Exodus 25:2  “Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering.”
God was going to have them build Him a sanctuary, and He would have them give the supplies for it.  Of course, He had already given them the supplies.  Now He was going to see if they were willing to part with what He gave them in order to perform His service.  The way He works with all of us.  He supplies everything.  Nothing is really ours.  We’re only stewards.  We need to stay in contact with Him to see how He wants His resources used.

8  “…that I may dwell among them”
His plan was to be among them.  Not always a cloud or pillar of fire above them.  Now through the Holy Spirit, He lives within each of us.  Closer than a sanctuary.

9   “…just so you shall make it“
Make it exactly as I tell you.  I think we lose some of that.  We have come to expect God’s grace and mercy so much, we fail to put in the effort to do our absolute best.  We say since we’re not perfect and can’t do anything perfectly, we shouldn’t worry about whether or not it’s the best.  We think it’s good enough, and God will forgive us for what’s lacking.  I did that with my grades in school.  Could do B+ work by coasting, so didn’t worry about doing better.  Finally saw the fallacy of that way of thinking.  Put in as much effort as I could, and God richly blessed the results.  I received academic and public/faculty accolades.  Need to learn that lesson in all things.

10  “…they shall make an ark of acacia wood…”
Plans for the Ark of the Covenant.

15  “…they shall not be taken from it”
Once the poles were placed through the rings of the Ark, they were not to be removed.  One unit, ready to be moved when necessary.  And only to be carried by the priests.  Commentary suggests it meant there was never a reason to touch the Ark which was forbidden.  If it needed to be moved, the priests were to use the poles according to the protocol God gave them.  In David’s time, they disregarded those protocols, and someone died because he touched the Ark.  They failed to treat God as Holy.  Can’t point fingers.  I’m guilty of the same.

16  “…put into the ark the Testimony…”
Stone tablets with the ten commandments would go in there.  I wonder if they are still in there.  Would be awesome to see something inscribed by the very hand of God Himself.

17  “You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold…”
As a lid.  Width and length match the Ark.

20  “…cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another…”
Two cherubim, one at each end of the mercy seat/lid, facing each other with their wings outstretched to cover the seat.  Like a small replica of the throne of God.

22  “…I will speak with you from above the mercy seat…”
Where God would be to speak with Moses and eventually the High Priest each year, although I don’t know that He ever actually spoke to anyone else besides Moses.  Each year the High Priest would take the blood of the sacrifice into the Holy of Holies and offer it on the mercy seat to atone for the sins of the people.  The Ark would be in the Holy of Holies to signify God’s presence there, separated from the people by the Veil.

I hope you enjoy reading and studying His word.  May it accomplish what He desires.  Please feel free to comment or post questions.  Thanks for reading!

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.