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In these verses, the Holy Ghost, by the apostle, sets before our eyes the beautiful face of God's public worship, under the ceremonial law. And first, He describes the place appointed by God for his solemn worship.
This was, first, the tabernacle, then, the temple: The tabernacle was an ambulatory temple; the temple a standing tabernacle. The tabernacle was a type and figure of Christ's incarnation, whereby the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily, as it dwelt typically in the tabernacle; this tabernacle had two parts, the sanctuary or holy place, and the sanctum sanctorum, or the holy of holies. Our apostle tells us what sacred utensils were, by God's appointment, in both these places.
1. In the sanctuary there was the candlestick, representing that fulness of light which is Christ, and which is by him communicated to the whole church. The table whereon stood the shew-bread, typifying the saints' communion with Christ, and with one another; also the shew-bread itself, which typified Christ, as being the only bread of life to his church the only spiritual food of the soul that nourishes it unto life eternal.
2. In the holy of holies there was the golden censer, which was to hold the incense. This represented the intercession of Christ, which gives efficacy to the prayers of all believers: The prevalency of all our prayers depends on the incense which is in the hand of our merciful High Priest.
The ark of the covenant overlaid with gold; this, with the mercy-seat which covered the ark, was the most glorious and mysterious utensil of the tabernacle, the most eminent pledge of the divine presence; called the ark of the covenant, because the two tables, in which the ten commandments were writ by the finger of God, were kept in it; next the golden pot, in which the manna was laid up, and miraculously kept from putrefaction, (which of itself would have stunk in a few days), a type of Christ the bread of life.
Then Aaron's rod that budded: This originally was the rod of Moses, wherewith-he fed his sheep in the wilderness, and afterwards wrought his miracles, and particularly smoted the rock with it till it gushed out water. When Aaron was called to the office of the priesthood, it was delivered unto his keeping. This rod of Moses, wherewith he smote the rock, is commanded to be laid up in the tabernacle, because the spiritual rock that followed them was to be smitten with the rod of the law, that it might give forth the waters of life unto the church.
Last of all, The tables of the covenant; that is, the two tables of stone cut out by Moses, and written on with the finger of God, containing the ten commandments, which were the substance of God's covenant with the people. These two tables of stone were, by the express command of God, put into the ark, and there was nothing else in the ark but them. The pot of manna, and Aaron's rod, were laid up in the holy of holies, near the ark, but not in it, which were of no actual use in the service of God, but only kept as sacred memorials.
Having thus described what was in the ark, next the apostle tells us what was over the ark, namely, the cherubims and the mercy-seat. The cherubims were Alata animalis, winged creatures, of human shape, but with wings, to denote their angelical nature; there were two of them, one at each of the ark, shodowing the mercy-seat; from between these cherubims, over the mercy-seat, it was God that manifested his majestical presence, spake unto Moses, and gave out his oracles as a prince spake from his throne.
The mercy-seat was of pure beaten gold, the measure of it exactly answering the ark: This covered the ark wherein the law was; and was a type of Christ, who fully covers our sins; the transgressions of the law, out of God's sight; and is therefore called by the apostle, Rom_3:25.
Our propitiatory, or proptiation, or mercy-seat. For if thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, according to the law, who could stand? These are the particular things which the apostle thought fit to take notice of, in the Jewish tabernacle; all which we see pointed at Christ; and there was in them all, more or less, a representation of the person and mediation of Christ. Hereunto were they designed, by divine wisdom, to denote, that in him alone is God well pleased, in him alone will he be glorified.