Exodus 25.
WE will now proceed with our wonderful subject of the tabernacle, and seek to be as careful in noticing what God told Moses, as Moses was to be that he should make everything according to the pattern shown to him on the mount.
In the first seven verses of our chapter, we have the account of the materials God told Moses to accept from the people, and that they should give of their hearts willingly.
This is how God would have all those, who have believed in the Lord Jesus, do today. He would have us give back to Him, with a willing and responsive heart, a portion of that which He has given to us so freely.
He has given Christ, His beloved Son, for us, and He delights to have us praise and thank Him for such a gift, and talk to Him about His Son, as that meek and lowly One, the One so obedient as to go, even to death for us, and that the death of the cross. The One who delighted to do the will of God, His Father, and glorify Him in everything that He did. He was not selfish, nor was He seeking His own, but gave up all that He had to purchase us, and to make us His own. We are bought with the precious blood of Christ. Not only does He want us to give the fruit of our lips—praise to His name—but to give also of our temporal things, by doing good to others, and as for Himself who has done all things for us.
Verse 10 begins the account of the tabernacle, and it closes with chapter 30. Those chapters are divided into three.
Chapters 25-27 give us the account of varied things which show God’s glory, so God begins at Himself, and comes out to where man is, and meets him at the brazen altar, which is outside, at the gate of the court.
Chapters 28, 29 give us the priests; first the garments of glory and beauty for the high priest; then, the clothing for the other priests, all of which speak to us of God’s holiness; then the consecration of the priests, so as to serve in the tabernacle, and the high priest to represent God’s people.
In the 30th chapter God describes two vessels of the tabernacle that He had passed over purposely, because these were vessels by which the priests were to approach God, and they are the golden altar, and the laver. The chapter closes by showing that everything in the tabernacle, and the priests also, had to be consecrated to God with the holy anointing oil.
The Epistle to the Hebrews lets us know that the tabernacle may be viewed in three ways.
First, being the house of God, it is to be taken as a type of all the believers in the Lord Jesus at the present time, for God dwells now in them, as Heb. 3:66But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. (Hebrews 3:6) says, “But Christ as Son over His house; WHOSE HOUSE ARE WE.”
Second, as a type of the heavens, so it was divided into three. First, there was the court, then came the building with two rooms. The first room was called “The Holy,” and the second room, was called the “Holy of Holies,” which was God’s private room. Heb. 9:2424For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: (Hebrews 9:24) says, “Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands (that was the tabernacle), which are the figures of the true; but INTO HEAVEN ITSELF, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”
Third, as a type of Christ, which Heb. 10:19-2119Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21And having an high priest over the house of God; (Hebrews 10:19‑21) shows us— “Having therefore brethren, 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 A HIGH PRIEST over the house of God.” Then again in Heb. 4:14,14Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. (Hebrews 4:14) “Seeing then that we have A GREAT HIGH PRIEST, that is passed into the heavens, JESUS THE SON OF GOD.”
In our next we will begin by giving a brief account of the details in those three aspects, and hope that our young readers will seek to follow them up, for they will be found very instructive and beneficial.
ML 04/16/1922