for construction of the Ark of the Covenant, so that he could dwell among them (Exodus 25:8). Thus it appears that the principal purpose of the Ark was to provide a mercy seat on which God could be carried, as the Israelites moved about in the desert. It also held the tablets on which were carved the ten commandments.

The Ark was to be an elaborate structure, made of the finest materials, including gems, gold, silver and rare woods and cloths. Chapter 35 explains how Moses received from the wandering Israelites everything that was needed as it was brought to him.

Exodus chapters 36 to 39 narrate how Moses made the Ark exactly to the specifications that God had provided.

There were sumptuous curtains, made of fine twisted linen and the most expensive dyes, and of goats hair The Ark was made from shittim wood and was 2 1/2 cubits long, 1 cubit wide and 1 1/2 cubits high, with staves of shittim wood overlaid with gold. All the boards used in construction were made of shittim wood (an expensive wood apparently from Lebanon), held in place with silver sockets. Atop the Ark was a mercy seat, made of solid gold and 2 1/2 cubits long and 1 1/2 cubits wide, framed by two cherubim of solid gold. There was a table of shittim wood, overlaid with pure gold and with a crown of gold for the border. On the table were placed his dishes, spoons and bowls and a candlestick, all of pure gold. There was also a tent of ram and badger skins, with fifty brass taches to couple them and the curtains. A lavish incense altar, one cubit by one cubit, must have been carried separately and placed in the tent when they were camped, rather than on the Ark itself.

The Bible records that the Egyptians were favorably disposed to the Israelites and gave them gold, silver and clothing before they left Egypt. While the Israelites had given all their gold earrings for the construction of the golden calf which was then destroyed, the Israelites in turn donated many other articles of gold, silver, precious clothes, skins, oils and gems for the creation of the Ark and the portable Tabernacle.

Exodus 32

2And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.

3And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.

4And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

Exodus 35

4And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying,

5Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass,

6And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,

7And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,

8And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense,

9And onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate.

Exodus 35

3And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it withal. And they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning.