LINES OF ILLUSTRATION
On looking into the narrative of Ex. 25, &c., we see the description of the vessels commences with the ark, i.e., the place of God's throne of government in Israel, and where He was pleased at times to appear, Lev. 16:1, 21And the Lord spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the Lord, and died; 2And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. (Leviticus 16:1‑2). Thence the story proceeds in an outward Way to table, candlestick, the building, the brazen altar, and court; just as in other scriptures God begins from His own standpoint, and comes out to man. Man however usually commences from his own position to apprehend the lessons that grace would teach. So here, if we begin with the court, its gate, and journey inwards, we shall find a wonderful line of figure, that will land us at the throne of God.
Where else would we be landed?
Where else would Christ land us?
He suffered for sins, the just for the unjust that He might bring us to God; and if we will let our souls go with our thoughts along this marvelous path, and trace Christ in the characters of the successive objects upon it, Christ the altar, Christ the sacrifice, Christ the laver, Christ the door, Christ the golden altar, Christ the ark, in one continuous line from the gate to the mercy seat, and see Christ all these for us, simply submitting our own selves to Him, we shall, through unmerited grace, find that we, even we, are indeed brought to God, into the holiest with boldness, and that on earth. Such is the clear force of the order in which God has arranged these shadows. Shadows whose fulfillment is Christ, and which therefore have passed away; but which are put on record for our learning, learning not only of the facts themselves, but of the enduring substance of them all, made good to faith here and now, Christ; Christ for God on our behalf; Christ for us before God; Christ, Lord and Master; Christ our living joy, and object, and hope, until He comes again; and then, forever, and ever, and evermore.
From the middle of the gate to the ark itself, a glance at our plan will show to be a straight line. On this line is a large range of illustrations which we will first look into. In the building itself is another group; and in the golden vessels of Ex. 25 is yet another; but all teeming with Christ and what God has made Him to be to us, as well as what He is to God. These are the three chief lines of truth furnished by the Tabernacle, and under which we shall consider it.