Exodus
26
THE
TABERNACLE – (vs. 1-37)
The sacred
furniture which the tabernacle was to contain having been described, with
the exception of the “altar of incense” the description of which is reserved for
ch.30:1-10 - directions were
next given for the sacred structure itself. This was to
consist of three main things:
end, and on
the other three sides enclosed by boards of acacia-wood
overlaid
with gold — called the mishkan, or “the dwelling-place,” in our
version
usually translated “tabernacle.”
ropes and
tent-pegs in the ordinary manner over the mishkan. This is
called
the ‘ohel — which is the usual word for a “tent” in Hebrew, and is so
translated
generally (Genesis 4:20; 9:21; 13:12; 18:1), though in this chapter,
unfortunately,
“covering” (v. 7);
and
skins dyed
red, and seals’ skins (v.14). Subordinate parts of the structure
were:
ü The
sockets, or bases, which were to receive and support the
upright boards (vs. 19-25);
ü The bars
which were to hold the boards together (vs. 26-29);
ü The veil,
stretched on pillars, which was to be hung across the
“dwelling-house,” and to
separate it into two parts, the “holy
place”
and
the “holy of holies” (vs.
31-33); and
ü The curtain
or “hanging” at the
open end of the “dwelling-place,”
where
there were no boards, which was intended to close that side
of
the structure when necessary (vs. 36-37).
THE FINE
LINEN COVERING
vs. 1-6 – “Moreover thou shalt
make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine
twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet:
with cherubims of cunning
work shalt thou make
them. The length of one curtain shall be
eight and
twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain
four cubits: and every one of the
curtains shall have one measure. The five curtains shall be coupled together
one to another; and other five curtains shall
be coupled one to another.
And thou shalt
make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the
selvedge (I
have never noticed this – I had a friend and fellow teacher by the
name of Roger Selvedge who passed away a few
years ago. I guess somewhere
down the line there was a Biblical influence –
CY – 2010)in the coupling; and
likewise shalt thou make
in the uttermost edge of another curtain, in the
coupling of the second. Fifty loops shalt
thou make in the one curtain, and
fifty loops shalt thou
make in the edge of the curtain that is in the coupling of the
second; that the loops may take hold one of
another. And thou shalt
make fifty
taches of gold, and couple the curtains together
with the taches: and it shall be
one tabernacle.”
THE GOAT’S
SKIN TENT-CLOTH
vs. 7-13 – “And thou shalt
make curtains of goats’ hair to be a covering upon
the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make. The
length of one curtain shall
be thirty cubits, and the breadth of one
curtain four cubits: and the eleven
curtains shall be all of one measure. And thou shalt
couple five curtains by
themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double the sixth curtain
in the forefront of the tabernacle. And thou shalt make
fifty loops on the edge
of the one curtain that is outmost in the
coupling, and fifty loops in the edge of
the curtain which coupleth
the second. And thou shalt
make fifty taches of
brass, and put the taches
into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may
be one.
And the remnant that remaineth of the curtains
of the tent, the half
curtain that remaineth,
shall hang over the backside of the tabernacle.
And a
cubit on the one side, and a cubit on the other
side of that which remaineth in
the length of the curtains of the tent, it
shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle
on this side and on that side, to cover it.”
THE OUTER
PROTECTION
v. 14 – “And thou shalt
make a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed
red, and a covering above of badgers’ skins.”
THE BOARDING OF THE
TABERNACLE
vs. 15-30 – “And thou shalt
make boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood
standing up.
Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half
shall be the breadth of one board. Two tenons shall
there be in one board, set
in order one against another: thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the
tabernacle. And
thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty
boards
on the south side southward. And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver
under
the twenty boards;
two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and
two
sockets under another board for his two tenons. And for the second side of the
tabernacle on the north side there shall be twenty
boards: And their forty
sockets of silver; two sockets under one board,
and two sockets under another
board. And for the sides of the tabernacle westward
thou shalt make six
boards. And
two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the
tabernacle in
the two sides. And they shall be coupled together beneath,
and they shall be
coupled together above the head of it unto one
ring: thus shall it be for them
both; they shall be for the two corners. And they shall be eight boards, and
their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two
sockets under one board, and two
sockets under another board. And thou shalt make
bars of shittim wood; five
for the boards of the one side of the
tabernacle, And five bars for the boards
of the other side of the tabernacle, and five
bars for the boards of the side of
the tabernacle, for the two sides westward. And the middle bar in the midst of
the boards shall reach from end to end. And thou shalt
overlay the boards
with gold, and make their rings of gold for
places for the bars: and thou shalt
overlay the bars with gold. And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle
according
to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee in the mount.”
THE VEIL AND THE ORDERING OF THE
HOLY PLACES
vs. 31-35 – “And thou
shalt make a vail of blue,
and purple, and scarlet, and
fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made:
And thou
shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks
shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver. And thou shalt hang
up the vail
under the taches, that
thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the
testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the
holy place and the most
holy. Literally, “the holy
of holies” — the inner chamber, that within the veil, which
constituted the adytum, or innermost recess of the
tabernacle. The ark and the
mercy-seat were the special furniture of this inner
sanctuary. To these is added later
(ch. 30:1-10) the altar of
incense. (It was this veil that was rent
when Jesus died
for the sins of mankind – Matthew 27:51-53 says “And, behold, the veil of the
temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom;
and the earth did
quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were
opened; and many bodies
of the saints which slept arose, and came out of
the graves after His
resurrection” -Matthew thus introduces his account of the
portents which attended
the death of the Son of God. The rending of the veil is
mentioned by the synoptists
as consequent on, and occurring simultaneously with, the
completion of the ineffable
sacrifice of Jesus Christ - “The veil of the temple” (tou~ naou~). There were two
principal veils in the present temple — one between the
vestibule and the holy place,
and one other which is that here referred to, a constituent
part of the edifce. This was
the veil between the holy place and the holy of holies, which
was moved aside
only once a year to admit the high priest to the
shrine on the great Day of
Atonement
(Exodus 26:33). It was large and costly, some sixty feet high, and made
of rich materials. Josephus (‘
temple, that it was a Babylonian curtain, embroidered
with linen in various colors,
woven together with wonderful art, such as the eye
loved to rest upon. “Was rent
in twain from the top to the botto - An
apocryphal Gospel (‘The Gospel of the
Hebrews’),
quoted by
which the veil was fastened was at this moment
shattered to pieces, and in its fall
tore the curtain asunder. The direction of the rent
would show that no human
hands had torn it apart, and the rending seems to
have preceded the earthquake.
The violent
act was supernatural, and of a typical nature, as we are taught by
Hebrews
9:6-12. The sanctuary enshrined the presence of God, from which the
veil excluded every one but the high priest on one special
occasion, thus denoting
the imperfect reconciliation between God and His people, and
that the way to the
holiest was not yet made manifest. The rending of this veil betokened the opening
of the access to heaven through the wounded body of Christ: as
we read in
Hebrews
10:19-22, “Having boldness to enter into the holiest by
the blood of
Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated
for us through the
veil, that is to say, His flesh. And having an
high priest over the house of
God; Let
us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having
our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and
our bodies washed with
pure water”.
“When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, thou
didst open the kingdom of heaven
to all believers.” The distinction between
Jew and
Gentile was abolished, the mysteries of the old Law were opened
and manifested, all rites and ceremonies were made of
sacramental efficacy,
and ministered grace. How soon this ominous occurrence was
discovered,
we know not. The priest who offered incense at the evening
sacrifice about
this same hour must have seen it, and spread abroad
among his comrades
the news, to which many would attach a meaning fatal to the
security of
their religion. But this was comparatively a private
sign; the next one was
of a more comprehensive and public character. “The earth
did quake, and
the rocks rent.” The last verb is the same as
was used just before in the
case of the veil. There was a local earthquake at
this awful moment, as if
the very land shuddered
at the terrible crime that had been committed.
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the
throne of grace, that we may
obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of
need.” Hebrews 4:16)
“And thou shalt
put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in
the most holy place. And thou shalt set
the table without the vail, and the
candlestick over against the table on the side of the
tabernacle toward the
south: and thou shalt
put the table on the north side.”
THE ENTRANCE
OF THE TENT
vs. 36-37 – “And thou shalt
make an hanging for the door of the tent” –
A
curtain which could draw up and. down, seems to be
intended. When let down,
it probably covered the entire eastern side,
or front of the tabernacle. When raised,
it allowed the eye to penetrate into the holy
place – “of blue, and purple, and
scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework. And
thou shalt
make
for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and
overlay them with gold, and
their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast
five sockets of brass for them.”
THE
SYMBOLISM OF THE TABERNACLE STRUCTURE
Epistle to the
Hebrews (Hebrews 9:7-12). In it were the forms of
cherubim,
representing the angelic choir, and between them was the
manifestation
of the presence of God himself. It was cut off from the rest
of the
sanctuary by the veil, which none was to lift save the High Priest
once a
year: “the Holy Ghost thus
signifying, that the way into the
holiest of all” — i.e., into heaven — “was not made manifest, while as
the first tabernacle was yet standing” (ib, v. 8).
and God — the awful
barrier which shuts out from the Divine presence all,
even the
holiest, unless they have with them the blood of expiation, “that
speaketh better things than that
of Abel.” (Hebrews
12:24) -The veil
was covered
with cherubic forms, reminding men of those watchers at the
gate of
Eden, who with “a flaming
sword that turned every way, kept
the way of the tree of life” (Genesis
3:24). Men saw in the thick curtain that
hid the
holiest from view,
that heaven was shut to them, unless a “new
and
living way” – (Hebrews 10:20) - could be
found, whereby they might enter.
They had impressed upon them
the awful holiness and inaccessibility of the
Supreme Being,
and their own unworthiness to approach Him. They learnt
that God
had hidden Himself from them, until some “better time,” When the
veil would
be rent, and in and through their true High Priest, and through
faith
in His
blood, they might “have
boldness to enter into the holiest by the
blood of Jesus.”
called —
represented the church militant. Here was perpetual worship
offered to
the God behind the veil. Hither were all who had received the
holy
anointing, and so been made “priests to
God” (Revelation 1:6)
privileged
to enter. Here was a perpetual thank-offering presented to God
in the shew-bread that lay always upon the table. Here was
illumination
from the
sevenfold lamp which typified the Holy Spirit (see above on “the
symbolism
of the candlestick “). The place was “all
glorious within”
(Psalm 45:13) — on
the wails “clothing
of wrought gold,” — above, a
canopy of fine twined linen, and blue
and purple and scarlet, with
cherubim of cunning work” interwoven
into it — at either end a curtain
of nearly similar
materials. Those who looked on the tabernacle from
without saw
the goats’ hair, and the rams’ skins, and seals’ skins, and
perceived
in it no beauty that they should desire it. The beauty was
revealed
to those only who were within. So now, the
Church is despised
and
vilified by those without, valued as it deserves only by those who
dwell in
it. Again, the structure seems weak, as does the structure of the
Church to worldlings. A few boards, an awning, a curtain or two —
what
more frail
and perishable! But, when all is “fitly joined together, and
compacted by that which every joint supplieth”
(Ephesians 4:16), when
by a
machinery of rings and bars, and tenons and solid sockets, and pillars
and hooks,
the whole is welded into one, under
Divine direction and
contrivance,
the fragility disappears. “God’s strength is made perfect in
weakness.” (II
Corinthians 12:9) A structure is produced which continues,
which
withstands decay, which defies assaults
from without, which outlasts
others
seemingly far stronger, and bids fair to
remain when all else is
shattered
and destroyed. “Behold!
I am with you alway, even unto the
end of the world.” (Matthew 28:20) - The
tabernacle, frail as it was,
lasted from
the exodus until the time when Solomon expanded it into the
temple. Our
tabernacle, the Church, will endure until it shall please God to
merge it in
a new and wonderful creation — “the new
Jerusalem”
(Revelation 21:2, 10-27; 22:1-5).
is a
division between the Church and the world. The curtain may be lifted
at times;
but the world has only glimpses of the real inner life of the
Church, does not fully see it, does
not comprehend it. The life consists in
worship —
in contemplation, prayer, and praise. The world “cares for none
of these things.” It may
glance curiously at the external fabric, and scoff a
little at
the contrast between the homely goats’ hair that shows itself in one
part, and the
“blue and purple
and scarlet, and fine twined linen wrought
with needlework” that is
seen in another; it may be angered at the sight of
“pillars overlaid with
gold,” and ask scornfully, “Wherefore this waste?”
But it does not care to consider
seriously the fitness of these things, or to
weigh the
reasons for them. The only interest which it feels is one arising
from
cupidity: the Church, it thinks, would be worth plundering; and it
looks
forward hopefully to the time when it will “divide
the spoil.”
indicates
that the Church is detached from earth, has here no resting-place,
no
continuing abode, awaits removal to heaven. What is of the earth, is
earthy. If
the Church were of the earth, if it were a human institution, if it
rested on
human wisdom, or power, or affection, it would be swayed by
human
emotions; it would seek those things which are the main objects of
human
desire; it would cease to witness for God; it would be powerless to
raise man
above himself and fit him for the life which is to come. But the
Church is not of man’s building. Christ built it. It is His. He is its “chief
corner-stone;”
and therefore, “while it touches earth, it belongs
altogether
to heaven.”
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