Kislev 12 – He Also Made the Table of Acacia Wood…

December 1, 2025

09 – Kislev, 5786_09_Kislev, Aaron, Exodus, Israel, Leviticus

Tabernacle

Kislev 12, 5786; from sunset December 1, 2025, to sunset December 2, 2025

(The twelfth day of the ninth month)

This is the name “Mosheh” (מֺשֶׁה – Moses) as seen in the Dead Sea Scrolls, written over two thousand years ago.

We’re checking in again with the Israelites and the progress that they are making towards the construction of the Tabernacle.

We placed Moses’ descent from Sinai with the second set of the Tablets of Testimony on Yom Kippur at which time He was commanded to begin construction of the Tabernacle.
During the Feast of Tabernacles, we pondered that everything needed to build the Tabernacle may have been offered at this time, by those with a willing heart.
We learned that Betzalel and Oholiav were chosen by God and that He put His Spirit in them.
We compared the construction of the Tabernacle to the construction of a Torah scroll.
And last time we checked in – they were working on the Ark of the Covenant.

There has been a lot crossed off of the “To Do” list! Let’s return to the text to see what Betzalel works on next.

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 around it a frame a handbreadth wide, and made a molding of gold around the frame.

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 which were to be upon the table, its plates and dishes for incense, and its bowls and flagons with which to pour libations. – Exodus 37:10-16 (RSV)

The primary purpose of the table was to hold “the bread of the presence” (literally, “the bread of the face”), which was set before the presence/face of the LORD (Exodus 25:30). Twelve loaves were arranged into two rows of six which represented the twelve tribes of Israel. The table highlights the covenantal relationship between God and His people and shows His provision for Israel, as well as, the intimate relationship God desires to have with His people.

“And you shall take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes of it; two tenths of an ephah shall be in each cake. And you shall set them in two rows, six in a row, upon the table of pure gold. And you shall put pure frankincense with each row, that it may go with the bread as a memorial portion to be offered by fire to the LORD.

Every sabbath day Aaron shall set it in order before the LORD continually on behalf of the people of Israel as a covenant for ever. And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place, since it is for him a most holy portion out of the offerings by fire to the LORD, a perpetual due.” – Leviticus 24:5-9 (RSV)

There were also plates, dishes, jars, and bowls of pure gold placed upon it. These were used to hold the frankincense and drink offerings.

To read all of our posts on the building of the Tabernacle, click on the image above.