V. 4.— Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’ s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant. In the most holy place was the golden censer. This was used by the high priest when he went into the holy of holies, for he was not to enter till the cloud of the incense covered the mercy- seat. As the Apostle tells us, it was within the second vail; and, as the high priest was required to burn incense, no doubt it must have been placed so that he could reach it without entering. This golden censer appears not to have been used on any other occasion than when the high priest entered the holiest of all. In the temple we read of censers of pure gold. 1 Kings 7:50. And the ark of the covenant...— The ark was a chest, and it is called the ark of the covenant because in it the two tables of the law, written with the finger of God Himself, were deposited. It is also called the ark of the testimony, because it was a witness of the covenant which God made with Israel, avouching Himself to be their God, and requiring of them obedience. The ark was overlaid round about with pure gold, and had a crown of gold round about it. Wherein was the golden pot that had manna. — Moses, by Divine commandment, laid up in a golden pot an homer of manna, as a memorial of the bread with which Israel had been fed in the wilderness. The Apostle cannot mean that the pot of manna was within the ark; for it is written, "There was nothing within the ark, save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb.” 1 Kings 8:9; 2 Chronicles 5:10; and, therefore, “wherein,” or " in which,” must refer to a remote antecedent schene, called the holiest of all. Ver. 3. And Aaron's rod that budded.— We have already referred to the sedition of the sons of Korah, who claimed a right to the priesthood, and were consumed, and noticed that the rod of the chief of each tribe was laid up before the Lord, to ascertain to which tribe the priesthood belonged. All the other rods were unchanged; but Aaron’ s rod put forth blossoms, and bore almonds, after which there was no further dispute about the priesthood. Moses, by Divine commandment, brought Aaron’ s rod before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels, Numb. 17:10; and the Apostle here informs us it was placed in the holy of holies. And the tables of the covenant.— We have already seen that they contained the two tables which contained God’ s covenant with Israel.