I know not where I have written on the typical meaning of the metals in the tabernacle; there are a few words, in some part, on the gold and brass, in the books of the Bible.
I have heretofore considered brass as judgment according to works, when in connection with responsibility, as gold properly righteousness in se—the eyes as a flame of fire, as the penetrating power of God's judgment (Rev. 2:18, 2318And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; (Revelation 2:18)
23And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. (Revelation 2:23)), in the latter God " searches the reins and the heart," and gives to every one of them according to their works; Phil. 2:12, 13, 1512Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12‑13)
15That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; (Philippians 2:15).
Gold is intrinsic righteousness in God's nature—that which we approach in; here I do not mean His essence, but what we approach in. Brass is the judgment of righteousness as applied to man; hence the altar of burnt-offering was of brass, the laver was of brass—one judged sin in a sacrifice, the other by the word. It marked the immutable nature of that judgment—God, who could not bear sin, must deal with it. What led me to it was, the sockets of the pillars of the court were of brass, and the fillets and hooks of them silver—what gave stability was judgment—was Gilgal work. The curtains separated the profane from the holy—God's people, as with Him, from the world at large—their hooks on the pillars were silver and their fillets.
I am apt to think this is grace as displayed in man-God's grace; as the brass was God's judgment—firm and immutable—so did grace secure, but it was the ornament; judgment in God's ways secures, but it is their stability, and as the foundation, God's immutableness; grace in fact is what all hangs on in its actual maintenance.
The moment the light was brought in, and the use of the olive oil, then the priesthood of Christ is introduced, and the priesthood of Christ and the Church looked at corporately—looked at as a service. Aaron and his sons were to trim the lamps, they were to ascend up always-the priesthood having been ordered in Aaron and his sons. Then came the daily burnt-offerings, and then the Lord met with the people to speak with Moses—that was the ordinary worship and communications (as with Moses for what he had to give to the people at the ark).
Then the altar of incense; this was to be before the veil, that is, by the ark of the testimony, "where I will meet, saith he, with thee." Aaron was to burn incense on this every morning, and so in the evening. It was without for use, but it belonged within, and was kodesh hakkadashim (holy of holies).
When he dressed the lamps, and when he lit the lamps, he was to offer on it. This had nothing to do with burnt-offering, but was of priestly approach.
Note, though Aaron and his sons were only to order the lamps, it is now Aaron's office, and though the light was to burn always, yet it was de facto to be kept alight by night it appears. Then we have presented to us that connected with the manifestation of the Lord's presence in Israel. For the people as such, the remembrance of their existence involved the acknowledgment that they owed their life to the Lord, and His remembrance of them would make it forfeit, but for this acknowledgment which implied atonement.
For a priest as such, he washed his hands and feet merely for service, being already near to God-the two characters of the effect of God's presence in Israel. The whole chapter has its importance from this, that it is the account of the whole order of relationship, and its administrative power when the arrangements of God's presence were complete—what that presence involved in recognition or worship—there was not common use to the two altars of burnt-offering and incense. These things for the exercise of ministry were not mentioned before.