We now come to the linen hangings for the court of the tabernacle. It will be noticed that two important pieces of furniture for the tabernacle itself have so far been omitted, and they are not described until after the consecration of Aaron and his sons. They are the brazen laver and the altar of incense. Both are connected typically with Christ’s priestly work for us in heaven, and this is no doubt the reason they are not mentioned until after Aaron’s consecration (of which we read in chapter 29), for Aaron is a type of Christ as our Great High Priest.
These lovely white hangings tell us of the perfect walk of the Lord Jesus in His pathway through this world. On one occasion when the officers were sent to arrest Him, they returned with the report, “Never man spake like this man.” Even those who did not believe on Him “wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.” Truly “He could not be hid,” for like the line twined linen hangings of the tabernacle court, which were seen from all sides, He could not be less than perfect in all that He said and did. Even the very tone of His voice was perfect; and yet the world rejected and hated this wonderful testimony of “God ... manifest in flesh,” In the rejection of Christ, therefore, man’s true character came out as an enemy of God.
There were pillars to hold up these wonderful hangings, and each one was filleted with silver and stood in a socket of brass. The hooks for them were made of silver also. Silver speaks of redemption, and brass of judgment, and so all this beautifully typifies to us the purpose for which the Lord Jesus came to earth. Surely God delights to turn our thoughts to the wonderful work of His beloved Son.
“His was the voice that
The comfort of the sky.
We bless Thee, Lord, who came to earth,
For us to die.”
Yes, the Lord Jesus came to earth to accomplish the mighty work of redemption, and in order to redeem us He must bear our judgment. This He did at Calvary during those three hours of darkness.
There is also a practical lesson for us in these hangings. We who are cleansed in the precious blood of Christ are now the children of God. We are in His family, and are to seek to walk as Christ walked here (1 John 2:66He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. (1 John 2:6)) so that others may see Christ in us. Are we trying to do this? The Lord Jesus is soon coming to take us home to heaven, and then our privilege of bearing testimony for Him in this “wilderness world” will be gone forever. We shall be eternally happy up there, but what a loss it will be to have lived in this world for ourselves instead of for Him—the One who loved us and gave Himself for us.
These beautiful white hangings were all around the tabernacle court, but on the east side there was the gate of entrance. This gate had four pillars, and it typifies to us the Lord Jesus the-true Door who, with outstretched arms, is now offering salvation to “Whosoever will” from the “four corners” of the earth. The east side, where the sun rises, would remind us of the Lord Jesus as the “Sun of righteousness” who will soon arise to set things right in this sin-ruined world.
ML 01/22/1950