Foreshadows

It is at the repeated and earnest request of many, who have considered with me the New Testament value of these Types, that I have now sought in a condensed way, to print the chief lessons taught us in the first dwelling-house of God on the earth.

The construction of a model of the Tabernacle, and the search into Scripture for its intended meaning, have been so full of help to my own soul, that I count on our God and Father to make this sketch an equally real help to any who will read it side by side with the Book itself, looking up for the guidance of His Spirit.

Our Lord Jesus Christ will not withhold this blessing from souls who are truly seeking to know Him.

The glory is, will be, must be, all His own.

E. C. P.

The beloved writer being called away to be "Present with the Lord" while "Foreshadows" was still in the press, and partly unrevised, his widow sends it out with the earnest desire that the Master's blessing and approval may follow these last words from His servant's pen.

M. P.

Wealdstone, March 1St, 1895.

Preface to Second Edition

For a year or more a beloved brother has been pressing the need of a scroll of pictures on the Tabernacle. Another has said: "The subject is one that has lain like a burning coal on my heart for now `these forty years,' influencing my ministry in the Gospel beyond saying." But who is sufficient to read aright, or to portray in full, this wondrous, infinite subject? In the hope of getting help in the preparation of such a scroll, I asked a sister in London to try and procure for me all the books on the Tabernacle, new or second hand, that she could find.

The one that seemed most helpful, was Mr. E. C. Pressland's book, "FORESHADOWS", but it was not to be purchased anywhere. However, a friend loaned her his copy, on the condition that she would not let it out of the house. With great labor she copied the whole for me; and as I read it, I felt that others of the Lord's people should be enabled to share this precious ministry: hence the reprint of this book. Two old brothers in the United States have kindly loaned me their copies, and from these this edition has been reprinted. Nothing has been changed in this edition, but I have taken the liberty of adding a few notes at the end, which readers may disregard if they desire, and I have added a plan showing the suggested arrangement of boards, as I understand it: the cover design is also new. Perhaps I should add that our late, esteemed brother Mr. Lavington, of London, considered this book the best he knew on the subject.

As I read it a few months ago, for the first time, it brought to mind that our Mother used to tell us, when we were children, some of the very things brought out in this book: for she, as a girl, had heard Mr. Pressland lecture on the Tabernacle, and had never forgotten what he said. A few short extracts from this book appeared recently in "The Steward," and not many weeks ago I received an unfinished letter from our late sister Miss Mary Gausby, begun a day or two before she went to be "present with the Lord," in which she expressed her delight at seeing these extracts. She wrote that when she was a child Mr. Pressland had lectured on the Tabernacle in the town where they were then living. She was considered too small to go to the evening meetings, but her older sisters went, and would return and tell her what Mr. Pressland had said: and she still remembered this after more than seventy years.

Some have thought this book only suited for mature and adult Christians, but I hope the above may encourage the young and the immature Christians to read it for themselves. If they do so prayerfully, and carefully, with their Bibles open beside them, sure I am they will not go away empty or disappointed.

“The glory is, will be, must be, all His own.”

Introduction

Col. 2:16, 17: "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days, which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ.”

Heb. 9:9: "Which is a figure for the present time" (lit.) Heb. 10:1: "For the law, having a shadow of good things to come.”

It is in view of these statements by the Spirit of God, that the following examination of the tabernacle, its sacrifices, its vessels, and its priesthood, is undertaken; an examination, whose endeavor is to make clear and bright the full witness of Exodus and Leviticus to the Lord Jesus Christ, and to the grace of God towards those to-day who believe on Him.

Other lines of illustration may also be found in these appointments, but Christ must be seen in His preeminence first. His person and His work are the great theme of the whole picture. It is sketched by Divine wisdom to give us the assistance of material symbols towards grasping, so clearly as we may, the beauty and richness of the many treasures which that Infinite One includes within Himself, "in whom dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily," Col. 2:9. What treasures, then, must be there! What a privilege, if God Himself reveal them, and then unfold the revelation to us.

To-day it is part of the work of the Holy Spirit, now given upon the earth, to guide us into all truth, John 16:13; and also our Lord says, "He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you," verse 14.

Not, therefore, may this be written, nor may it be read, as a critical research into curious and wonderful parts and counterparts, but only as a vivid ministry of the bread which came down from heaven, whereof, if a man eat, he shall live forever, John 6:50, 51.

“Eat, O, friends; drink, yea drink abundantly, O, beloved," Song of Sol. 5:1. Himself, His flesh, His blood, the true food which came down from heaven; "he that eateth of this bread shall live forever," John 6:58.

In no way will such an use of the tabernacle set aside, or underrate, its ancient value in the midst of Israel. Indeed it will be needful for us to look closely at the whole material arrangement there, and analyze the details given to us, or we shall fail to reap the intended lessons correctly; and as every detail is not separately expounded in the New Testament, it will be our profit to stand in the light of the truth that came by Jesus Christ, and discern analogies which are fitly framed, as they exalt Him the one antitype, and make Him increasingly precious to our hearts. Thus there are many sacrificial particulars in Leviticus, which are full of power and blessing when brought into the light of the cross, though they are not quoted in terms by any writer of gospel or epistle.

At the same time it will behoove us to be careful neither to prove, nor try to prove, anything by a type; nor to control any New Testament teaching by the form of a type, however clear the type in itself may be.

There is a remarkable passage in 1 Cor. 9:9, 10, which opens up to us a special view of the use and intent of the law. We are there told that it was written for our sakes: "Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?" Accordingly they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel, as also did the ministers at the altar partake with the altar.

No rules of interpretation can be formulated; but with Christ, the Eternal Word, for our object, the written word will declare Him and all His fullness, as we lowly wait before it; specially will the great types and shadows portray to us the main features of His blessed person and of His infinite work.

But it is not Christ only that these parts of the Old Testament are meant to illustrate. We are told, "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." Heb. 9:24. What the true holy places of the heavens really are, we are not further told, but these hand-made holies are figures of them; "patterns of things in the heavens," and further we find Christ "is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister of the holies, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man," Heb. 8:12, so that there is a tabernacle in the heavens, that which Christ has now entered, ("He entered in once into the holies," Heb. 9:12), and He is a minister there; while the heavens also appear to be represented in a triple way by the threefold division of the spaces of the tabernacle.

In the book of Numbers there is a fourfold presentation of the 12 leaders of the 12 tribes which bears an analogy to the 48 boards of the tabernacle building.

In this material house also, there is a vivid picture of God's spiritual house, "builded together for God's habitation through the Spirit" to-day.

May the Spirit of truth guide us to just that which He intended us to learn from this portion of His Scriptures of truth.

Chapter 1

THE ARRANGEMENT

A GENERAL plan of the manner in which the Tabernacle was set up, with its court (or "holy place") and with its vessels, is given to a small scale, to which the reader may easily refer for a reminder of the relative positions in which these all stood, so that the moral worth may be readily followed of the order in which God formed the arrangement.

In the midst of Israel's camp, a small enclosure was made of pillars and curtains, called "holy place." Its only entrance was by the "gate," a hanging curtain at the east end, stretching 20 cubits out of the entire width of 50 cubits. There were two vessels, a brazen altar, and a brazen laver, standing in the open space; the former near the gate, and the latter between the altar and the building of the Tabernacle itself.

This building, formed of boards and pillars, had its east end (towards the laver) closed by a curtain the size of the end, called the "door," and within, it was divided by a third hanging curtain called the "veil" at about two-thirds of the whole length from the door. The three hanging curtains, gate, door, veil, closed the way into the three divisions, "holy place" or court, "the holy," and "the most holy.”

On entering "the holy," the table of shewbread stood on the right hand, the north side; the candlestick opposite to it, carrying seven lamps, on the left or south, and in front of the veil stood the golden altar, Ex. 30:6.

Within the veil in "the most holy," the ark was set, on which was the golden mercy seat with its cherubim, where God expressed His presence in the cloud, Lev. 16:2, and whence by a voice He communicated with Moses, Num. 7:89.

These three divisions are "the holy places made with hands which are the figures of the true," in Heb. 9:24, so representing the first, second, and third heavens. All stood in the midst of the camp, which may therefore represent the world as distinguished from the heavens.

Or again, we have a broad figure of heavenly truth, revealed for faith in the very midst of a world that is at enmity to God. But grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, and we shall find all the features of court and building and vessels tell us of Him in His fullness first, whatever other and secondary values they may possess.

Chapter 2.

SYMBOLISM OF VESSELS AND MATERIALS

The following tabular statement will serve to show in a general way, the chief truths in His person which may be seen in these several shadows; they are given in the order in which they would meet the eye of a person approaching from the camp.

The gate, Ex. 27:16, shows Christ the way into the display of all that God has revealed on earth concerning Himself, His Son, His work, and the grace and the blessings which the believer is intended to enjoy now. It is the only entrance into the precincts of the presence of God. Only through Christ are the privileges of Christianity declared and made known, John 14:6.

The pillars and curtains enclosing "holy place" or court, Ex. 27:9-18, tell of Christ the faithful and true witness before all the world—the camp,— in unspotted purity (fine linen) of righteousness; and as captain of salvation (silver of atonement money on chapiters, Ex. 38:17-28); stable in divine power (brass sockets, Ex. 38:31); secured against all disturbance (pins and cords, Ex. mow. 18).

The brazen altar, Ex. 27:1-8; Christ, divine and human (brass and wood), able to bear the judgment of God (fire).

The sacrifices, Lev. 1-7; Christ the Lamb of God, John 1:29.

The sin offering, Lev. 4; Christ bearing sins.

The peace offering, Lev. 3; Christ for communion and power of life, John 6:57.

The meat offering, Lev. 2; Christ in the perfectness of His person tested and proved.

The burnt offering, Lev. 1; Christ "made sin," 2 Cor. 5:21, producing an entire sweet savor to God instead of it, Eph. 5:2.

The Levites, Num. 8:5-26; Christ the true servant in the sanctuary, John 2:15.

The priests, Ex. 29; Christ the leader of worship, Heb. 2:12.

The high priest, Lev. 8; Christ, high priest above, Heb. 8:1, 2.

The laver, Ex. 30:17-21; Christ the eternal word, and the water, the written word, Eph. 5:26.

The building, Ex. 26; Christ, in whom God dwelt, John 14:10, "the temple of His body," John 2:21.

The linen curtains, decorated; Christ in His glories before God.

The goat's hair curtains, not decorated; Christ before man with no beauty, but separated from the world.

The ram's skins dyed red; Christ in His devotedness to do His Father's will.

The badger's skins; Christ proof against all assault. The silver sockets; Christ the one foundation.

The door, Ex. 26:36, 37; Christ the entrance into the immediate presence of God for communion and worship.

The table of shewbread; Christ the sustainer of all His people before God, John 10:28, Heb. 9:24.

The shewbread, Lev. 24:5-9; Christ in resurrection, in whom God sees all His redeemed perfected forever, Heb. 10:14.

The candlestick, Ex. 25:31-36; Christ in whom God, according to the truth of the Trinity in heavenly perfectness, was fully displayed on earth; John 14:9.

The lamps, Ex. 25:37; Christ, in the power of the Spirit communicating the truth to the redeemed, Matt. 12:28.

The golden altar, Ex. 30:1-10; Christ the way and power of worship, Heb. 13:15.

The incense, Ex. 30:34-38; Christ in the graces and excellencies of His nature, a joy to God, Matt. 3:17.

The veil, Ex. 26:31-33; Christ, that is to say, His flesh, Heb. 10:20.

The ark, Ex. 25:10-16; Christ, human and divine, glorious to God (wood, gold, and crown), delighting to do the will of God (the law within), though it be death, Psa. 40:6, 7, 8.

The mercy seat, Ex. 25:17-22; Christ now set forth a mercy seat through faith in His blood, Rom. 3

Cherubim; administration, whether of law or of grace.

In connection with these, the list of the materials brought by the people should also be referred to Christ for their primary meaning.

Ex. 25:3-7.

Gold.—Christ the expression of the Divine in beauty, worth, and glory. The cherubim of gold, in verse 18, are in Heb. 9:5, cherubim of glory.

Silver.—Christ the true atonement and ransom. Compare Ex. 30:12-16, with 1 Peter 1:18, 19.

Brass (i.e. copper everywhere).—Christ the expression of the Divine in power. It could stand fire. Fetters in 2 Sam. 3:34, and 2 Chron. 33:11, and 36:6, are "brasses." In Judg. 16:2, "fetters of brass" is the same term. Four items of Goliath's armor were copper.

Blue.—The color of the heavens, suggests the heavenly character of our Lord, His glory as "Son of God.”

Purple.—Found in scripture chiefly with Gentiles, only once or twice inclusive of Israel. See Judg. 8:26, Jer. 10:9, Ezek. 27:7,16, Acts 16:4, Esther 1:6, and 8, 15. In Dan. 5:7, 16, 29, the margin is correct, purple not scarlet, scarlet is nowhere found with the Gentile. In Luke 16:19, its use arises from Roman rule. Its real value seems therefore to express Christ's glory as Son of Man.

Scarlet.—Always connected with Israel. See Gen. 38:28, Josh. 2:18, where the national color being bound in the window of Rahab's house, was sure protection to it when Israel should assault the town. 2 Sam. 1:24, Prov. 31:21, Isa. 1:18. There is no crimson here; the term is expressed in Hebrew by two words "worm dye," and in this passage these are separately used; "Though your sins be as dye, they shall be as white as snow, though they be red like worm color, they shall be as wool." A worm was the source of this dye. In Jer. 4:30, "crimson" should be "scarlet." Lam. 4:5, Heb. 9:19. It is only in the Jewish gospel that a scarlet robe is put upon our Lord. Mark and John say "purple," but Luke "gorgeous," as scarlet and purple would be. In Rev. 17 and 18., the two colors connect the woman with Israel and the Gentile. Scarlet suggests, therefore, Christ's glory as Son of David.

Fine linen.—Christ's person, as in Heb. 10:20, "the veil, that is to say, His flesh." And "righteousnesses" in Rev. 19;8, where it should be plural.

Goat's hair.—Christ the true Nazarite in separation to God. The public sign of a Nazarite's vow was his long hair left uncut the whole period of it. When Israel had forsaken God, then the prophet, as God's man, wore hair as separated from the people to God, 2 Kings 1:8. When in the future, the nation returns to God, it would be deception for prophets to wear "hairy garments," Zech. 13:4, margin. Some have thought the goat's hair should be goat's skins because "hair" is in italics; but the fact that the women "spun goat's," Ex. 35:26, is conclusive that it was hair.

Ram's skins dyed red.—The only link with this seems to be, that the ram was exclusively the consecration offering, indicating devotedness, "dyed" absolute. Christ absolutely devoted to do His Father's will.

Badger's skins.—Mentioned also, and only, in Ezek. 16:10. Obviously a tough skin, suggesting Christ essentially proof against all external assault. There appears to be no good reason for supposing it was some other skin, and not that of the badger.

Shittim wood.—The Septuagint has rendered this "incorruptible wood;" it seems to represent in Christ, His un-defileable humanity.

Oil for the light.—"Oil," the Holy Spirit; "for the light," the power of our Lord in testimony to the truth. Grace and truth came by Him.

Spices for anointing oil.—Graces in Christ displayed, and communicated, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Spices for sweet incense.—Graces in Christ, both self fragrant as laid up before the ark, and also of special fragrance as brought out by the action of fire.

Precious stones.—Beauties of the Lord Jesus displayed by light.

Fire.—May be testing, or final, judgment.

Water.—The written word.

Oil.—The Holy Spirit.

All, save these three last, are distinctly found in the Person of our Lord.

Chapter 3.

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, 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.

Chapter 4.

FIRST LINE OF ILLUSTRATION

From the Gate to the Mercy Seat

The gate itself, Ex. 27:16, was a hanging of 20 cubits long and 5 cubits high, "answerable to the hangings of the court," Ex. 38:18, made of fine twined linen, and wrought with blue, purple, and scarlet. This was the material of the veil, which Heb. 10:20 tells us was His flesh. The three colors decorating it are the same as for the door of the building, and for the veil, but this latter has also cherubim, which are not found on the door or on the gate. Blue is the color of the heavens; purple is the Gentiles' color; while scarlet is the national color of Israel.

There is a remarkable change of color found in 2 Chron. 2:7, 14, and 3:14, where Solomon employs not scarlet, but crimson upon the veil of the temple. The Chronicles narrative of the temple seems to have a millennial connection and bearing, with which this altered color specially agrees, or even indicates. Of old, Israel was in no way linked with the Gentile, and purple and scarlet did not rightly mix.

In the millennium it will be, "Rejoice, oh ye nations, with His people," Deut. 32:43, and the nations are all to come up and keep the feast of tabernacles, Zech. 14:16-19. So it appears in view of this that Israel will not be known by scarlet, but by scarlet tinged with purple, which is crimson; the Gentiles' purple abiding unchanged.

Now these three colors upon the gate, the heavenly, the Gentiles', and Israel's, are decorations having their counterparts in the glories of the person of our Lord; and they may be clearly seen to be analogous to His three titles: blue, the heavenly color, the Son of God; purple, the Gentiles' color, the Son of Man; and scarlet, Israel's national color, the Son of David.

His triple glory so displayed upon the linen of the gate, tells us of what was essential in His Person, as related to heaven, and to the two great divisions of mankind, for whose sake He is gate.

As we come to the gate then, we find in Him who is the true gate into "Holy Place" (the enclosure separated, i.e. holy, from the world), a distinct connection with us outside, whether Jew or Gentile, and also with that sphere of heavenly privileges inside, to which he introduces us. It is by Him alone that we get any of the advantages of Christendom. Nor ought we lightly to esteem what it is to have the common instruction in the broad truths of Scripture that surround us. It is strongly marked in 1 Cor. 7:14, a passage much debated, but simple after all.

“For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband, else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.”

It is just the difference between the two positions A and B, on our plan. Those at Corinth to whom the Apostle wrote were at first, as at A, unbelievers and in the natural darkness of idolatry. But when the gospel reached Corinth, the wife (he supposes) was brought into the privilege and responsibility of the place B on hearing the good news, and further into the place C as she owned her need and received the gift of God by faith. But what then about her husband—is he still at A? No; God sees him to be at B by reason of his wife. The news by her, however feebly carried, lands him in the position of one who hears the gospel; he is no longer in the old darkness, but is separated (i.e., sanctified) from it. He is, in the terms of this verse, a sanctified unbeliever. It has been repeatedly said that that is an unheard of thing—an impossible thing. Let us read the verse again, "the unbelieving husband is sanctified," and that while he still unbeliever. Mark the effect, too; the children are not now unclean, as children would have been who, under the law, had one parent Gentile and one Israelite; but under grace that is altered and the offspring of one converted, and one unconverted parent, are declared to be holy; i.e., separated, out from the darkness and into the light, with the privileges of knowledge, and with responsibilities as they grow up accordingly. In the language of our picture line, they are born at B.

But none the less are they there solely through Him who took not on Him angels', but the seed of Abraham, and so became, through death, our gate into the sphere of gospel privileges.

Some confusion is at times made between the gate and the door. The latter term is rightly associated with our Lord's words in John 10:9, "I am the door, by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture." But the gate must be carefully distinguished from salvation, which needs gate and much more. While also the door of the tabernacle does not embrace so much as does the term door in our Lord's words. The door of John 10:9, involves and includes the gate, but not the gate the door.

There was a difference in measure between these two hangings which we must notice. The gate is stated to be 20 cubits long and 5 cubits high; the door appears to be the size of the end of the building, or 10 cubits wide, and 10 cubits high. Each of fine twined linen, each carrying the same colors, but the gate half the height of the door and twice the width, but both of 100 cubits superficial measure.

The different meanings in scripture of the two numbers, 5 and 10 will be found exemplified in the gate and the door. Five commonly indicates some responsibility between man and man, while 10 relates rather to responsibility towards God. Thus five materials compose the image in Dan. 2, representing the highest human responsibility in the rule by man over men. Divine rule over man is expressed in 10 commandments, which epitomize man's responsibility to God. Tithes are rendered to God, but the Egyptians rendered a fifth of their produce from the land to Pharaoh, Gen. 47:24, 26. Ten gerahs were given for atonement money by each Israelite to God, i.e., half a shekel, Ex. 30:12, but when Saul would become indebted to Samuel, 1 Sam. 9:8, he gave him as a present five gerahs, i.e., a quarter of a shekel.

In harmony with these uses of "five" and "ten," the gate 5 cubits high, will be connected with a change of responsibility among men, and the door with such a change more distinctly towards God. Entering by the gate a man is brought into special advantages as compared with his fellows, but is not saved by them yet; brought in by Christ the door, he is saved, and has the liberty and joy of the access to God.

Inside the gate he stands in what is called "the Court of the Tabernacle of the congregation," or "holy place," Lev. 6:16, 26. It is 100 cubits long, and 50 cubits in breadth, Ex. 27:9-18, standing in the midst of the camp of Israel; it is formed by white linen hangings or curtains, carried by pillars which have sockets of brass (copper), hooks and fillets of silver, and their chapiters overlaid with silver. No statement is made as to the material of the pillars, but in Ex. 26:32,37, the pillars of the door and of the veil are said to be of shittim wood, nor does there appear to be any other material among the offerings than shittim wood, of which they could be formed. The curtains were 5 cubits high, i.e.—reckoning the cubit as the Egyptian cubit about 21 inches:—they were about 8 feet 9 inches high. This would exclude all who were outside from seeing what was being done inside, and make what was truly a separated, or holy place. There is no need to confound this with the first apartment of the tabernacle building, though too frequently this name, holy place, is applied to it. In the text of our A.V. the word "place" is printed in the regular Roman type when the court is spoken of, and correctly represents the original Hebrew, but usually no article "the" is prefixed to it, (so making "holy place" a name) while "place" is printed in italics when “the holy" is spoken of, and should not be there.

In these pages this difference will be observed throughout, and the word place will not be used save for the court.

Stress has been laid on the exact Hebrew in Lev. 6:16, 26, etc., being without the article "the," so that "a holy place" would be a more accurate rendering. As however, neither "the most holy," nor "the holy," is ever called a "place" at all, the clearness of the distinction abides-the word "place" marks the division unfailingly.

It is important to maintain the true character of the court. It is holy. It is not common ground, but separated from the common ground of the camp, and that not by a network curtain, but by a curtain of fine twined linen. It is the same material as that which is used for the high priest's dress, and formed an effectual screen from the camp. Whatever was taken for God's service was holy; it must be, and be kept, separate from the world. Questions as to sin, as well as worship and communion, were dealt with here, not on worldly ground. Some have set the brazen altar outside the gate, but Ex. 40:33 precludes that. Our Lord indeed tells us, "and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me," John 12:32, and “this He said, signifying what death He should die," verse 33. It was not upon the ground, but lifted up from it, that our Lord died, in the first heaven; and the type, to prefigure that, must put the vessel of the fire of judgment inside the gate, in "holy place.”

It was but a small enclosure, about 175 feet long, east to west, and 87 feet 6 inches wide north to south.

An idea of its actual size would be given by enclosing the two fountain basins in Trafalgar Square, which would include a space about as wide as "holy place,” but somewhat too long for the proper length of it: In an approximate proportion to this, all London would represent the camp.

The construction of the enclosure was of fine twined linen curtains, carried on cords (Num. 4:26) from pillar to pillar. The pillars were 60 in all. Primarily, Christ displaying righteousness of life will be seen in the white linen, Rev. 19:8, and His person human and divine in the wood and brass, while the atonement silver on the chapiters will indicate His Savior character. The number 60, which is 5x12, tells of complete administration (12) in proper responsibility towards man (5).

And what a picture this is. The Son of God in the midst of a world of evil, the faithful and true witness, in whom was no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth, perfect towards man in the spotlessness of His life, the true light that shone in the darkness, and the only one who could make atonement and be man's Redeemer.

Again, in the five twelve’s of pillars, the 12 tribes of Israel, five times repeated, may be seen as in their special position of separation from all other nations, to be witness to the one God on the earth. This was their national responsibility before all the world, as a peculiar people for God, Ex. 19:5, 6. A study of the list of the families composing the nation, given in Num. 26, will show their number to amount to 55. This, however, was at the close of their wilderness journeys, when serious failures had been seen amongst them. A reference to Ex. 6, which is at the time of their adoption out of the house of bondage, gives us four more Levitical families, and one more in Simeon; so that when God began with them they were 60 families, a number expressing complete administration in responsibility towards man, which was the exact nature of the position they were to take up in the midst of the world, not an administration of government, but of testimony for God. Accordingly the pillars are socketed on Divine power, and are maintained upright and steady by the same; i.e., brass sockets and brass pins or tent pegs. The silver on them declares their redemption, and as such they were to uphold and display the fine twined linen.

The term "filleted" has given rise to a marked difference of treatment of the pillars of "holy place," at the hands of students. Many have taken the Hebrew word, which is connected with "binding," to intimate a construction which binds the pillars to one another when set up. This they have done by carrying a silver bar from pillar to pillar all round the court. They have further utilized this by suspending the linen curtains from it. The utmost quantity of silver available for the filleting, including the silver hooks and the overlaying of the chapiters with silver, is about 2½ cubic inches to each pillar. This would not furnish even a wire of sufficient substance to be so applied, when the hooks are made and the chapiters overlaid.

It seems, therefore, far more probable that the binding was not that of pillar to pillar, but rather the binding round of the upper part of each pillar, where, in hot sun, wood posts are liable to split open. The suspension of the curtains is fully provided for by the cords of the curtains, which are distinct from the cords of the pillars. Compare Num. 4:26 with verse 22. Indeed this provision excludes the thought of silver bars supporting the curtains.

Once more, taking a single pillar, we have a picture of an individual established in Divine power, with the helmet of salvation on his head, standing before the world for the display of Christ in practical righteousnesses of life. This is one of the chief reasons for which a Christian is left on earth after his conversion. He is fit for heaven, Col. 1:12, for Christ and Christ alone, is his fitness; it is not therefore that he may gain fitness to enter heaven's gate that he still lives here, but being fit to enter, he is allowed the further privilege of being an instrument in whose mortal body the life of Jesus may be manifested, 2 Cor. 4:10, 11; Phil. 1:20.

A careful following of the text in Ex. 27 as to the pillars will give us, first on the south side 20; then on the west, 10, etc. This would make a commencement at the east end of the south side with the first pillar, and the curtain must continue from it towards the west, the second, third and remainder succeeding each other, until the twentieth pillar was set up, not at the corner of the court but short of it by the length of curtain which extended from one pillar to another.

The total length was 100 cubits of curtain, Ex. 27:9, this divided by 20 will give 5 cubits for the distance of the pillars apart, and our twentieth pillar will be 5 cubits short of the corner. At the corner will stand the first pillar of the 10 on the west side, the tenth running northward, will again be set up, not at the north-west corner, but 5 cubits short of it, and at the corner itself the first pillar of the north side will stand, and its twentieth will be 5 cubits short of the north-east corner.

The same with the divisions of the east side, the first pillar is set at the angle, and the third is 10 cubits south of it, having 5 cubits of white linen curtain stretching to the first pillar of the gate. The fourth pillar of the gate will be 15 cubits south of the first, and beyond it, 5 cubits length of the gate curtain will extend to the first pillar of the three on the south side of the gate; then the third of these will stand 5 cubits short of the corner where the first pillar had been set up for the, south side. In this way, an unvarying distance of 5 cubits will be the space of each pillar from its neighbor, all round the court. Many have doubled the pillars at the corners, and at the two ends of the gate, but this makes an irregularity and confusion which cannot be true. It is a Divine ordering, and "God is not the author of confusion," 1 Cor. 14:33. The curtain all round is 5 cubits high as we have before seen, so that each pillar carries 5 cubits square, that is its responsibility; such also is ours, who through grace have believed. It is written in 2 Cor. 3:3, "Ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ." The world looks at us and rightly expects consistency and righteousness in our life-the display of Christ. If we fail they charge that on us as Christians. They read a blotted "epistle." But if each one abode in Christ by occupation of heart with Him, beholding His face unveiled, 2 Cor. 3:18, he would be changed into His image from glory to glory, and Christ would be manifested in our mortal flesh. Read that 18th verse, "But we all beholding the glory of the Lord (His) face unveiled, are transfigured into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Lord, the Spirit.”

Only so shall we display Him; it will not be by laborious efforts at consecration, but by accepting the blessed truth that we are already (and by God's act, not ours), saints, sanctified by His will and by His Spirit, and then looking steadily and ever at Christ, we shall become morally like Him, and re-express Him in life without effort.

That will be pillars carrying white fine twined linen curtains. It was once a blessed exhibition in His own person on earth some three-and-thirty years; now, it is for His saints to reproduce it out of hearts engaged with Him. No settled faith in atonement, no creed of security, no breaking bread every Lord's Day, no correctness of dispensational knowledge, will produce this; nothing short of personal love to a personal Christ holding the eyes of our hearts (Eph. 1:18, lit.) fixed on Him, can ever effect it. But that will. How often has it done so in souls whose knowledge of truth has been feeble indeed.

Return Now to the Position B

We have seen that inside the gate is not mere common ground, but it is holy, i.e., separate from the general camp representing the world, and it is so separated for the purpose of observing ordinances of Divine appointment, and also for the erection of the tabernacle which would be God's habitation in the midst of His chosen people.

But that habitation and those ordinances while serving their object for the time being towards Israel, were intended to be, as we have already seen, types for us. So that the court, while it was the meeting place of the worshipping Israelite with the Jehovah of the covenant, and the scene of governmental dealings both as to persons and as to the entire nation, was at the same time a foreshadow, in its -ritual, of the spiritual worship of this present hour, and also of the marvelous ways in which government and grace together, deal now with our souls, whether looked at individually or as a spiritual house, built together and indwelt by the Spirit of God.

It is here that eternal love and wisdom testify free pardon upon the ground of sacrifice, to any and every rebel that truly owns the sin of his rebellion. It is the place where God testifies such an accomplished righteousness, that He can be just and yet justify the guilty; where sinners shall find that an infinite satisfaction has been rendered to His throne which they had infinitely dishonored. It is where eternal love, acting out of its own nature and desire, offers to its enemies blessings so rich that they shall reverse all their thoughts of God the Giver, and be won over to His side forever. It is where God offers "joy in God," instead of His justly dreaded wrath; peace instead of "troubled sea;" life instead of death; a conscience purged, instead of a "conscience of sins;" and an assured hope of eternal blessedness and glory, instead of "judgment to come," and "everlasting punishment." In short, He offers the fullness of Christ, God's all; Him in whom all grace and gift are treasured up, making all secure because "in Him," yet none the less the believer's own, now, to-day, to-morrow, through life, and for eternity.

Observe, too, that this offer is made to all, without distinction of persons. Num. 15:14-16, shows that strangers had the same liberty of approach to the altar as had the Israelite; one law was to be for all.

See also Lev. 22:18; 17:8, 10, 13. So in grace to-day; "there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved," Rom. 10:12,13. Is there a condemned criminal, whom human government can no longer allow to live, and who is reviling the Lord of glory upon the cross? Let him turn and own that blessed One as "Lord," and the instant response is—"To-day thou shalt be with Me in Paradise." Is there an intelligent, cultivated Pharisee, trained in the highest quarters, zealous with a good conscience for the religion of his forefathers, carrying credentials from the high priest, on a persecuting crusade against those who have already trusted Christ? The revelation of that same Person to himself, turns his enmity into such devoted attachment, that henceforth, to him to live was Christ. This is the marvelous gospel so freely offered, that is the subject and purpose of the brazen altar and its sacrifices, which are straight before us on entering the gate.

Chapter 5.

THE BRAZEN ALTAR

Ex. 27:1-8. There is no New Testament passage which tells us in terms the exact value of this vessel, but as the substance of all these shadows is Christ, it is not difficult to discern, in the two materials of which it is made, the twofold character of our Lord's person, divine and human.

The same will be seen in the gold and wood of other vessels, and the question at once rises, what is the difference between gold and brass (or copper, lit.), if both are types of that which is divine?

From the words of Heb. 9:5, "cherubim of glory," (which cherubim in Ex. 25:18, were made of gold), it seems clear that gold is used to express the divine in that connection, the glorious, the excellent, that which suited God in His own nature. The consistent uses of brass, where power and stability are wanted, lead us to see that character of the Divine in connection with it. So we find gold, and not brass, used inside the building; but the altar and laver outside are made with brass.

The altar is for the purpose of burning the sacrifices offered to God, and this material, copper, can endure the fire. Thus the vessel, standing immediately within the gate, tells of the Lord Jesus, to all who enter, as the One who could endure the righteous judgment of God. Now it is this that a guilty creature needs first to know as he enters the presence of God. The declaration of such a Christ is the simplest gospel message Christ for faith to trust. It is not a demand upon intelligence to search and understand a list of doctrines, but it is the plain glad tidings of One able to save, for He did bear the judgment of God. He was "very God and very Man," able to meet God according to God's nature and claims; and able also to meet the guilty in their deepest need. He "was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power." He was "made of a woman," was "found in fashion as a man," "in the likeness of sinful flesh"—but "in Him is no sin,"—He "took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men," "for as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same." God prepared Him a body, Heb. 10:5, and sent Him into the world; "the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us," "God was manifest in the flesh," "the life was manifested," even "that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us." The Divine and the human were combined in Him, each was perfect, nor was either impaired by the other; God opened the heavens to declare "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." He was "that holy thing" who could touch a leper and not be defiled; that obedient One also, who delighted in God's law, always doing those things that pleased God, John 8:29.

Only in such a person could capability be found to take up the entire question of sin, bear its judgment, and put it away; and this capability it is which the brazen altar specially presents to us. As a guilty one stands within the gate of the court, this is the testimony first in view; the person of an able Savior for his heart to rest upon by faith.

But in what way is this blessed heart-rest made ours? It is by faith alone, "not of works lest any man should boast." Then, "Dost thou believe on the Son of God?" "All that believe in Him," lit. "are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses," Acts 13:39. Faith in His work, "in His blood," cannot be absent where there is faith in Himself, though there may be but little knowledge—or none—of what that work is and includes.

It is not possible to believe in Him, and not believe in His work; while, on the other hand, how many are there who are directed rather to His work than to Himself, and who thus get but a poor sense of what it was He did? Are there not now multitudes whose feeble thoughts of Christ are the real reason of their want of peace, though they put faith in His blood? The fact is, the quality of a workman must come out in his work, whatever that work may be.

The Lord Jesus was the perfect and infinite worker, and that which He did was both perfect in quality and infinite in scope. Does a soul trust Him? Then by His "one offering He hath perfected forever"—perfection and infinity go together—"them that are sanctified," Heb. 10:14. A believer, sanctified as he is by the will of God, is, from the moment he believes, perfected for all eternity by the work of Christ on the cross, because it was Christ there, who offered up Himself. It was the one infinitely capable High Priest, and Sacrifice, and Sin-bearer, whose own perfection became the quality of the atonement He made, because HE made it. Everlasting punishment was righteously due to us; He in His infiniteness could, and did, meet the everlastingness of God's claim, and satisfy it once for all. So that "perfected," and that "forever," is the inevitable effect of His blessed work upon a trusting soul. The soul that trusts Him, His person, the now risen, ascended, and glorified Christ, is seen of God, and by God declared to be, "perfected forever." We little grasp it, we little measure what it includes and involves, but it is real, real not to the intelligent, and the ignorant left out, but to the ignorant as truly as to any; not to the wise and the mighty and the learned only, but to the unwise and unlearned and feeble equally, because it is all to faith of heart alone.

Who is it trusts that blessed person?

The altar of brass tells us of Him, the competent Savior, and he who believes on Him shall never be confounded.

There is a striking fact in the New Testament directly connected with this insistence upon faith on the person. It is this, there are fully 100 passages which connect faith with the person of Christ in the terms of a sentence; while there are but two that connect faith in direct terms with the work of the Lord Jesus. These two are, Rom. 3:25, "through faith in His blood," and 1 Thess. 4:14, "if we believe that Jesus died." Surely this is an emphatic lesson from the Holy Spirit.

The following are the hundred passages which are referred to:—

In the epistle to the Romans which unfolds the great fundamental truths of the Gospel, justification from sins, and the judgment of sin, there is an opening statement setting out what "the gospel of God" is, Rom. 1:1-5. It is "the gospel of God concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection of dead ones" (lit.) "by whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations, for His name.”

The Spirit of God thus prefaces the doctrinal arguments by a guard, lest the study of them should at all interfere with the simplest sense of what God's gospel is. In the last chapter of the epistle He repeats this guard, chapter 16:25, 26. "Now to Him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ ... . according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.”

Again we are told the person is declared by God's command to all nations for the obedience of faith. This in no way undervalues the aim of the epistle at large, which is to unfold so much precious truth comprised in the death of Christ; but this unfolding is not to be allowed to interfere with the plain and simple gospel—believe on Christ. Faith on Him brings a soul into subjection to Him, and carries home to the heart the richest blessings God can give. It is not only pardon, but also reconciliation, life, acceptance, according to the value of the work of the cross; all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ. What a lesson this feature of the epistle is, to any who would seek by argument to satisfy intelligence, instead of resting hearts on the Living One at God's right hand.

It is quite true that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself could be no Redeemer except through death. He distinctly says, "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone, but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”

But it is now, after that He has died—"died to sin once"—that God hath set Him forth a mercy seat, Rom. 3:25. And faith on His person gives us all the value of His work before God.

Thus, in various scriptures, we have eternal life by faith on him, John 3:16.

We are set in our new relationship to God the Father (and so accordingly towards each other), in the same way, "for ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus," Gal. 3:26. And in John 7:39 the gift of the Spirit is made to those who "believe on Him.”

Thus pardon, life, the knowledge of the Father, and the gift of the Holy Sprit, are intended to be the foundation gifts of grace to each believer. In John 17:2, 3 Jesus, addressing the Father, declares that the life He gives is eternal life in order that the receivers might know Thee—the Father—the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou halt sent. While Gal. 4:6, tells us, "because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts." These are the primary truths of personal grace.

The simplest form of gospel message, is the presentation of Christ as the one person on whom to trust; and this is the first great truth that confronts us as we enter by the gate of "holy place," and stand before the brazen altar.

This vessel is described to have a brazen net-work sunk halfway down, as I understand it, "that the net may be even to the midst of the altar." Such a provision makes the altar to contain the fire within it, and also the sacrifices. Many pictures show the grating across the top, with fire and offerings lying upon it. This latter way—certainly not found in the text—would prefigure an external or superficial bearing 'of judgment by our Lord Jesus.

It was not so. It was His actual bearing of judgment according to his inward capability of estimating it with God, that formed the essence of atonement. He could so meet God, and He did. "My heart is like wax, it is melted in the midst of my bowels," Psa. 22:14. His was no mere death of a body of flesh and blood, the closing of a life on earth; it was that, but infinitely more than that. It was the peerless God-Man accepting the cup of everlasting punishment—our due—with full sense and measure of what that was, and voluntarily drinking it in obedience of heart, for God's glory and for our deliverance. The altar was "hollow with boards," and the network across it half-way down so that the burning was within it. No mind can measure, no tongue can tell, the full significance of the truth in the cross which such a burning foreshadows.

On the four corners of the network were four rings, through which the two staves were passed, for carrying the altar on the shoulders of the Levites during the journeys of the people. This directly connects the carriers with the network on which the fire lay. Surely this takes us to the way in which, as we travel, we should bear about in our bodies the dying of our Lord Jesus, 2 Cor. 4:10,11, not merely remembering the fact, but applying to ourselves the truth of the judgment of God dealing with Him, and with us in Him, at Calvary.

There were also four horns on the four corners of the altar. These were used in connection with some of the sin offerings, blood being sprinkled on them. This will be considered when examining those sacrifices.

It would seem also that in practice the sacrifices were sometimes bound to these horns, though there is no appointment in the law for such a use of them. Psa. 118:27.

Adonijah found refuge at the horns of the altar, 1 Kings 1:50, an act which appears to mean, "instead of a substitute, I present myself." In his case the unconditional surrender was accepted and he was pardoned. But in the case of Joab, 1 Kings 2:28, who did the same, it was not accepted, for he had presumptuously slain two men with guile, and God had appointed, Ex. 21:14, that such should not be allowed any mercy, "thou shalt take him from mine altar that he may die." He was accordingly put to death.

The measure of the altar was 5 cubits square, and its height was 3 cubits. We have seen the number five in connection with the curtains of the court, that it was the measure of the linen carried by each of the pillars, giving the extent of the responsibility attaching to the pillar. But if we look at our own responsibility and how practically we have met it, is it not true that all our righteousnesses (fine linen) are as filthy rags? Have we not utterly failed to the full extent of our 5 cubits square?

Connect the measure of the altar with this, and then we have a figure of the Lord Jesus bearing the judgment of God, in the strict measure and to the full extent of our sinful failure. Surely it is through righteousness that grace reigns.

The 3 cubits of its vertical measure may be connected with a perfectness Godward, three being connected with the Trinity.

Before leaving the altar, observe Lev. 6:13, "the fire shall ever be burning upon the altar, it shall never go out." It was a permanent expression of the righteous judgment of God in the midst of the camp. But when the Lord Jesus bore that judgment, how marked was the contrast. Then, it was borne once for all, and quelled forever for God and for faith, though it abides for unbelief. Here is a test and evidence of the quality of His blessed person, His infinity, weighed as it were, in the scales against the eternal, and full satisfaction is found. A proper estimate on our part, of His person, would have precluded the idea that punishment was not eternal. Had a limited punishment only been due to us, a less victim would have sufficed to bear it and set us free.

But the word is clear enough, see Matt. 25:46, Heb. 6:2, Mark 3:29, 2 Thess. 1:9, Jude 7, where the original term is the same as is used for "eternal" life in every passage. Also "everlasting" in Jude 6 is the same Greek word as in Rom. 1:20, where it is rendered "eternal." But if eternal judgment is denied, so also must eternal life be denied, and the eternity of God too.

We read in Ex. 20:26, that they were not to go up to God's altar by steps; nothing that might suggest any approach to heathen corruptions, could be allowed. The height of the altar required some provision to enable the priests to lay the offerings "in order upon the wood that is on the fire." This has been often indicated by a slope of earth, put upon the east side towards the court gate.

Lev. 1:16, however, speaks of "the place of the ashes" on the east part, so that any such slope would probably be on the north side, leading direct from the place of killing to the altar. It should be remembered that enterers at the gate had no liberty to go to the altar, it was the exclusive work of the priests alone to put anything upon the fire of the altar.

To sum up the teaching of this first vessel, it gives us in figure:—

The person of the Lord Jesus Christ, as the God-Man; chiefly in the character of the one competent to endure God's righteous wrath; Enduring it with Divine estimate of its extent of nature,—so meeting God upon His throne; Enduring it in the precise measure due to the guilty,—so meeting man in his need also; And, as carried on the march, connecting the believer in his daily life, with the death of the Lord under judgment, so that nothing else than the life of Jesus should be made manifest in his mortal flesh.

Chapter 6.

SACRIFICES

The first seven chapters of Leviticus give to us the chief directions which were to be observed, in sacrificing the various offerings brought to God, by the hand of His worshipping or erring people.

These offerings will be found to prefigure both the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ as a sacrifice. The capable person is especially seen in the meat offerings of chapter 2, while His work in death is not omitted; but in the burnt offerings, peace offerings, and sin offerings, a perfect person is seen, and His sacrificial work portrayed in various aspects, and with details that unfold many of the truths which are included in the cross. The death of an animal is a clear figure of the death of the antitype; but in the subsequent ceremonies with the blood and fat, etc., we get pictured different truths which are comprehended in His one act of death; the ritual appears to be constructed for the purpose of expounding the inclusive nature of the Lord's death. Nor was that death only a righteous ground whereby the grace of pardon could flow out to the guilty; it was the source of incomparable glory to God; and there lay in it a full answer to the inquiry—why did God allow evil to exist at all.

At Calvary God was dealing with the whole question of evil, sins, sin, and their connections and results, so as to clear away every hindrance that stood between His guilty creatures and their eternal blessing; He was laying a foundation in righteousness for the purposes of His infinite love to be so made good in the hearts of sinners, that henceforth they must "joy in God." Rom. 5:11. It was this work of Christ which the Levitical sacrifices prefigured, and by which they are superseded. Psa. 40 and Heb. 10:5-9 tell us this, "He taketh away the first, that He may establish the second.”

The ancient offerings have been variously divided; some have regarded the words "And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying;" as giving the Divine division of them, but as those words are not found between the burnt offering and the meat offering, nor again between the meat offering and the peace offering, they can hardly form a satisfactory division.

In Psa. 40 and Heb. 10, the division is fourfold. In both it is peace offering, and meat offering, and burnt offering, and sin offering; though the order in Leviticus is, chapter 1, the burnt offering, chapter 2, the meat offering, chapter 3, the peace offering, and chapter 4, the sin offering. Some have separated the trespass offering from the sin offering as a fifth division, because of verse 14 in chapter 5. But if so then chapter 6:1 would make a sixth division; and, more important still, there would be no instruction how to deal with a trespass offering, if it were not a sin offering. The few items given, Lev. 7:1-7, are most important, but not enough, until we find one law is to be for both these offerings.

Added to this, in chapter 5, verse 6, the trespass offering is to be brought "for his sin which he hath sinned," "in one of these" (verse 5), and after that it is called a sin offering twice, viz., in verses 11 and 12. It would appear, therefore, that the trespass offering was a true sin offering, but of a special kind, a subdivision rather than a main one. Probably verse 14 is to lay an emphasis on a trespass against Jehovah.

It will be noticed that a consecration offering is a variation of the peace offering in a somewhat similar way.

The Trespass Offering

If we begin with the simplest offering of them all, it will be found in Lev. 5:11-13. It is brought by a person who is "not able to bring" a living victim, even of the smallest value; it is plain, fine, flour, said to be about five pints in measure. A handful of it is to be burned on the brazen altar, and the remainder is the priest's portion. Nothing surely could be simpler than this. The fine flour is doubtless a figure of the person of the Lord Jesus, as it is in the meat offering of chapter 2. But there is no life nor blood, and yet it is clearly said of it, it is a sin offering; the priest makes atonement by it, and "it shall be forgiven him." Is it not a most instructive picture of faith in the person securing forgiveness? The Israelite who brings it, is poor, shadowing for us to-day, one who has no advantages, or perhaps but limited intelligence. The blood-shedding of the Lord is not known, or not comprehended by him, but he owns His person. Christ has been preached to him, or "Jesus.... that he is the Son of God," Acts 9:20, and he trusts Him. As we have said already, only through death could the Lord Jesus become our Savior. Only by His blood-shedding could real atonement be made, but it is not an essential to salvation that a guilty soul should understand even those details of Christ's blessed work, which were essential before God. The great vital question is, Does that soul truly trust the person? Does he own the need of a substitute and that substitute Christ? Then he has from the hand of God all the value of the cross, though he knows so little of what that value includes.

Part of the flour was burned in the fire, expressing the subjection of the Lord to the righteous judgment of God; so that the offering shows God met by Christ, though it goes no further. The principle of substitution is seen in bringing the flour at all, and the burning tells the action of Divine wrath upon the substitute instead of upon the guilty one. So the work is not absent, though its many features are not distinguished. Enough, how blessed is the grace that can so meet the feeblest heart and mind, and that will make forgiveness good to one who believes, only believes, on the Son of God.

But in verses 7-10 of our chapter we have an offerer able to bring two turtledoves or young pigeons; suggesting a person to-day who is able to understand in measure, the need of life for life, as seen in the blood-shedding of a victim.

There is also a distinction between the two birds, one is a sin offering, and speaks of due repair for offense, and the other is a burnt offering, which indicates the acceptance of the offerer's person according to the sweet savor of his sacrifice. These main truths we shall see more fully, presently. Now this offerer carries us clearly to a marked and blessed specialty of grace to-day. Not only does our God forgive, pardon, cleanse, through the blood of Christ, from all guilt, but in addition, He puts all the moral worthiness of Christ as seen in "sweet savor," upon the soul that trusts him. The twofold form of this offering of birds, presents these two features of grace in a marked way. There is, however, a departure from the usual ceremony of chapter 4. in dealing with the blood of this sin offering. Instead of a portion of the blood being sprinkled on the horns of the altar, it is sprinkled on the side of the altar. In chapter 4:25, 30, 34, the sprinkling on the four horns appears to be a fourfold public memorial of accomplished atonement, a record on the symbols of power, held up to view and so beyond question or doubt. But in chapter 5:9 the sprinkling on the side of the altar where it would get dried up and burnt, was not so much a record as it was an owning of the claim of the fire on life. So that this offering, while it is an advance upon the fine flour, is not so emphatic a witness as the lowest of the sin offerings in chapter 4. to known atonement and forgiveness.

In verse 6, the trespasser is to bring his trespass offering, a female lamb or a kid of goats, which is also called a "sin offering," and as no details are given, it may presumably be ranked with the sin offering of chapter 4:28-35. Observe, however, that this use of the terms, trespass and sin offering, groups these together as having a character in common, rather than regards them as two distinct classes. On this point, which some have little heeded, it will be found that in verse 7 it is a combination of sin offering and burnt offering which is appointed for a trespass. Evidently a sinner of the lowest class is meant to know what acceptance is, as well as know forgiveness. Indeed, there is no offering which has not a portion of it burned on the brazen altar (save the statutory offering for purification in Num. 19), whether it have blood or not. So that these figures present to us grace meeting a sinner-every believing sinner, learned or unlearned-with the truth of his personal acceptance in the sweet savor of the substitute, rather than with the bare truth of that righteous repair to God for his sin, which is the ground of forgiveness.

What a presentation is this of the heart of our God.

Of course justice is fully met and perfectly satisfied, but the special witness of the whole range of sacrificial shadows, is not to the satisfaction of justice by blood, but it is to the blessedness of our being taken into God's favor personally, according to the "smell of delight" which He found in the only real offering. The term "sweet savor" in the Old Testament should be everywhere rendered "smell of delight." God's chief joy towards man to-day is to cover a believer with the worthiness of Christ, setting him "in Christ," telling him for now and here below, "as He is, so are we in this world.'

Even on the great Day of Atonement, Lev. 16, incense is carried into the most holy before the blood is, though the bullock is first killed outside to enable Aaron to go in at all.

Would it be possible for a soul that was consciously so enriched of God to have any shadow of doubt or hesitation as to his eternal forgiveness?

Before leaving this chapter, revise the first verse thus: "And if a soul sin, being a witness by sight or knowledge, and is put on oath and does not give his evidence, then he shall bear his iniquity.”

The importance of clearing this passage will be seen by a reference to Matt. 26:62, 63. Our Lord was silent when the high priest simply asked the question; but when the high priest adjured Him, i.e., put Him on oath, the high priest being the power competent to do so at that day, He who ever magnified the law, at once gave answer not merely according to the terms of the question, but according to the knowledge in his own possession. And this was the only thing that could be found by which to bring Him in guilty of death. He, the Blessed One, would rather die than evade the claim of Lev. 5:1, for He well knew the occasion that evil hearts would take, from the statement the oath required Him to make.

When a trespass was committed in the holy things of Jehovah, or in matters of trust with a neighbor, a sacrifice of a ram was appointed in every case, but with a special feature that the harm done was to be fully repaired and a fifth part thereof added thereto. The equivalent for the loss was not sufficient, there is a further fine upon the offender of the additional fifth part.

This is real for us in the work of Christ. Isa. 10, is "when thou shalt make His soul a trespass offering." He was the true trespass offering who, as to the "harm" done; made more than equivalent repair. But Who shall measure the "harm?" and who shall define its "fifth?" All we can do is, bow in the presence of the Infinite, and own in it a double tithe, well rendered to God.

The Sin Offering

In Lev. 4 we have four varieties of sin offering:—

Lev. 4:3-12 describe one for the anointed priest;

Lev. 4:13-21, one for the whole congregation;

Lev. 4:22-26, one for a ruler;

Lev. 4:27-35, those for a common person.

Observe there is no appointment of a sacrifice for a presumptuous person. Ex. 21:14 in a special case, and Num. 15:30-31 in the widest way, forbid willful sin on pain of death, or being utterly cut off.

But for error in ignorance, the appointed sacrifice varies with the position of the sinner.

The ordinary Israelite is to bring a female kid or lamb.

A ruler is to bring a male kid.

The whole congregation, a bullock.

The anointed priest, a bullock.

The more responsible the sinner, the more energy must be found in his substitute.

“One of the common people," having no particular intelligence or advantages, when his sin came to his knowledge, is to bring a female kid or lamb "without blemish," telling us, as in every case, of the Lamb of God "without blemish and without spot.”

Lev. 4:29. He is to lay—"lean"—his hand upon its head, thus expressing his identity with his victim; it is an act which says, I and the goat are one. I am a sinner, and have forfeited my life; I bring a living thing for death instead of myself; this goat is substitute for me. Next, he kills it. Not the priest kills it. The priest's work began when the animal was presented; he must refuse it if it were not "without blemish," but being such, he accepts it on God's behalf as suitable and fit. Then he stands aside for the offerer to kill it. Had it been for himself, his own offering, he would have killed it, killed it as offerer, not as priest. This was the general rule. I, the offerer, kill the goat I bring (when accepted by the priest, Mal. 1:6-8, etc.), having laid my hand upon it to declare it stands as and for myself. There seems a very pointed value to this act; it is more than owning the need of death for atonement, for it is the death of his substitute at the hand of the sinner himself. This is clearly the sinner saying—I take the place of death for myself. It expresses the sinner's own judgment of himself. Now this is the only fitting place for a sinner to-day in the presence of God. Not only has he done wrong, but he, as a source of wrong, must be brought to judgment. This he allows and declares, by himself slaying his own substitute.

It may truly be that few have discerned this, when by God's grace they are brought first to trust in Christ; but the sooner it is learned, the sooner will the soul find what special blessing in new creation is made his.

“In the place of the burnt offering." Connect with this, Lev. 6:10, 11, where we find the ashes of all burnt on the brazen altar were carried outside the camp "unto a clean place;" and Lev. 4:12, where the carcass of the sin offering bullock was burnt at the same spot. Whatever variations of detail are appointed, these two offerings were killed on one spot, and ultimately their ashes mingle outside the camp. They figure one Christ, and one and the same work of death and judgment bearing, while both are "most holy.”

Lev. 4:30. The priest now takes the blood, and puts some on the four horns of the altar, pouring out the rest at the bottom of the altar.

A horn is the symbol of power; four is chiefly the number of completeness on earth through Scripture; it is finite perfectness, somewhat distinct from seven, which is rather infinite and heavenly. Four is more manifest, and seven mystical. Sprinkled blood on the four horns was a complete display above the heads of the people, of the blood that had made atonement for the transgression. It was a public memorial of atonement accomplished. No misgiving or doubt could arise as to this. Specially would the sinner rejoice to see it done; he would know for himself the forgiveness of his guilt, and could refer anyone to that open witness for the evidence up borne on the signs of power, that he had been cleared according to God's appointment. How satisfied and content he would return home.

The counterpart of this is plain; "for if the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the Eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God." The Israelite knew his sin atoned for. Why should believers on Christ be in doubt?

In Heb. 10 the special witness of the Spirit is, "their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." Of old there was the material witness, now it is the divine words for faith to rest upon.

There is a reference to horns on altars in Jer. 17:1, which is connected with this meaning of them; it is the solemn sentence of God upon Judah, when He is about to remove him from his inheritance. Accordingly Judah must no longer turn to the established witness of atonement on the horns, for now at last instead of blood there, his sin is graven upon them. So also in Amos 3:14, when God will "visit the transgressions of Israel upon him".... "the horns of the altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground." No blood of atonement can be displayed, for the sinner is then to bear his own guilt.

But in 2 Sam. 22:3, and Psa. 18:2, David speaks of God as "my shield, and the horn of my salvation;" the term here may be used in the simple figurative sense of power, but if it be not a direct reference to the altar, it gives force to the use of the horn attached to the altar.

The second action of the priest with the blood, is to pour out the bulk of it at the bottom of the altar. The fire is ever burning upon the altar, expressing the consuming judgment of God; it is below that, that the blood is poured. This suggests the blessed truth, that our Lord Jesus Christ laid down his life—blood—under the judgment of God. His death was not merely the surrender of life, but it was in connection with, and as subjecting Himself to, the righteous wrath of God against sin. It was there, on the cross, that God condemned sin in the flesh, and that Christ drank the cup at His Father's hand. Without shedding of blood is no remission, and remission is by His one obedience unto death, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree, i.e., the judgment of them. Only so could God's righteous claims be settled, and His grace flow out. Now the pouring out of the blood below the altar of fire, tells this view of our Lord's work, how it settled all the demands of justice by His bearing judgment.

Then God Is Satisfied

There is the witness for the perfect clearing of the guilty conscience, and the worshipper once purged is to have "no more conscience of sins;" and there is also the perfect clearing of the throne of God, so that He is "just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." "Christ died for the ungodly," and God is He "that justifieth the ungodly," for the laying down of life upon the cross, was the suffering that made Christ perfect as the Captain of salvation as "became" God. Feebly as any one of us grasps this, limited as our powers are to measure it, yet it is true, and God has now set forth Christ "raised for our justification," as He had been "delivered for our offenses.”

Thus far then we see in this offering:—

A victim without blemish-the perfect Christ.

The offerer killing—death fully owned.

Blood on the horns—atonement made and witnessed so that the sinner is cleared.

Blood at the bottom of the altar—life surrendered under judgment so that government is satisfied.

All which is real in Christ to us, but solely through His work on the cross.

Yet so far it is grace working in deliverance; grace working to enrich by gifts bestowed, is still to come. Lev. 4:31 will unfold this.

All the fat and rich growth are to be taken from the carcass and to be burnt by the priest on the altar.

It is in this verse alone that the words, "for a sweet savor,"—strictly, "a smell of delight"—are used with a sin offering. The same action is found with the other sin offerings, and it is similar to the action in Lev. 3:5, where this burning is said to be for a sweet savor, while the technical Hebrew word is the same for both, and is also that used for burning incense.

Thus from the sin offering there rises a smell of delight to God out from the fire. There was at the cross of Christ not only propitiation by blood-shedding, but the sin bearer there was such that He glorified God, honored Him, brought a glory to His throne, and government, and nature, which was the true "smell of delight," even from that terrible place where sins, and sin, and all evil, were dealt with and their judgment executed.

This will come out more fully elsewhere, but it is significant, and blessed too, that the commonest Israelite was clearly told that his kid furnished a sweet savor to God. For he was identified with his substitute. What that substitute was to God, such also he was himself; its value was all reckoned to him, and he had not alone the atonement by its blood and forgiveness accordingly, but he had too all the worth of the smell of delight and stood accepted in it, with the blessing of his Jehovah.

The absence of these words, "sweet savor," from the three former sin offerings in the chapter, has been at times a little severely criticized. But the anointed priest and the ruler may have well been expected to know what a common person might be ignorant of. Does it not rather express God's care for those who have no advantages otherwise? Is it not His grace to the ignorant, the mass at large? Does it not raise a question too in our hearts—shall we preach a gospel of forgiveness only, even to the very lowest class of hearers? Shall we not tell such the riches of Divine love pardoning freely, and at the same time blessing with the fullness of Christ? In no way should we lessen the truth and absoluteness of justification, if we pressed acceptance of the person. Nay, if as instruments we felt our privilege of declaring the latter to the roughest and lowest, must not this carry home still more fully to their hearts what the righteousness of faith is in its completeness, for, otherwise, acceptance could not be?

Anyway, God would not let the truth of acceptance be lacking in the case of the lowest position in Israel. Blessed be His Name. And it rests on us, in view of the full revelation in our hands, to be content with no gospel message in the wretchedest slums civilization produces, which does not tell God's heart by setting out the exceeding riches of His grace, beyond mere deliverance out from, even to deliverance into. It is the striking difference between Israel freed from Pharaoh, Egypt, tasks, and bondage, and Israel put into possession of Canaan to enjoy old corn, grapes, figs, pomegranates and honey, none daring to make them afraid.

At this present time, it is grace dealing through the cross with sins, sin, enmity, and every evil, to deliver the soul from all fear and thrall, while, immeasurably more, it sets the soul "in Christ Jesus," in new creation, in resurrection, for the enjoyment now of "all spiritual blessings in heavenly places," being God's own marvelous response to the infinite smell of delight which rose from Calvary, gilds His throne, rejoices Himself, then, now, and for eternity, which is inexhaustible as it is immeasurable, and produces that joy in God which is the supreme blessedness of any creature of His hand.

In the sacrifice appointed for a ruler we find this difference, that it is a male instead of a female; the greater energy herein expressed meeting the deeper responsibility found in the offerer's position.

In the case of the whole congregation, as well as in that of the anointed priest, a bullock is appointed, the most energetic of all the animals, for responsibility in the fullest way lay upon these offerers.

The anointed priest appears to indicate all the sons, descendants of Aaron. Some have thought the anointing distinctive of Aaron or the high priest, but in view of Ex. 29:7, Lev. 8:12, and 21:10, as contrasted with Ex. 29:21, Lev. 8:30, it would seem that anointing by pouring oil upon the head was distinctive of the high priest, while all priests were anointed by sprinkling.

Before examining the several rites given with the bullock, and which are alike in these two cases, observe that in verse 3 it is said, "If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people." In the three other cases it is said, "sin through ignorance." Again, verses 20, 26, 31, 35, say atonement shall be made, and forgiveness is stated too. Neither of these is expressed for the anointed priest.

This suggests a special meaning to the first sacrifice and offerer, viz., that our Lord Jesus Christ may be seen here in both characters, victim and priest. For the sins laid upon Him were those "of the people," and those exclusively. It was impossible for Him who "knew no sin," to sin even "through ignorance." He voluntarily took the place of sin bearer, and in the language of Psa. 69:5, confesses ours as His; "my sins are not hid from thee." Also when the work of the sacrifice is finished, no "atonement for" is mentioned, nor any "forgiveness." He whose love led Him to take our judgment upon Himself, could not be forgiven, nor could any atonement be made for Him.

In verse 3 it is "a young bullock without blemish,” the perfectness of His person as ever, and in the full energy of life. Brought to "the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before Jehovah," into the immediate presence of God, where He had appointed to meet the people, Ex. 29:42, 43. Only so can guilt be truly dealt with. It is against Him we have sinned; and in His presence, to Himself, sins must be confessed. Not a vague and general acknowledgment of doing or being wrong, but solemnly owning the transgression in detail, and in the light of the grace that is now revealed.

Lev. 4:4. "Lay his hand upon the bullock's head." This action has been a good deal mixed up with Aaron's act on the great Day of Atonement as given in Lev. 16:21. On that day both his hands were laid on the scapegoat's head, and "all the iniquities," "all their transgressions in all their sins," were confessed and put on the goat's head.

But nowhere else is this appointed to be done. It is the same Hebrew word for "lay" as in Deut. 34:9, where Moses laid his hands on Joshua; and as in Num. 8:10, where the Israelites laid their hands on the Levites, expressing fellowship or identity for special service in each case.

So with the offerer and his sacrifice; he not only brings the animal, presents it for acceptance by the priest, and thereby owns he has transgressed, but he also identifies himself with it, and declares by leaning his hand upon it, this bullock stands as, and for himself.

He then kills the bullock before Jehovah. The term rendered "kill" or "slay" throughout this connection is allied with the thought of shedding its blood, indicating the manner of death in its essential point.

Lev. 4:6. The priest then takes the blood into the holy, and sprinkles some before the veil seven times. There appears to be no reference elsewhere to this action, but as it was the nearest point of ordinary approach to God for the priest, where he might hear the voice speaking to him from off the mercy seat, (Num. 7:89, Ex. 25:22), it is probable that it was for restoration of the priest to communion which his sin had interrupted.

Further, he was to put some upon the horns of the golden altar. For a ruler or common person we have seen that the sprinkling was upon the horns of the brazen altar in "holy place." There, such an one could come and see it; here in "the holy," the priest continually came in the course of his service; and so each offerer would find the full record of the atonement made for his guilt whenever he drew nigh. What confidence this would give. What confidence is ours, "full assurance of faith" as we draw near, aye, and abide near.

Finally, with the blood, all the rest is to be poured out "at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering." Below, as we have seen, the fire, even as our Lord laid His life down under God's judgment for sin.

Lev. 8, 9, 10 give the burning of the fat upon the brazen altar. This was done in every sin offering, and tells the sweet savor of Christ to God, which is the measure of our acceptance by Him, Lev. 17:6.

Lev. 4:11, 12, 21, give an important variation from the ruler and common person's sin offering. The bullock itself was burnt outside the camp. This is specially referred to in chapter 6:30, where the law of the sin offering is found. If the blood were fully dealt with in "holy place" at the brazen altar, then the priest who had officiated was to have the carcass for his own eating; but if the blood had been taken in to "the holy," and put on the horns of the golden altar, the carcass was not to be eaten, but burnt outside the camp. Clearly, to eat would be to assimilate to himself, which would be a contradiction if the sacrifice were for his own sin; but the priest could consume another's offering, and in doing so would express the final removal, probably, of the guilt it had suffered for. But when the priest's own guilt was in question, then the carcass is burnt, by a term which means to utterly destroy, outside the camp.

Much more, however, may be seen in this action. The blood shedding made propitiation for sins committed; "it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul," Lev. 17:11, but this special action of utterly destroying the carcass, is a forcible picture of God's dealing with the "body of sin." We read in Rom. 6:6, "knowing this, that our old man has been crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed" (annulled), "that henceforth we should not serve sin." It brings before us the marked difference between what I am, and what I do. What I do may be atoned for, and forgiveness bestowed, i.e., for sins, but sins could not be crucified. On the other hand, what I am could not be forgiven nor itself atoned for; forgiveness does not apply to a nature. "The carnal mind is enmity against God," Rom. 8:7, and that cannot be forgiven; but it must be dealt with in some way by God, for the clearing of His creation from it (ultimately "to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself," Heb. 9:26), and also for our deliverance from its power now, until the full result of the cross is accomplished. What I am is the living source of what I do, and I need as much to be set free from its energy and rule, as I do to be set free from the judgment of my sins. Nay, if the sins be all forgiven, I still am left, able only to produce more unless a further provision is made. This further provision was made at the cross, where "God, sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin" (not here sins), "condemned sin in the flesh." It is well to remark that though a single sin may be spoken of, yet sin in the New Testament commonly refers to the nature, and sins to acts. And so using this singular and plural, it would be strictly true, if sharp, to say God never forgives sin, but He judged it at the cross; while also we have the forgiveness of sins through the same sacrifice. In the several passages in the New Testament which refer to this judgment of sin, the past tense should have been employed, thus:

Rom. 6: 2, we that have died to sin.

“ “ 4, we were buried.

„ „ 6, has been crucified.

„ „ 8, if we have died.

Rom. 7: 6, having died in that wherein we were held.

Gal. 2: 19, have died to the law.

“ 20, I have been crucified.

Col. 2: 20, if ye have died with Christ.

“ 3: 3, For ye have died.

All these passages refer to the past fact in the work of Christ which grace makes ours now. But the present tense in our language carries another thought also, viz.:—that we are now dead, in a dead condition at this time so far as the "old man" is concerned. This is not so, for still "the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other, so that ye should not do the things that ye would," Gal. 5:17.

It has been pleaded specially as to Gal. 2:20, that the Greek perfect tense is there used which carries the continuance of the action on to the present time. True, thank God, He does see, not only that act at the cross most real for us then, but also sees us to-day with that truth of death and judgment to the old man in us most real. It is His blessed view of us as now in Christ; just as He could say in Num. 23:21, "He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath He seen perverseness in Israel," though their iniquity and perverseness had been amazing.

So faith now in us stands on God's side, and rejoices that the judgment of death was executed on sin in the flesh at our Lord's crucifixion, and rejoices, too, that God sees this real as to every believer, and real to him in permanence (as the Greek perfect carries) though the old man is not dead, or we should not need to "reckon" it so.

On this solemn and important question, faith sees ourselves as God sees us, and is delighted. Faith is only too glad to discern the blessed provision made, "that henceforth we should not serve sin," Rom. 6:6, and is equally glad to apply the past fact of Calvary, and in the language of verse 11, say—"Likewise reckon ye also yourselves dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus," (lit.). So that the Christian path is one of faith, applying to practice perpetually the cross of Christ, "always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body," 2 Cor. 4:10.

Did we but make this application faithfully, and truly treat ourselves as dead to sin, how the life of Christ would be made manifest in us, and Christ "be magnified," Phil. 1:20.

Yet a further grace and privilege are connected in Heb. 13:11, 12, 13, with this part of the sacrifice of the bullock.

“For the bodies of those beasts whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp, wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate, let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach." We here learn that the fulfillment of the type in its burning outside the camp, is found in the fact that our Lord suffered outside the gate of Jerusalem. This too, was for the purpose of sanctifying (separating) the people with His own blood. This is distinct from making atonement by blood shedding, it is the identification of His own (bought by blood truly) with Himself, the place of his suffering becoming their place too, no longer in the "holy city," but outside it with Him. It was no part of God's mind to purge Jerusalem and restore it, its iniquity was too great. The blood of Christ shed in it would have had power to purge it; but no, He separated Himself from it by going outside, leaving it to its judgment, and those who should get the value of His shed blood would be separated (sanctified) from it too.

It was Golgotha to which He went, "skull place," a contemptuous term, so known at large, and the Spirit of God points this out to us, claiming our fellowship with our Lord there. It is outside the camp-the place on which Satan and the flesh have put a religious stamp. It is outside the camp in which the popular vote was "Not this man but Barabbas, now Barabbas was a robber." (Yet to-day men say, "Vox populi, vox Dei." i.e., the voice of the people is the voice of God. Is that true?)

It is outside the camp, it is the place of reproach. For the world by wisdom knew not God, and crucified the Lord of glory there, putting Him to open shame.'

Anticipatively, Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ, and Paul could take pleasure in reproaches for Christ's sake, and the privilege is ours to take the same place with him, now at the hand of the world. Are we glad to accept His despised position as our own? He "endured the cross, despising the shame"; let the same mind be in us that was also in Him.

Vers. 12, "Where the ashes are poured out,"—this is repeated in the verse,—"shall he be burnt." Lev. 6:11 shows that this was where the daily ashes from the brazen altar were put by the priest. However distinct in certain respects the various sacrifices were, and especially the burnt offering from the sin offering, still there were points in common, and at the last they are found in their ashes together in a clean place, but outside man's characteristic sphere.

Observe that the skin and the inwards unwashed, are to be included in this burning; a contrast with the burnt offering which will be best seen after considering that sacrifice in chapter 1.

Thus far, we have had before us prefigured in the sin offering:—

The perfect person of our Lord Jesus.

The identification of the believer with Him as substitute.

The believer's acceptance of death for himself as his own proper due.

The blood shedding of Christ, the ground of restoration to communion.

The atonement made by that blood shedding for the believer's sins, publicly witnessed, and known to the soul.

The full satisfaction that blood shedding has made for guilt, to the throne and government of God.

The sweet savor of Christ the measure of the believer's acceptance.

And, lastly, the judgment of sin in its nature, for the believer's deliverance from its power, and separation from the sphere of its rule.

Some of these truths are shown in other offerings as well as in this one, as we shall see; but the main feature of this offering is that of atonement made for transgressions, and testified to the offerer. In the grace of to-day, since the cross, it is part of the birthright of every believer to live and abide in the full sense of his personal forgiveness, through the blood of Christ alone, once purged he is to have no more conscience of sins, no more fear that they will ever be imputed to him.

What a grace, this, to the weary and sin-laden.

Chapter 7.

THE PEACE OFFERING

The peace offering in Lev. 3 may be regarded as one of the consequences flowing out from what we have seen in the sin offering.

It is not brought on account of any trespass, and no forgiveness is connected with it, nor is it said to make atonement. It may be male or female, of the flock or of the herd, but in all cases "without blemish." The offerer leans his hands upon it and kills it, it is his substitute and it dies. The priest sprinkles "the blood upon the altar round about," suggesting the surrender of life to God and to His judgment, rather than any special witness as on the horns. The fire would dry or burn it up but nothing is said further about it. The chief action is the burning by the priest of the several parts of the inwards upon the fire of the brazen altar. This in verse 11 is called "the food of the offering," or "bread" of the offering; just as we find in Ezek. 44:7, "when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood." This was Jehovah's express portion for a sweet savor to Himself out of the fire. In Lev. 7:11-21 and 28-36, we have "the law" of this offering, appointing, verse 30, that the offerer is to bring the portions that are' to be burnt, with his own hands to the altar. This is special to the peace offering. He is not to put these on the altar, the priest must do that, but bring them to it. It is the nearest approach for the Israelite (not a priest) to God. The priest who is acting is to have the right shoulder as a heave offering for himself and for his family, to eat, as their portion from God, Num. 18:9. The breast was to be given to Aaron and his sons, i.e., to the priests at large; the remainder belonged to the offerer, for himself and for his household.

Thus the carcass was divided into four parts, the first was God's "food," a smell of delight to Him from the fire; the officiating priest had another, the shoulder; the priestly family another, the breast; and the rest the offerer took for food. In chapter 17., no one was to kill any animal or bird, without bringing it to the door of the tabernacle, and making a peace offering of it; so that we find all flesh for Israel's food was to be dealt with as a peace offering, and then that, as such, the fire ate God's "food" from it, and the priests, the priest, and the offerer, each had his portion, and so all ate together of one carcass, including even God Himself by His fire.

No deeper expression of communion can be found in types. Throughout Israel's camp all their meat was to be directly connected with the tabernacle, and with their Jehovah, it could only be eaten in communion with Him. Had they been faithful to this, what a scene their camp would have presented, the whole nation not only eating nothing common or unclean, but all eating in fellowship together, and with Jehovah and His altar.

John tells us of Christ, "that which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ," 1 John 1:3. Our Lord Himself says, "Except ye eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, ye have no life in yourselves," John 6:53, and he explains in verse 35, what that eating and drinking are, "he that cometh to Me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst." Come then, and believe, and that shall be your soul eating and drinking unto life. In verses 56 and 57 our Lord speaks of continuing this eating and drinking for the maintenance, in joy and power, of the life received.

Surely this is the truth of the peace offering in Israel. We feed on Him in death, and have life; and all along the journey here feed still on Him, believing all our God has revealed about Him, and nourishing our hearts from His fullness, so that our life becomes in practice the expression again of His.

What communion this is. In the enjoyment of assured forgiveness, growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is, 2 Cor. 3:18 (lit.), "For we all beholding the glory of the Lord, face unveiled, are transfigured into the same image from glory to glory," for His unveiled face in glory is the first fruit to Himself on high of the travail of His soul in death.

As we look on Him in resurrection, we gladly own Him once in death, and feed upon His flesh, His blood, with all that that includes and involves to us (for, in the figure, we leant our hand upon the victim's head), and the blessed communion grows clearer and stronger and brighter, more joyous and free, yet reverent, every day, until the "little while" shall have all passed by. That is true Christian living. Life is by Him, and its vigor can only be kept up by Him, the true peace offering, feeding and nourishing us continually.

Chapter 8.

Lev. 2—THE MEAT OFFERING

It is when forgiveness is known, and communion of heart is enjoyed with God, that He will unfold more and more concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

This will be found in the meat offering with its variations.

Since our authorized version was made, the term meat has become restricted to flesh food, instead of including all food, and this has made a change desirable for the name of this offering. It was chiefly of fine flour, so that meal offering would be a much more correct title by which to express it.

Four kinds of meal offering are described. The first is of fine flour, oil and frankincense, not baked.

The second is baked in the oven, and either mingled with oil, or anointed with oil.

The third is baked in a pan with oil poured on it. The fourth is baked in the frying pan.

In each case a part is taken out as a memorial and burnt upon the brazen altar, a sweet savor unto Jehovah.

No transgression is connected with this offering, nor is any reference made to atonement in describing it; neither is life or blood in it.

But in the fine flour itself may be seen the person of the Lord Jesus figured in the perfect evenness of the material; nothing rough or gritty, but all equable and smooth, like a character having no prominent points, or specialties, or developments; even as in Christ, all graces were in equal power and no feature preponderated above another. Contrast this with any son of Adam, and at once we own how we value and estimate a fellow man according to his particular ability in any desired direction. We cultivate our strong points, and are valued accordingly. In the Lord Jesus, no such strong points are seen, and the nature of fine flour tells the perfect balance in Him of all the capacities and graces which were essentially His. It is not the activity of His life in its expressions towards others, so much as it is the even harmony of all His characteristics. It is what He was in Himself quite apart from anything that flowed out from Him, though all outflow must correspond with its source.

It recalls the description of love in 1 Cor. 13, no one of its 15 items is objective, but all are subjective, —what love in itself is, not what love accomplishes for others.

The absence from the flour of any special feature is the index of general perfectness; but there is to be added to the flour, oil poured on it. This is the constant figure of the Spirit of God in power; and it here foreshadows the anointing of the Lord by the Spirit for His work. Acts 10:38. "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power," and Matt. 12:28, "If I cast out devils by the Spirit of God." For, at his baptism, the Holy Spirit like a dove descended upon Him, and then by the Spirit He was led into the wilderness.

Frankincense also was put upon the flour. A fragrant spice in itself, expressing here the moral worthiness of the Son of God and Son of man. No New Testament verse speaks of this, but it suggests the sweet savor of His life to God; "for I do always those things that please Him," John 8:29. It was a spice that gave off a perfume as it lay exposed, so that it contrasts with the subjective character of the flour, and speaks rather of the objective beauty of the Lord, that was precious to God, as well as discerned in measure by all about Him.

Thus we have in the type:—First, what the Lord in Himself was; Second, the Holy Spirit His power for His service; Third, the "smell of delight" that ever rose from Him to God.

The memorial burnt carries us to the cross and the fire of Divine judgment. Only Christ could suitably bear that judgment; such a Christ could.

In verse 4, the meal offering was to be baked in the oven. This was an exposure to the action of fire, but not for burning. The oven shuts off from the strongest action of fire, and this form of applying fire suggests the testing of Divine judgment in a modified way.

There is also a double mode of using the oil in verse 4. "Mingled with oil" is surely seen in the, power of the Holy Spirit at our Lord's birth, distinguished from the anointing at His baptism.

In verse 5, the meal offering might be baked in a pan. This would be more directly exposed to the fire than it would be in an oven; signifying a severer testing than in the former case. This too was to be parted in pieces and oil poured thereon; indicating the Spirit of God animating the whole Christ in detail.

In verse 7, the meal offering might be baked in the frying pan. If the Septuagint may help us to distinguish between these two latter ones, then the last was baked on the hearth without the intervention of any form of vessel. It has been said, on what authority I cannot find, that "frying pan" should be “gridiron." It certainly seems that a different degree of action by fire is meant in the three ways of baking; i.e. a subdued or covert testing, as in the oven; a more direct and severer testing as on the pan; and severer still by the baking upon the hearth itself.

How real was all this in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The baking in the oven, testing in a covert way, may be seen at His baptism, when John says to Him, "I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me?" But Jesus answers, "Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness”

Matt. 3:14, 15. He could not be drawn aside, even by a plausible reason, from the fulfillment of righteousness.

When Satan is permitted to tempt Him in the wilderness, there is a direct presentation of evil which is more analogous to the exposure on the pan, Matt. 4

But it only brings out His perfect obedience to the written Word. And the quotations our Lord makes are all from Deuteronomy, which is that mingling of grace and faith with law (after Israel had broken the law), by which alone they could be carried into Canaan, and on which ground they then stood before God.

In the garden of Gethsemane, our Lord accepted the severest testing recorded. As on the hearth, all but in the fire; "If it be possible, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt." It was the anticipation of the cross with its judgment and shame, but the fine flour afforded no occasion of reproach, though the "great drops of blood" tell what the pressure upon Him was. Luke 22:41-44 are probably the most striking evidence of the perfectness of His humanity; the approaching "hour and the power of darkness," the cup He would take from His Father, as made sin, and bearing sins, all could only be intensely repugnant beyond our ability to measure, to the pure, the holy, the undefiled Lamb of God.

Lev. 2:8-9 require for the three baked forms of the meal offering, that a memorial be burnt on the altar as in the unbaked form of verse 2. Tested, more tested, most tested, all the testing only resulted in manifesting the infinite fitness of the Victim to finish the work God gave Him to do, the work of propitiation on the cross itself.

Knowing our forgiveness, and in communion with our God, we are taken into His thoughts of His Son, to discern with Himself that peerless worth which is the more clearly seen as it is the more deeply tried, and which, when submitted to final judgment, rose to God an immeasurable "smell of delight" forever.

We find next a most solemn caution lest we put anything else on the same level of worth. There is nothing that is so, or that approaches it. Christ stood, and stands, forever alone in this respect. True we on earth value that which suits us whatever its form. Jonathan's love was very precious to David, and rightly so, 2 Sam. 1:26; but this must not mislead us into an undue use of earth's richest supply. This is what honey appears to stand for, the sweetness of nature; "what is sweeter than honey?" Samson asks. Natural sweetness is very pleasant to natural taste, but we have to remember that it is only natural after all, and cannot become a sweet savor to God. Nothing of the first Adam suits Him, it must be prohibited therefore from being burnt on His altar. The very world is crucified to us, and we to it,-burnt outside the camp, not on the brazen altar, each of which is a truth of the cross of Christ. The very best from man cannot be allowed on the altar.

Leaven on the other hand expresses the corruption and evil of nature, and so nothing made with it was to be brought to Jehovah to be put on His altar. All burnt on that altar was a sweet savor to Him and leaven could not possibly become that. That which figured Christ, in one aspect or another, could alone be burnt there.

How often we have failed to discern this; how often, Cain fashion, have we acted on our own thoughts of sweetness and fitness, instead of getting God's thoughts of all the scene, and of Christ too.

The oblation of the firstfruits in verse 12 appears to refer to chapter 23:17, where leaven was to be baked in the two tenth deals of fine flour, the first fruits unto Jehovah. These two wave loaves were to be offered to Jehovah as a new meal offering, but they were not to be burnt upon the altar, i.e., offered up.

It may be well to observe here the difference between offering to, and offering up. A transgressor or a worshipper was to bring his sacrifice, bullock, goat, etc., and it was presented, brought, or offered to Jehovah for His acceptance of it by His priest, if fit, that is, if without blemish. This was of first consequence. Then, if accepted, it could be killed and offered up upon the altar. A most striking correspondence to this is seen in the New Testament. We read of our Lord Jesus, "Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God," Heb. 9:14. It is the distinctive term for this which is here used, there being two technical words both in the Hebrew and in the Greek languages, for these two actions, the offering to, and the offering up. We further read, "this He did once for all, when He offered up Himself," Heb. 7:27.

If I rightly understand these two passages, the former one acquaints us with the most stupendous tribute to the throne, the government, the majesty of God, that ever was, or could be paid. It tells how He who had taken the form of a servant, and was now humbling Himself to the death of the cross as a victim for sin, presented Himself by the Holy eternal Spirit to God, as worthy to undergo God's judgment, and make expiation on behalf of others, such as Divine justice could accept. Strictly, it was not a question between the Father and the eternal Son; but it was a deep and solemn question between "the seed of David," "God manifest in flesh," and the majesty of the high and lofty One who was aggrieved by the sin of man. Not that in His case there could arise any possibility of doubt, but the formal act of submission prior to sacrifice is revealed to us in this verse, unfolding to us that the voluntary Sin Bearer, however conscious of His own perfection, would acknowledge to the full the title and claims of the Creator, in the stead of whose creatures He would suffer. Having undertaken the work of atonement and redemption, and being "made of a woman" for this purpose, He would fulfill all righteousness, and render every homage to the supremacy of God.

Notice further as to the "offering up." At the brazen altar this was reserved to the priests as part of their exclusive functions, and it was done upon the altars only. So, when our Lord "offered up Himself" it was the one great act of self-sacrifice upon the cross. He is alike the Sacrifice and the Priest. He is declared to be priest on the cross in chapter 7:27, and also in chapter 10:12, where the word "man" should be omitted. Christ is here contrasted with "every" in verse 11. "Every priest standeth, etc.," "but this one"... "sat down. His priestly work in offering up Himself is over forever; in it on the cross He was a "faithful high priest in things pertaining to God to make propitiation for the sins of the people," Heb. 2:17. It will be remembered that our Lord describes the death He should die as "lifted up from the earth," He died strictly, not on the ground, but in the first heaven; so that Heb. 8:4 is in full force while we speak of His priesthood on the cross.

Another widely spread contention may be noticed here respecting "offering for acceptance" as the phrase is used.

The present practice of so-called Eucharistic ceremonial has been asserted necessary for every soul; that is, the presenting of Christ, in the bread and wine, to God on behalf of "communicants;" this being regarded and spoken of as "offering Him for acceptance." I quote words used to myself.

Now we have seen how "offering to" was necessarily before death, that the victim's fitness might be first owned by the priest on God's behalf; then, being accepted, it was killed and offered up, burnt, wholly or in part, upon the altar. After an Israelite and the priest had done all this, it would not be possible to again offer that animal for acceptance. After the burning, it could not be seen whether it were "without blemish" or not.

With the deepest reverence we may earnestly ask, "Is it not eternally too late now to offer Christ for acceptance?" Nay more, does not the idea itself impugn and disparage the reality of the accomplished sacrifice on Calvary? Christ has died to sin once, and “being raised from among the dead, dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over Him" Rom. 6:9. If so, and it is usually owned that He cannot die again, neither can He be offered for acceptance, which must precede death, and be done with a view to death.

Returning now to the oblation of first fruits, they were to be offered to, but not to be offered up. The presence of the leaven in these wave loaves was probably the reason of this. There is a significance in the unusual words—"Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves." Do they not suggest the representative character of the loaves as being of and for people, rather than Christ who had already been in this connection the "wave sheaf?" In that case, the Church of God, formed 50 days after the true Wave Sheaf had risen, will be clearly seen with the leaven (evil of nature) there, but baked, judged by the fire. Only so could it be tolerated before God; but even so it could not be burnt for a smell of delight, it would be incapable of furnishing that, baked or unbaked.

On the contrary, the next verse, chap. 2:13, tells us salt must be offered with every meal offering, and indeed with every sacrifice. Now salt preserves from corruption; both the corrupt is excluded, and a safeguard against the arising of corruption is introduced.

Is not the very salt itself a figure of Christ in this same aspect? What is the force of "a covenant of salt" Num. 18:19, and 2 Chron. 13:5? Is it Christ who is the yea and amen of all the promises of God? 2 Cor. 1:20. There would be some other way in which Israel of old understood the term, but whatever that was, Christ is out salt forever.

Once more in the close of Lev. 2 we have a meal offering from green ears of corn dried by the fire. Christ surely in the full energy of life, tested by the drying fire, the usual oil and frankincense, and afterward a portion burnt on the altar.

How the Spirit of God has labored to portray the quality of that blessed Person who alone could work redemption.

Even aged Paul, in Phil. 3:10, after many years of communion and service, writes, "that I may know Him." He had long known Him, but the more he knew, the more he wanted still to know of that fullness which was inexhaustible.

Before leaving the meal offering, notice that in Lev. 6:19-23 there is a special appointment for the priests of a daily meal offering, corresponding to the daily lamb, night and morning, for the nation at large. It is instructive to see a bloodless offering assigned to them; they should well know the power of the blood-shedding at their consecration, and thenceforth it is the person of the Lord Jesus that should abide their life-object; they occupied with Him in His personal character, who became an entire sweet savor to God upon the altar.

Chapter 9.

THE BURNT OFFERING

Lev. 1. As forgiven, in communion, and with some idea of the perfection of Christ, we can now turn to the highest sacrifice of all, the burnt offering.

It is the first in the order in which the sacrifices are written out for us, and it will be usually found in such series, that our God begins with that which best suits Himself; the last of a series being that which meets us in our thoughts and need.

The distinctive feature of the burnt offering was that it was wholly burned on the brazen altar for a sweet savor to God. God glorified by Christ on the cross is the great truth expressed. It might be by a bullock, goat, sheep, or bird, the differences between these probably corresponding to the varying energy of the offerers, as well as the result of their respective circumstances of wealth or poverty. But the ground upon which the burnt offering was killed is not at first clear. The sin offering was killed to make propitiation for a transgression; the peace offering was killed to bring in communion by eating His flesh and drinking His blood, first for life, and then for maintenance; the burnt offering is killed for the person of the offerer, as Christ "made sin" on his behalf. It is God's side of the truth which we have seen connected with the burning of destruction of the sin offering bullock. There, it was that the body of sin might be annulled; here it goes further, and, while the judgment of sin (not sins) is figured, it shows the one grand truth of sweet savor resulting from "made sin.”

In verse 3 it would be better to read, "he shall offer it for his acceptance at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation," the same term being so rendered in the next verse, "and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him." On the expression "to make atonement for him," much difficulty has been felt, since atonement, as we have before seen, does not apply to a nature, for an evil nature must be ended in judgment. There is, however, a clear value for these words. The very existence of a rebellious nature reflects back on the government that permits it; it is, if allowed to continue in free action un-judged, a slur on the administration. Such is man in Adam, and God forbore with him only in view of the cross. When Christ however takes up the whole question of evil and accepts its judgment in death, He there makes atonement, not for the nature itself, but for the dishonor that the mere fact of its existence is to the righteousness and holiness of the throne of God.

This must be carefully distinguished from the idea of making propitiation for the nature itself, for nothing could be a moral equivalent for free enmity. But repair is possible for the temporary permission of evil to exist.

It is in this latter way only that verse 4 can be understood. But then, what an understanding it is.

“It shall be accepted for him, to make an atonement for him:" more accurately perhaps, concerning him, concerning the person, not as propitiation for the nature, but to make righteous repair for allowing it to continue at all.

The offerer's own person could never be acceptable in itself; but the true Burnt Offering, when He should take the place of judgment, would be so infinitely acceptable in Himself (chap. 2. displays that) that He would transcend and eclipse all the evil of sin, and from the fire that judged it, would become an inexhaustible sweet savor to God. That is the distinctive truth of this sacrifice.

Christ "made sin," and bearing its judgment, becomes to God wholly a "smell of delight.”

What a vindication of the Eternal Majesty from the reproach that the allowed existence of evil would otherwise be.

The details of the sacrifice show what guard is set round this truth. The offerer kills, and the priests sprinkle the blood round about on the brazen altar.

The offerer takes off the skin, and divides the carcass into its parts or pieces, which the priests lay upon the wood that they have freshly put on the altar fire. But the inwards are to be washed; no trace of unassimilated food can be allowed on the fire, for it could not make sweet savor. Also the legs are to be washed; nothing that was not the animal itself could be burned now. Only Christ, purely Christ's own person, could surmount being made sin, and produce "smell of delight" to God, glorifying Him.

But this Christ did. The offensive nature was before God, and must be dealt with; it was a stain upon His fair creation. But all creation was formed for God's glory, and if a defilement had been suffered to come in, it must in every form be purged out, and repair be made for even its sufferance. All was accomplished at the cross that was needed to maintain righteousness, preserve holiness, and, yet more, to accredit Infinite Majesty with glory.

When the God-Man Sufferer wrought His final work He shed His precious blood in propitiation for sins; He accepted also the place of evil, and was "made sin," suffered the condemnation of sin in the flesh (Rom. 8:3), and then, immeasurably greater still, Himself in sweet savor rose from Calvary to the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a tribute of infinite glory, an exhaustless smell of delight, to "the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords ... . to whom be honor and power everlasting.”

Judicially, there then remained for God no sin; He, Christ, made an end of sin, but in the place of it there was the eternal sweetness of Christ.

Of course sin still is, but using words in the Divine way, the cross was "the end of the world," Heb. 9:26, as the deluge was "the end of all flesh," Gen. 6:13. The actual end has yet to come, but the work by which it will be put away is finished; the application to the full of that work is future.

Surely this is the climax of the work of the cross, as seen in these sacrifices.

Christ, the sin offering, made propitiation for sins in the shedding of His blood; Christ, the peace offering, is our food both for life and for its maintenance in enjoyed communion; Christ, the meal offering, is our one absorbing object, to know, to love, and to live in, the perfectness of His person.

Christ, the burnt offering, is the One who wrought glory to God, in place of the sin and evil which He quelled forever.

Now all this blessed work is by grace to-day made good to each and every believer.

The believer in Christ has, and is to know, the present forgiveness of his sins; he has life now, eating His flesh and drinking His blood, and is also maintained in the full energy of life in the same way; he receives, too, from the fullness of Christ grace upon grace, as the beauty of the Lord ravishes his heart, so knowing Him better and better every day; lastly, he is accepted in the sweet savor of Him who perfectly glorified God.

A more utter and total change in a soul's position cannot be conceived; but it is the gift of God to faith.

It is the stupendous blessing and grace of being perfected forever by the One Offering, and abiding eternally before God in that perfectness.

A striking picture of what the result of this should be in our lives yet remains to be noticed.

Lev. 1:6 tells us the burnt offering bullock was to be flayed, and chapter 7:8 adds that the skin was to be the portion of the priest who officiated at the altar.

This is in contrast with the appointment made in chapter 4:11, 12, where we have seen the sin offering bullock was to be burnt utterly outside the camp. The skin of this one is expressly named for the burning.

Why this difference? And what is the skin to us? The skin of an animal is that by which it is seen and known, and as the bullock stands for the sinner who offers it, its skin will at once suggest the manner and style of life by which he has been seen and known hitherto. But in this feature of burning the carcass, Christ is shown accepting the final judgment of the man. Then let the believer accept for himself the full truth of that judgment on his own behalf, and see all his ways of past life judged, burnt, and put away finally; let him apply this to his path now, putting off the old man in practice, daily judging it, as God saw it judged in Christ. Let his "skin" be burnt.

What then are we to see? How are we to show ourselves? It is found in the burnt offering. In this case, we are brought into Christ's position; God's estimate of Christ is shown in the final sweet savor of this sacrifice, in which He has accepted us, making us too, the priests of to-day, worshippers in spirit and in truth. But this offering's skin is preserved for the priest's own portion and use, and it is the outward expression by which the blessed Glorifier of God was, in figure, known. It is reserved for the believer in the four Gospels, i.e., how He was known and recognized when here. Then let us wear that skin, it is given us for the purpose that we should follow in His steps. Reckon our old style of life judged, burnt utterly; and now, the life we live in the flesh, let it be by faith on the Son of God, so that we reproduce Him, as we gaze on Him, and enjoy the precious privilege of acceptance "in the Beloved.”

Chapter 10.

THE NEW POSITION

Return now to our diagram on page 8, where B is the place of a sinner standing in view of the altar and its sacrifices, i.e., Christ and His work in death.

Faith on Him gives the believer all the value of His work.

We have looked at the chief features of that work which are foreshown in the sacrifices; and now, assuming that the sinner has believed through grace, he is set by God on the other side of the brazen altar, carried, as it were, in Christ, through the altar, the cross, and receiving all the blessings that God gives out of the love of his heart. He stands now at C.

Contrast B and C carefully.

At B he is guilty, Rom. 3:19.

“ C „ forgiven, Col. 2:13.

“ B „ an enemy, "alienated," Col. 1:21.

“ C „ a friend, "reconciled," Rom. 5:10.

“ B „ a child of wrath, Eph. 2:3.

“ C „ a child of God, Gal. 3:26.

“ B „ dead in trespasses and sins, Eph. 2:1.

“ C „ passed from death unto life, John 5:24.

“ B the judgment is before him, John 3:18.

“ C „ behind his back forever,

Rom. 8:1.

“ B he has no hope, Eph. 2:12.

“ C he is looking for that blessed hope, Titus 2:13.

“ B a stranger and a foreigner, Eph. 2:19.

“ C a fellow citizen with the saints, Eph. 2:19.

“ B in Adam, 1 Cor. 15:22. „ C in Christ, Eph. 1:3.

“ B in the flesh, Rom. 8:9.

“ C in the spirit, Rom. 8:9.

“ B servant of sin. Rom. 6:17. „

“ C servant of righteousness, Rom. 6:18.

“ B a sinner, 1 Tim. 1:15.

“ C a saint, Eph. 1:1.

Could the terms of the revelation be more precise? Could the contrast be greater?

It is the full difference between curse and blessing, condemnation and acceptance, banishment and communion, darkness and light, shame and glory, death and life, hell and heaven.

Reader, are you at B or at C?

Great difficulty has been felt by many in seeing the full consistency of this absolute and unalterable change with one or two passages in the New Testament. This appears too important to be left unnoticed.

The chief passages are-1 Cor. 9:27; 2 Cor. 13:3-5; Heb. 6:4-6; 10:29; 2 Peter 2:20-22, which we will look at separately.

1 Cor. 9:27. "Lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." The apostle in the 26th verse has just said, he did not run uncertainly, nor fight as one that beateth the air. He could not mean to deny this by the term "castaway," which is more literally "dishonored," but he could consistently mean, lest I fail to get the prize, though sure to run right through.

2 Cor. 13:3-5. The apostle here is meeting those who tried to throw doubt on his apostleship; and he says, "Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me ... . examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves." He knew they had no doubt about themselves, and they were the proof of Christ speaking in him. Instead of throwing doubt on irrevocable grace by instituting constant self-examination, the point of his words lies in their ability at any moment to reflect, "well, we are Christians, so Christ must have spoken by him.”

Heb. 6:4-6 is true of one at B, not of one at C. At B a soul is "once enlightened," for there it is that the light of the truth reaches him; he is in it. He has "tasted the heavenly gift," heard the gospel of Christ as distinguished from the "carnal ordinances." He has been "made partaker of the Holy Ghost," not indwelt by the Spirit. The first work of the Spirit in John 16:8, is "He will reprove the world of sin." He may be resisted in this, as Stephen witnesses to the Jews in Acts 7:51—"Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost; as your fathers did, so do ye." So today, multitudes partake of the Holy Spirit in His blessed first work of conviction of sin, who are standing at B, but who are not yet indwelt by Him. He has also "tasted the good word of God," bible in hand, "and the powers of the world to come," the witness of miracles. All is true at B. And then most solemn is the warning, if such shall "fall away," if they turn their back finally on the altar—how long they may, through grace stand there, and listen, is not said—it is impossible to renew them again to repentance. They had judged themselves and their ways wrong up to a certain measure, but if they at last repudiate all the witness given here at B, there is no hope for them left. God Himself has no further Christ to offer them.

Heb. 10:29. If the gospel heard at B is rejected, he "hath trodden under foot the Son of God," and has "counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing," for he was "sanctified" through the blood of Christ by being brought to B (or perhaps as we have seen, been born at B), severed from the darkness of A, and he "hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace," refusing His convictions of sin, and all His other testimony.

2 Peter 2:20-22. One at B may have "escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," not through knowing Him, but knowing of Him only, and if he should be "again entangled therein and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning." The figure used shows this accurately; a washed sow is not a sheep, it is a sow still; only at C is the "sheep" to be found, and no "sow" is there. While if a sheep should get into mud, it is a sheep still, but hates the mud.

Strictly, looking at the nation of Israel among the rest of the nations, it is not the figure of the church of God, though it has been so used; it is rather the figure of Christendom, or the whole sphere where the privileges are found of hearing and knowing of the grace of God through Christ. Then the selected family of priests, Aaron's sons, will, in their official character, be more properly the figure of the believers of to-day. This view of the nation must not be confused with our general view of the camp; both are real but distinct.

Peter writes, 1 Peter 2:5, "a holy priesthood," and in verse 9, "a royal priesthood," and the soul who by grace is at C, is a priest "to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." He is perfected forever by the one offering, and, as God's "workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works," he now and forever stands in a new relationship to God, and therefore also to everything else, "old things are passed away, behold all things are become new, and all things of God," 2 Cor. 5:17, 18.

It is this wonderful change that God means should give its own character to the subject of it in his life. He separates (sanctifies) the soul from all its old connections, as well as pardons its sins; and it is this separation that we specially need to see and grasp. Thus, "who gave Himself for our sins that He might deliver us out of this present evil world," Gal. 1:4. "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son," Col. 1:13. What living joy. The soul in a new place and sphere altogether, with a new object, a new hope, a new nature, a new power, and a new taste, with new affections. All given upon faith in Christ, to start that soul afresh, to live that which it is. Hence the importance of clearly owning what grace does at the very outset. Grow, we surely may, and must, in the sense of it, but to do that there is first needed a definite view of the way of grace in its communications. Perhaps the word "saint," which is applied to all believers, expresses best the position given.

Saint, are you? Then live saintly. Why? Because God has constituted you a saint for that very purpose.

Responsibilities flow from relationships. Am I a child? That settles my conduct to my father. But if I at all doubt the relationship, my conduct becomes unhinged.

And again, I only express what I am.

A horse cannot live as a pigeon; and if a man is to live a saint he must first be one.

The keynote to action is the kind or nature of the life that is to act. Hence the need to insist upon being born again, and upon a clear understanding of what grace does in this respect.

Chapter 11.

THE LAVER

The work at the altar must be kept distinct from the work at the laver, though the altar is the foundation of all that follows. The structure and uses of these vessels are all in contrast with each other.

The altar is made of wood and brass (copper).

The laver is made of copper only.

The altar is square; the laver in conformity with Solomon's "sea" at the temple, would be round.

The altar is measured every way; the laver is unmeasured. The altar has rings and staves for carrying it by; the laver has none. The altar is to be covered for removal; nothing is said of this for the laver. The altar is for fire; the laver for water. The altar is for the sacrifices of all. The laver is for the priests alone. Separate directions are given for the covering and carrying of the altar on the journey through the desert; nothing is said of these for the laver.

But in Ex. 30:18 the laver is to be made (with its foot, or base), of brass, i.e., copper, to hold water for the priests to wash at continually. Further, in Ex. 38:8 there is the additional feature, that this copper was furnished by the looking-glasses of the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

It must be pure metal for the purpose of polishing into a mirror, but there is no hint of the laver itself being used as a mirror. Remembering that all is Christ, the vessel, without wood in its construction, will suggest Christ the eternal word, and the water in the laver, the written Christ, the word of God.

In other connections, water has various characters: as, at the flood, it appears to speak of judgment, and so also at the Red Sea; in John 7:38,39, "rivers of living water," refer to the Holy Spirit; and we read of “water of life." But the use of the water at the laver, limited to the cleansing of hands and feet of priests by washing, is in such marked analogy with Eph. 5:25-27, as to be conclusive; "Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing." It is clearly by the application of the written Word to our practices and ways,—what we do and where we go,—that we now have to discern any defilement we contract, and so judging it in the light of scripture, confess it, and then "He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

There is another link between water and the written Word which it is well to notice. "Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" John 3:5. Compare this with two other passages, "being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever," 1 Peter 1:23, and, "of His own will begat He us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures," James 1:18.

Now if the water of John 3:5 were, as has been said, the water of baptism, it would be but the common material, to be born of which would only produce itself, it could not beget anything higher; even as "that which is born of flesh, is flesh." But with the water as the written Christ (which the book is as the record of truth) we, being born of that, have Christ for life, "who is our life.”

This will be seen in the washing, bathing of the priests at their consecration, an act not repeated, and then their constant repetition of washing hands and feet, whenever they went into the tabernacle, and whenever they approached the altar, will illustrate the continuous use of the water of the word by us now, who have been born again by it, and who still need to be maintained clean for both communion and service.

A difficulty has been raised as to this by the precious words, "the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin," 1 John 1:7. We are indeed most blessedly cleansed by the blood, but not by any fresh application of it from time to time; it covers us forever before God, and this text is the assurance of its abstract and abiding power. It is possible that a soul may lose its own sense of the power of the blood, and so may need a renewal of the sense it has lost; but that is not a re-application of the blood to that soul by God. The difference is immense.

Of old, the sacrifices were continually repeated, for they had no power to take away sins, they only pointed on to the true sacrifice, and meanwhile maintained the obedient offerer in the temporal favor of God according to the covenant.

But Christ made full atonement, true and real, by a sacrifice that is of infinite value, and therefore unrepeatable. A soul now, who stands sheltered by that offering, and yet fails in practice and gets defiled, has the provision of the water of the word whereby to judge his sin, so that he truly confesses it, and is forgiven, and cleansed.

How blessed and how precious it is, that our sins do not touch for one moment the stability of the relationship into which we have been brought, and yet they are more intensely hateful than ever, being committed against increased light and blessing, while for 'them a special provision is made which in no way admits any doubt to be cast on the immutable foundation for the soul, or on the eternal redemption grace has made known. That provision is this constant repetition of "water," many times daily, the application of the word of God to all our practice, now that we are truly believers.

The Word itself has also a preventive power, thus, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy word," Psa. 119:9. It is a lamp to the feet, and a light to the path to keep a soul out of evil. But it is also curative when we have gone wrong, by judging the error and leading to confession.

No dimensions are given us for the laver.

Does not this suggest unlimited provision to keep a saint clean when once he is a saint?

The precision of measures at the altar raises the thought of righteousness, where a sinner is to be pardoned; but being pardoned there is no excuse for allowing a single fault to remain on the conscience, for there is a full supply, unmeasured, to meet every need.

The omission of instructions for carrying the laver seems to point to the word being in no way dependent on human help for its preservation. Man indeed has but too vigorously sought to get rid of the book so far as he could; but God has not suffered him to have his way. It stands forever the one positive witness for God and His grace, as well as of His judgment against all evil.

Now connect the truths of the altar with those of the laver, and carefully note how they require and maintain each other.

Sum up the altar as securing upon faith, pardon, peace, life, acceptance, "joy in God," in the kingdom that cannot be shaken, and an "eternal inheritance," all irrevocably assured now in the glorified Lamb to every child of God. Then the laver for temporary use through this life in hourly cleansing is a needed consequence where snares and defilement abound. Needed, lest any imperfect practice becloud the soul; and at the same time its existence proves that the altar is not designed to meet that need, while the blood necessary for atonement is not found at the laver at all.

So these two vessels in the open court picture to us, first, the sacrifice through which the sinner is passed once for all from B to C, out of Adam into Christ; and second, the water, by the constant use of which the saint is kept clean for communion and worship, suitable to the holiness and majesty of the divine presence in His dwelling place.

Chapter 12.

THE DOOR

This brings us to the position D, between the laver and the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

The door is thus described, "And thou shalt make a hanging for the door of the tent 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," Ex. 26:36, 37.

As occupying the end of the building, its size would be 10 cubits wide and 10 cubits high; measures which would connect it with responsibility before God, while the five pillars, whose height would also be 10 cubits, link the thought of responsibility in man with it also, especially as the pillars are made of wood overlaid with gold. Thus it tells us of Christ who, as the God-Man, introduces His own (prepared by altar and laver) into the sphere and scene of spiritual worship. But the linen is decorated with the three colors which we have already connected with His titles—Son of God, Son of man, and Son of David.

In the power of those several glories, and according to their relative connections, our Lord Jesus Christ is the way for Gentile and Israelite believers into the privileges of "the holy." The pillars are socketed on brass; divine power alone sustains the responsibilities of such an office.

Remark here, that "I am the door, by Me if any man enter in he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture," John 10:9, is not limited to the truth of the tabernacle door, but is an inclusive expression signifying the means of entrance at large, extending over gate, altar, laver, and door, the whole way of approach. In one passage, Num. 3:26, the gate is called the door of the court, thus linking it with the door to the tabernacle itself. In Ex. 35:17 it should be "gate of the court," though it is not the usual term there.

What an Entrance This Is for a Man on Earth

More blessed, and more solemn too, than may at first seem; for the moment our Lord died, and atonement was completed, God responded to His work by rending the veil "from the top to the bottom," "in twain," and "in the midst." He thus opened up the way into the most holy; the glory of the Most Holy spreads into the holy, fills it, and man is admitted to God's own presence. Now, therefore, he who enters in at the door is not merely in "the holy" as those priests were, but in "the holy" filled, as no priest ever saw it, with the revealed glory of God. It is morally the merging of the two, no hindrance or check being left between us and the ark, the mercy seat, the cherubim, and Him who dwells there.

What an Entrance This Is for a Man on Earth

It does not say that the rent veil was removed, but we find the golden altar—the next vessel on our straight line—is put in Heb. 9:4 as censer, within the veil; while God, who had dwelt "in the thick darkness," is now "in the light," and we walk in that light too. The Christian privilege is to be made nigh by the blood of Christ. He suffered that He might bring us to God; not to a veil, however precious, but to God.

What an Entrance This Is for a Man on Earth

“And having a High Priest over the house of God let us draw near," Heb. 10:21. The shed blood of His cross gives us boldness to enter, and then His priesthood sustains us whatever our infirmity may be, so that we may, and can, draw near; we find the golden altar in front of us.

Chapter 13.

THE GOLDEN ALTAR

This was made of shittim wood overlaid with gold, having a crown round about it, four horns on the four corners, and rings and staves for carrying it, Ex. 30. 1-5. It was to stand before the veil, and Aaron was to burn sweet incense upon it every morning and every evening. Nothing but incense was ever to be burned on this altar. On its horns certain sin offering blood was to be put, but not burnt; while the incense that was burnt was to be only that which God directed Moses to prepare, Ex. 30:34, 35.

The four spices, stacte, onycha, galbanum and frankincense, were to be mixed in equal parts and salted. A part was to be beaten small and laid up before the testimony.

“The body" (substance) "is of Christ." Christ is the true incense, and is not seen in this figure as partaker of flesh and blood, as the fragrant spices tell rather of those characteristics and graces which, in Him, were always morally beautiful to the eye and heart of God. No words can measure these, nor can we assign by any scripture a particular grace to each spice. As is usual, the number is four to represent completely on earth, just as four gospels narrate His life in full. The chief sacrifices are four; the solid materials for the building of the tabernacle are four, three are metal, gold, silver, copper, and one is wood. So three of the sacrifices have blood, and the meal offering has not. John is very distinct from Matthew, Mark and Luke, the four coverings of the building are three from animals, badger, ram and goat, and one is of fine twined linen. The full story of Gentile power is seen in a bear, a lion, a leopard, and a fourth beast diverse from them without a name.

We may surely regard the fourfold spice as a complete expression of all that was worthy and excellent in Him, who is the chiefest among ten thousand, and altogether lovely. It is not now the question of his ability to make propitiation by blood-shedding, that is not seen either in the vessel, or in the offering. The wood and the gold show Him as man and divine, but this latter rather as suiting God's own nature in glory. In the incense itself there is a clear correspondence with this, no life-blood, but the sweetness of the graces in Him which were ever grateful to God.

Then this incense was burnt, giving out its cloud from the fire, as the priest ministered, and the cloud rising to God. It is the person of our Lord Jesus submitted in death to the consuming judgment of a righteous throne. But from Him, being of whom incense tells, what results? A cloud. But a cloud in scripture stands as the expression of the glory of God. When the tabernacle was set up, a cloud covered it and the glory of Jehovah filled it, Ex. 40:34, 35. When Solomon dedicated the temple, "the cloud filled the house of Jehovah, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of Jehovah had filled the house of Jehovah," 1 Kings 8:10, 11. Again, "the glory of Jehovah appeared in the cloud," Ex. 16:10. Again, "and a cloud received Him out of their sight," Acts 1:9. While we read also that He was "received up in glory," 1 Tim. 3:16 (not into.)

When then the incense was burnt, the resulting cloud calls our attention to another aspect of the cross, not the atonement so much as the glory brought to God by the obedience to death of such a sufferer. Never was such a tribute paid to justice before, nor ever can be again; never was the majesty of our God so honored as when the Lord of Glory bowed voluntarily under the wrath that was our due. It was not the drinking of the cup alone, but it was the submission of the Son of His love, who knew no sin, to the judgment of sin, that constituted a homage which all creation together was too poor to yield.

What a cloud! What justice! What glory! What love!

For us, to-day, as priests, there is the special favor of offering by Him (the golden altar), sacrifices of praise confessing His name. It is worship in its strict value. It is remembering our Lord Jesus in this grandest character before our God. It is on the ground of all we have seen at the brazen altar that we are brought in to express to our God and Father what sense we have of the beauty of the Lord rising from the cross. It is not so much what we get as what God Himself received from Calvary. Not the meeting of need, whether our need as guilty, or God's need in righteousness (though all was there), but the suiting of divine nature by One who knew what "became Him," and who alone was able to accomplish it.

One thought more—it all sprang out of God's own heart, in its purposes from eternity, for the Lamb was foreordained before the foundation of the world. So that we joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. The glory all returns to Him. He sent His Son. Who died, glorifying God when "made sin;" showing what a gain to God and to His universe the permission of sin to come into existence was; and bringing us the sinners in His own comeliness to God, so conscious of it that all we can do is bless the Blesser, the Father, and the Christ out of the fullness with which our souls overflow. "The Father seeketh such to worship Him.”

Reader, have you ever spent one single half hour at the golden altar, just, and only, telling God how delighted you are with Him and His Christ?

Remember, you cannot do this if you try. But if, in quiet faith before God's testimony to His Son, you drink in the sense of what Christ is to God, then you will go and do it, for out of the fullness of your heart your mouth will speak. That is God's only way of securing what He "seeks.”

Chapter 14.

THE MERCY SEAT

There remains one more, the final stage on the straight line from the gate inwards; it is at or before the mercy seat.

Only part of the symbolism need we touch at present to complete this line; the rest will be better examined when dealing with the entire chapter Ex. 25. One expression in verse 22 will be sufficient. "And there I will meet with thee, and commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony.”

Many thoughts are gathered here, but it is chiefly that of communion which relates to our present object at this blessed end of the straight line.

Christ is the ark. Christ is the mercy seat to us now. It is by Him that we are brought to this place of unmeasured blessing; but the blessing itself is that here on earth—it all stood on the bare ground—we are not only made nigh to God, but in that nearness, moral closeness to Him, we are permitted to speak to Him, and also to learn His mind by his own communications to us personally. Think of the grace of the words "I will commune with thee." Harmony has been established, we are reconciled to God by the death of His Son, partakers of the divine nature, and God says, "I will commune with thee." He tells us, "in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God," Phil. 4:6. That will be our speaking to Him. Do we speak to Him in the simplicity that marks that wonderful verse? It is not a question of things about which He has graciously given us promises, but it is "in everything.... let your requests be made known." There is no desire arises in your heart, but He encourages you to tell it to Him. He does not tell you He will give you everything you ask, but He does tell you to make all your desires known to Him. He assures you that then His peace shall keep your heart and mind, and that is surely enough.

Again, "if any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not," James 1:5. Here is a particular want, viz., wisdom; and you are told to ask for it, "and it shall be given him.”

What use do we really make of this stupendous boon? Brought to God to find our joy in Him, and the blessing of communion with Him pressed upon us, how often, or alas! how little, do we use it. "Praying always with all prayer and supplication," Eph. 6:18. "Pray without ceasing," 1 Thess. 5:17. "In everything give thanks," 1 Thess. 5:18. "Giving thanks always for all things," Eph. 5:20.

These are direct injunctions to constant prayer, and to constant thanksgiving. What communion of heart they imply, and involve, and encourage.

And in a scene of trial and opposition and pitfalls, what is there that our infirmity more needs than the precious liberty of access to God's own heart? "I will commune with thee." Then let us come boldly unto the throne of grace; the Spirit helpeth our infirmities; we may and can speak to our God and Father, and He in His own time and way will give His own answer of peace. "He withdraweth not His eyes from the righteous;" they "run to and fro throughout the whole earth" for us, and He makes "all things work together for good to them that love Him.”

Such is Christian blessing to-day.

I close this line of illustration with the remark, that while the stages on this straight line are consecutive, both in the material arrangement of old, and in their moral nature for us, yet so soon as grace carries a soul through the brazen altar, it is at once entitled to the privileges of the priesthood with a rent veil; to enter, and draw near, and worship, and know the unspeakable joy of standing at the mercy seat, in the liberty that begets reverence, and that rests in "the peace that passeth understanding.”

Attainment and growth in grace, are our sure experience, but largely dependent upon the absoluteness of our faith first, that our privileges are an unconditional gift of God, so assured in Christ that nothing can impair them to us for evermore. It is the settled joy of this that moves our hearts, and we cultivate the joy afresh and are more deeply moved still, and this increasingly, until the Lord comes.

Chapter 15.

THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BUILDING

The second main line of illustration will be found in the construction of the tabernacle building itself, which is detailed for us in Ex. 26 and 36.

It was formed of 48 boards, on 96 silver sockets, four pillars on four silver sockets to carry the internal division—the veil, and five pillars on five brazen sockets, carrying the door. Pins, or tent pegs, of brass (copper, as everywhere) with their cords, secured the whole in position. Four coverings completed it.

The primary illustration is that of our Lord Jesus Christ. The silver foundation tells of Him, "other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ," 1 Cor. 3:11. The building as a habitation, wood and gold, His human and divine perfectness and glory, in whom the Father dwelt, John 14:10.

The linen curtains which form the "tabernacle" proper, His person with the fourfold glory of their decorations. The goat's hair curtains, His separateness from the world, and undecorated, with "no form or comeliness," "no beauty that we should desire Him," Isa. 53:2. These formed the "tent" proper. The rams' skins dyed red, His total devotedness to do His Father's will. The badgers' skins, probably from their toughness, His essential energy to resist assault of evil. When "He spake of the temple of His body," John 2:21, the same truth of His person as God's dwelling place, is again set forth. "God was manifest in the flesh," so that "he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father," John 14:9. "God was in Christ," 2 Cor. 5:19. So that we see in Him the indwelling of God found a true outward expression, a revelation that stands alone alike in righteousness, power, and love.

He raised the dead, and was so "declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness," Rom. 1:4. Whatever His works, they were by the indwelling Father; "believe the works, that ye may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him," John 10:38. The "eternal power and Godhead" were clearly seen through the things that are made, and man was without excuse for his unrighteousness, even before Christ came. But He having come, and God in him, "reconciling the world unto Himself"; man now is under double responsibility.

Of old, Israel had special advantages as redeemed by power out of Egypt, and had further God in His tabernacle dwelling among them. But they "took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them," Acts 7:43.

To-day we have the full revelation of power in created things unchanged, though it may be more searched, but we have the Father and all the love of His heart, witnessed and proven in the gift of Christ, sending Him, a propitiation for our sins, so that God might "be just and a justifier." Yet what do we see?

At large, the same indifference of heart, and enmity, that wrung from the Lord Jesus, "Ye will not come to Me that ye might have life," John 5:40. God is displayed in grace, in the purest love even unto the suffering of death in the body of the Lord Jesus, but men are just as bent on their own willful paths away from Him, as Israel setting up Remphan and Moloch, though God's own dwelling place stood publicly in the midst of their camp.

In result Israel was banished; what then befits the despisers of the deeper love and of the fuller revelation?

There is another aspect in which the building of the Tabernacle presents to us a picture of God's grace as it is now made known. It was His dwelling place made with hands of earth's various materials; and it will be found, the more closely we look at its details, that it foreshadows the present spiritual house on earth which His Spirit is building for God's indwelling. "In whom" (Christ) "all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord, in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit," Eph. 2:21, 22.

Let us examine Ex. 26 for this, beginning with the boards and their foundation of silver sockets, 20 boards on the south side, 20 on the north, 6 on the west, and two in the corners will be 48 boards in all. Each stood on two silver sockets, making 96. Each of the four pillars of the veil stood on one silver socket, so that the total needed was 100. Now God had taken of the people from 20 years old and upward, a half shekel or 10 gerahs, as atonement money for the service of the tabernacle, Ex. 30:11, 16. This amounted to 100 talents in weight and 1,775 shekels, as given in Ex. 38:25-28, of which the 100 talents were taken and made into sockets, "a talent for a socket," for the sockets of the sanctuary and for the veil.

We have noted Christ the only foundation now, and the number 100 has its value in that view of it; for 10 is mainly used in matters of responsibility directly to God.

Also numbers multiplied by themselves carry the intense value of the number itself, as every seven years was a Sabbatical year but at the end of 7 X 7 years was the jubilee. Thus, 10 X 10 100, and 100 sockets will suggest the support of the house of God by Christ in exclusive responsibility as He alone could bear it.

Again, as atonement money, it reminds us of the words, "forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold... but with the precious blood of Christ," 1 Peter 1:18, 19. We shall regard this feature then as expressing the truth, the great foundation truth of redemption by the blood of Christ.

Take first a single board, and presently we will build them all together. One board, illustrating to us one believer (as the whole show the entire spiritual house), stands on two silver sockets. The only true ground or basis for a soul to stand upon in the presence of God is the shed blood of the Lord Jesus.

Two sockets may be connected with competent witness to this, and in Peter's words we are addressed thus," forasmuch as ye know." We are intended now to know, not to be in doubt, "Am I His, or am I not"; but the price of our redemption was the blood of His cross, and God has now set Him forth "a mercy seat through faith in His blood." The work is done, the ransom paid, "and by Him, all that believe are justified from all things," Acts 13:38; "receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls," 1 Peter 1:9. The sockets are on the ground, and their meaning is for souls in this troubled scene, well witnessed by the Spirit of God, Heb. 10:15-17. Saved. Perfected forever. Redeemed to God.

Every board stands on two sockets; it is the same equal grace to each believer, no believer is better saved than another, however varied their capacities may be, however unequal their circumstances, or however different their gifts from an ascended Christ, Eph. 4:8-12. Temperaments, experiences, opportunities, and capabilities, all do differ-but not this gift of God.

All believers have it-salvation of soul-alike, in its freeness, its eternal nature, a present possession of faith.

"And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold," Ex. 26:29. Clearly this is most distinct from the silver sockets on which a board stands. The truth illustrated is equally distinct also from redemption, though as each and every board has both the features, so each and every believer has both the blessings. The gold, as we have seen, tells of the divine in glory and excellency suiting God, tells of Christ in His worthiness and moral splendor to God. With it the wood is covered, so that to the eye the wood does not appear. The 'Wood appears in a value not its own; and a believer on the Lord Jesus is seen of God in the moral beauty of Christ. "Unto you that believe is the preciousness" (lit.) of Christ, 1 Peter 2:7. "He hath made us accepted in the Beloved," Eph. 1:6. "Hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ," Eph. 1:3.

It is indeed "in Christ Jesus," that we have any and every blessing from the hand of our God, but the force of this illustration is to show personal acceptance rather than general blessings. "We are in Him that is true, even in His Son, Jesus Christ," 1 John 5:20. Observe that every board is thus covered; all believers are so accepted.

The number 48, i.e. 4 X 12, where 4 is earthly completeness, and 12 proper administration, is connected with complete administration on earth of that which is so presented. Similarly the Apostle Paul to whom the ministry of this truth was committed, uses the exact expression "in Christ Jesus" 48 times. The rendering unfortunately is not quite always regular in our book, but the original is clear. It is as though he would, by the Holy Spirit's wisdom, completely administer this precious truth to us, in his use of these words 48 times.

What a revelation of God's heart we have in this! Pardon, deliverance from the wrath to come, a present salvation of soul, with "no more conscience of sins," flow freely to us through the shed blood of Christ.

More, we are personally taken into the favor of God, and seen "in Christ Jesus," both now and for evermore. "As He," Christ, "is, so are we in this world," 1 John 4:17. Could even divine love do more than this? Overlaying us with the preciousness of Christ, so that God's eye sees us even as it sees Christ Himself.

Some have said this is "fanciful," and "too good to be true." Are not the scriptures plain? Why try to set them aside? Would you really burn your own bank notes? Are not the words those "which the Holy Ghost teacheth?" 1 Cor. 2:13. The faith that rejoices in forgiveness, can equally rejoice in acceptance, and will. Only let the actual texts be noted and dwelt upon and the sense of this blessedness will grow in the heart.

“The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court and their cords," Ex. 35:18.

There is no statement made as to the precise way in which these cords were arranged or applied; but taking them as used in the customary fashion, the pins or tent pegs would be driven in the ground opposite to the boards, the cord fastened to the peg, then to the top of the board, carried across to the opposite board and fastened, and then down to the tent peg on the other side of the building. When this was done, board by board, there would be a platform of cords fixing all the boards rigidly in place, and forming also an effective support, for the curtains and heavy skins which cover the building in.

It will be clearly seen from this, that the construction of the top of the building, with a ridge over the center, is in no way possible. Much stress has been laid upon it, and it has found a wide acceptance, Smith's Bible Dictionary having adopted it. The fact that no ridge, or any approach to one, is to be found in the text, nor anything given that could support a ridge, should finally settle the rejection of the theory.

Returning to our verse, "their cords" has been referred exclusively to "the pins of the court," but this cannot be, for "their" is masculine in the original, and “tabernacle" is masculine, while court is feminine.

The cords then maintain the boards fixedly in place, a significant fixture telling us how grace secures its objects to-day. Fastened to copper tent pegs, and then to the boards, they speak of divine power applied by the cord-love, Hos. 11:5-to each person who believes, so that he is "kept by the power of God,”

1 Peter 1:5. Security is assured. It is not grace shown, and its permanence dependent on the recipient's conduct; it is grace shown, and "the gifts and calling of God without repentance," Rom. 11:29. God never changes His mind to take away a gift He has bestowed.

The three great truths of grace to-day, redemption, acceptance, and security, are thus seen in the silver, the gold, and the cords, applied to each believer on the Lord Jesus Christ. This is personal blessing so far.

Beyond this, there is further privilege given to believers collectively, in their aggregate character as the church of God on earth. In its widest sense the term church, or assembly, will include all the believers from Pentecost until the Lord's return. Those who have been "laid to sleep by Jesus" (lit: 1 Thess. 4:14) can have no longer any responsibility here, and so all who are living here at any given time are regarded as the church. Two great characters are given to it in the Word. It is the "House of God," and it is the "Body of Christ." As the House of God it is prefigured in the tabernacle, and, through grace, having now the boards, or believers, we can look at them as built together "for God's habitation.”

Gold rings are fixed to the boards, and through the rings bars of shittim wood overlaid with gold are passed, forming them into a flat wall or "side.”

Twenty boards made such a side on the south, twenty on the north, and six on the west. It is also said that on each side the number of bars for this purpose was five, whether the side were long or short. The middle bar was to extend the entire length of the side. The expression "shoot through" in chapter 36:33, is a varied rendering of the same expression in chapter 26:28, and should be, "and he made the middle bar to reach in the midst of the boards from end to end." Some have thought this bar was concealed in a hole running all along in the thickness of the wood, but the idea in both passages alike is that of a continuous bar for the middle one, placed half way up in the height of the boards. This statement goes to show that the other four bars did not extend so long, and probably two at an upper level, and two at a lower level, butted against each other near the center. Be this as it may, seeing five is the number whatever the extent of the side, there is surely a meaning attached to it for its own sake. The general use of five connects it with responsibility between men, and that would give to the five wood bars the force of men, believers in action together, taking up their responsibilities with each other in the "spiritual house." Passing through gold rings may be suggestive of Divine ways to do this, but it is clear that such responsibility exists, and must be carried out by saints according to the Lord's will alone.

This is a deeply solemn subject. The one church of God, embracing all believers living on the earth, should have its clear expression in the united action of the whole, indwelt and led by the Spirit of God. To ask, "what do we in fact see?' is to call attention to the humiliating failure so palpable on every side. Instead of one building in the center of Israel's camp which was God's sole will, it was Moloch's tabernacle, etc. etc., after man's own will. Instead of a united confession and practice among all saints, we have to own how distinctions have been exalted into party banners, and antagonisms paraded and even justified, instead of being owned as shames and condemned, The Spirit of God could not lead to us; His word reproves it from its early days in the Corinthian assembly, 1 Cor. 1:10, etc.

Nor is it likely, or even possible, that all believers should be again brought out from their divisions, to take the one ground together which should never have been forsaken, and which the scriptures still claim from their obedience.

A careful notice of the letters to the seven assemblies, Rev. 2 and 3., will show that the decline of Laodicea, so manifest to-day, is not met by any provision for collectively restoring the assemblies, but by an appeal to individuals to be obedient. "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the assemblies." If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." It is the promise of the richest personal communion with the Lord given to each obedient soul. It is this fidelity on the part of one and another for which the Lord is looking.

Does He Find It in Me?

Have I gone forth to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach?

It is much as if the boards of the Tabernacle had been scattered east, west, north, and south, in the camp of Israel, mixed with anything of man's will, regardless of "Holy Place" in which alone God appointed them to stand.

Imagine two or three still upon the silver sockets in "Holy Place." Those two or three are not the Tabernacle; but they are in their proper place according to God's mind. So with any to-day who, hearing what the Spirit saith, may endeavor to keep the unity He has formed. "The Lord knoweth them that are His," and on our part, "Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity," 2 Tim. 2:19. It is ours to express outwardly that which is real inwardly. When the mass fail, it is still open for, and binding upon, the individual to separate from the camp. The enclosure in the midst of Israel's camp was holy, severed from the common ground, as much as though it had been altogether outside its confines. That is the part for faith to-day, whether it be within the enclosure as a figure, or actually outside the boundaries of the encampment.

The words of our Lord Jesus will then apply, “Where two or three are gathered together to my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matt. 18:20. Let two or three be obedient, rejecting all names but His, owning His in its integrity, and His assurance to them is, I will be as good to you two or three as I would be to the whole were they there, for I will be there myself. What more can the heart want?

There is another feature in the construction of these wooden walls, full of value to us to-day.

The twenty boards on the south are held together by the bars and rings; also the twenty on the north; also the six on the west; forming the three sides. This latter one in verse 22 is thus described "And for the sides of, the Tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards." The word "sides" in the plural is perplexing, but it is a different Hebrew term which means "thighs," as "his belly and his thighs of brass," in Dan. 2:32, as if the two long sides were legs, and the short end uniting them were the thighs. In verse 27 it reads "and five bars for the boards of the side of the Tabernacle for the thighs westward," where both terms are applied to the same six boards. They form a "side," and are the "thighs" also, being a fiat wooden wall, as are the twenty south and the twenty north.

Two additional boards are next provided, the position of which has been much debated. They are "for the corners," and are to be coupled, or twinned, together beneath, and also "above the head" by a ring. Both corners alike.

No thickness is given for the boards themselves, but there is a measure of width for the whole building indicated by the cubic shape of the temple of Solomon, and by the other measures of the Tabernacle which claims consideration. The 20 boards, each 11/2 cubits wide, give a length of 30 cubits, and their height is 10 cubits; the veil is 20 cubits from the east end, making "the holy" the length and height of 20 X 10. To complete its double cube and also a single cube for "the most holy," the width should be also 10 cubits. The six boards of the west side give but 9 cubits, leaving 1 cubit to be provided. By setting the six boards between the two long sides and making the boards a half cubit in thickness, 10 cubits will be found for the width of the building measured externally. Then set each corner board diagonally across the angle of the corner, touching the south and west sides and the north and west sides respectively. This position will assist to steady the sides, and also be the most suitable for the application of a ring beneath and above. A ring perforated with holes corresponding to the socket holes may be laid on the six sockets of the three boards which form the angle; then the six tenons of the three boards will go through the ring into the sockets themselves; and thus the ring will securely hold the boards together "beneath." Repeat this by another ring and pins as tenons on the tops of the boards, and again they will be securely held together "above the head." A more complete and rigid fastening cannot well be imagined.

No way is stated for fastening the cords to the tops of the boards, nor is there any mention of pins or tenons for the upper ring at each corner. These are suggested only as possible ways of doing what is needed for the purposes, and no dogmatic teaching can be derived from them. From what is given to us it is our privilege to learn, however, and from the general arrangement valuable lessons are to be gained.

Thus, at the corner, we first have the atonement displayed in the silver sockets, then the ring is laid upon them, which is ever the symbol of eternity, from its having no end. It is when eternal redemption is obtained, that believers are builded together; i.e., after the cross, not before. Old Testament saints were never so dealt with, and they form no part of the church of God. Build the boards—believers—together; and when the last believer, as the corner board, is built in, then put the ring of eternity on the head of it, and recall the truth that the assembly of God will continue to be such hereafter forever. "Unto Him be glory in the church in Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." Eph. 3:21. The church will forever abide, and give God glory in that character, never mixed up with any other company of saved souls.

There is a line in this chapter, Eph. 3:15, which seems to carry the opposite thought, it is, "Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named," as if all became one family together on high. Strictly, this should read, "Of whom every family," etc., and then all difficulty disappears from the passage. Again, in Heb. 12:22, 23, the break between the two verses raises a question; read them thus:

But ye are come unto Mount Sion,

And unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,

And to an innumerable company of angels the general assembly,

And to the church of the firstborn ones which are written in heaven, And to God the Judge of all,

And to the spirits of just men made perfect,

And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant,

And to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

The "ands" divide the companies as they stand in our version, so that instead of "the general assembly and church of the firstborn," conveying the idea of one large gathering of all redeemed, it is the general assembly of "myriads," (lit.) of angels, including, it may be, some that we know nothing of, from which company the assembly of the firstborn ones is kept distinct, as also from "the spirits of just men made perfect.”

Is it not an expression and display of Divine wisdom that souls redeemed under different conditions in this world shall abide as distinct companies forever, to record and display what grace could do in the various circumstances as they arose? We are told that God "hath quickened us with Christ, and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might skew (display) the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness towards us in Christ Jesus." Blessed be God, He will take the church as the occasion and means of displaying His love and grace to His intelligent creation forever. The ring on the head of the boards completed is a hint to us of this.

Now survey the building from the outside, and it will be seen that while the bars through the rings connect the boards of each side and hold them together, yet at each angle there is no apparent connection between the sides themselves, they touch, but there is no visible bond between them. So, it may be, there is no apparent connection between an assembly of believers in Harrow, and an assembly of believers in New Zealand. They may not be known to each other even by name. But they are bound in indissoluble bonds 'together by the one Spirit who is the one builder of God's one habitation in which they are comprised. In the Tabernacle, go inside into the "most holy," and there the special bond at the corner will be clear enough. So if our souls are truly in the holiest with God, we shall find the reality and power of the unity of God's house, however little it may have been known or valued before.

Think of the privilege this is. Suppose a moment that instead of wooden walls, 48 Israelites had been selected to form, if possible, God's dwelling place. Would not the honor of being one of them have been eagerly coveted throughout the camp? To-day ALL the believers are built in, and that of God, into His habitation. Yet how little is the honor felt, for it is not considered; too often it is rejected as mystical, and fanciful, and unreal. The responsibilities, therefore, cannot be taken up, and the "holiness that becometh thy house, O Lord, forever," is unknown. Indeed, these words, written as they were, in view of the then earthly structure, are perverted too often to some stone or brick built place now. What shame! and what dishonor!

There are four coverings which we may proceed to consider, put over the boards when set in place. The commencement of Ex. 26 describes these.

The first is called the "tabernacle" in a special way, and consists of ten curtains of fine twined linen, decorated with blue, purple, and scarlet, and cherubim. Each curtain is 4 cubits wide and 28 cubits long, five are joined together, and the other five also. These two parts are then connected by 50 gold "taches" inserted into loops of blue, 50 on each edge of a curtain, "and it shall be one tabernacle.”

The fine linen tells of the person of the Lord Jesus in the body God prepared—"fine twined"—for Him. The colors, His glories as Son of God, Son of man, and Son of David. The cherubim, His administration of government. These last are progressively developed through scripture; first, we find them simply named, with no description, at the gate of Eden maintaining the Divine sentence of expulsion from the garden. Next, at the mercy seat, Ex. 25:20, they have wings, and one face each, looking towards each other. In Solomon's temple the large olive wood cherubim appear to have one face each also, but (margin) they look outward from the "most holy," towards the house, standing "on their feet." In the prophecy by Ezekiel, chapters 1. and 10. give a much more elaborate description, comprising wheels, hands, four faces, four wings, etc. While in the future temple, the faces will be but two, those of a man and of a lion, Ezek. 41:18, 19. Obviously, the elaborate details and connections of the cherubim in Ezek. 1, show them to, be the executive of Divine government, the supporters of the majesty of the throne of God, and as such, they bear the glory of Jehovah above them, Ezek. 11:22, and 1:26-28.

The linen so decorated is thrown over the wooden walls, and lies upon the cords as the ceiling of the building, and extends down the slope of the cords some 9 cubits on either side and 10 cubits on the west end. It displays to the eye of God these four glories of His Son. In connection with grace now, the tabernacle thrown over the boards, suggests the wonderful grace, that believers are made joint heirs with Christ, and will share His glory. "The glory that Thou gavest me, I have given them," John 17:22. "When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory." Col. 3:4.

As if salvation and acceptance, secured forever, were not enough for God's love to give us, He also gives this marvelous inheritance to all who now share the rejection of their Lord.

Note the numbers used here; 4 cubits wide, i.e., complete in display on earth; 28 cubits long = 4 X 7, the heavenly and earthly completeness combined; Christ the One who so exhibits in Himself to God every perfection of glory; and 10 of these, in two fives, i.e., in full responsibility, able worthily to do this. In the assembly now, it is a stupendous privilege for saints to anticipate—a glory covering of 10 curtains, each 28 cubits long, or 280 cubits length, 4 cubits wide.

Compare this with the curtains of the court. Here we have the curtains 5 cubits wide, for it is a question of responsibility towards the camp, the world. The length measures are 100 cubits on the south, 50 cubits on the west, 100 cubits on the north, sides; 30 cubits on the east side, 15 north and 15 south of the gate, making in all, 280 cubits of fine twined white linen to be held up by the pillars. This is chiefly a question of responsibility in this scene, the display by us of Christ in our practical righteousnesses of life. But observe we are first set in Ex. 26 in the privileges at which we have looked, in the building before God, and are covered with 280 cubits of displayed glory in Christ.

Now wherever blessing is received, a clear responsibility flows out from it, and usually in scripture the two will be found near each other.

In this case the response to the blessing in Ex. 26 is found in Ex. 27 and it is this, that we should go out before the wide world, and exhibit in daily practice 280 cubits of fine twined linen, "the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the saints.”

Note also that where completeness of administered blessing is seen, the number of the boards is four twelve’s; and where our complete responsibility to exhibit Christ in our righteousnesses to our fellowmen is seen, the number of the pillars is five twelve’s.

In the opening of the book of Numbers, 12 Chief men, one out of each tribe, are selected for special honor and duty. These same 12 are mentioned four times only, three in the same order, and one in a different order, corresponding to the 48 boards in the building. These are representative men, and stand for the nation before God.

Thus in the boards of the building and in the pillars of the court, Israel may be found, as seen by God, and as responsible in the world.

Many an inquiry has arisen concerning the intention of the 50 gold taches, in the loops of blue by which the two fives of curtains were connected in the center.

No reference is made to them elsewhere, save that in verse 33 of chapter 26. we read "And thou shalt hang up the veil under the taches," which divides the 30 cubits of the entire length into 20 for the holy, and 10 for the most holy. The number 50, 5 X 10, raises the thought of responsibility both towards God and among men, which is plainly involved in the entrance by the veil, but more than this would be only conjecture.

The "tent" is described in verses 7-13. "Covering" in verse 7 should be "tent," and so also should "tabernacle" be in verse 9.

In this case, the curtains are 11, each 4 cubits wide, but 30 long, in two sets of six and five, coupled by copper taches in loops, "that it may be one." As the sixth curtain is to be folded in the forefront of the tent, verse 9, it follows that the copper taches will lie upon the tabernacle, behind, or west of, the golden taches the width of a half curtain. Then as each western half of the tent, and of the tabernacle was five curtains of 4 cubits each, there would remain a half curtain of goats' hair beyond the outmost edge of the fine linen. To this it is that verse 12 refers.

In verse 13, the further notice that the tent curtains of 30 cubits long overlie the tabernacle curtains of 28 cubits long, "a cubit on the one side and a cubit on the other side," is a clear evidence that both these sets of curtains were laid across the top of the building, and then continued down on the slope of the cords. A Jewish tradition that the tabernacle curtains were hung up inside under the cords, and then fell on each wall-face covering the gilded surface of the boards, can in no way be made to harmonize with these two verses, 12 and 13.

The "tent" has no decoration upon it; it seems therefore to speak of Christ as man would see Him, without form or comeliness or beauty. The hair refers to his separation from man to God; while the taches of copper give us also the Divine in power manward, as distinguished from those in the tabernacle, of gold, the Divine in glory and splendor, Godward.

No sizes are recorded for the remaining two coverings, first of rams' skins dyed red, and the outmost of badgers' skins. They are mentioned in one verse and called coverings only. If the universal practice of the East in putting skins over the top of flat-topped tents is any guide to us, then these two coverings will only need to be a little in excess of 30 cubits by 10 in measure.

They would then serve the purpose of keeping out the heat, a purpose for which skins are used; but if any prefer the large size needed to overcover the tent, nothing prevents. The thought of Christ as seen by man would hardly be carried out by so large a covering of skins; whereas if the skins lay only on the flat top, then from the height of the boards the goats' hair curtains would be seen from the camp all round above the white linen of the court enclosure.

The extra size of the tent curtains would hardly seem needed to overcover those of the tabernacle, if the skins were also large enough to overcover the tent.

The value of the skin coverings has already been noticed among the materials; it is drawn only from analogy and other uses; the rams' skins dyed red suggesting devotedness, since the ram was exclusively the consecration offering; and the badgers' skins from their toughness, protection, or equipment, against external assault.

The building is thus a marvelous picture of Christ in His various characters of Temple, Maker of atonement, Glorifier of God, Revealer of God, Way to God, also of His separation from man, devotedness, and perfect equipment against all evil. Relatively to men He is seen, a Foundation by blood-shedding, a Covering of glorious acceptability, an absolute Security, soon to be displayed in a divine royalty over Gentiles and Israel alike, for He was separated from them, their thoughts and ways in whole-hearted devotedness unto death, and their unfailing Protector forever.

The building also illustrates believers standing on redemption, accepted in the Beloved, secured by Divine power, builded together as God's house, made heirs of God, separated from the world, consecrated and armed for defense.

Before leaving it, notice that it was anointed when set up, with the holy anointing oil, Ex. 30:26-29. This had spices in it, telling of virtues and graces in Christ connected with the power of the Holy Spirit. We to-day have the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, so that we can know what God has revealed for us and given us, and we can act out His will in life. We can. Nor is it power alone, but grace with the power, the grace of Christ is given us also; His mind in us, whose mind we have, that He should be displayed in us, magnified in our bodies till He comes again.

This is not personal truth and privilege merely, but it is collective as seen in the one building for God's habitation. There is power with grace for believers to act as God's house now, notwithstanding the acknowledged failure and wreck in the midst of which we are. No failure impairs the claim that it dishonors; rather the sense of the failure should lead to a maintenance of the claim more earnest than before.

Chapter 16.

THE GOLDEN VESSELS

Another great line of illustration will be found in the golden vessels, and their order, as given in Ex. 25:10-40.

Here we begin with the ark, the table follows; and then the golden candlestick or lampstand.

The ark was to be made of shittim wood, covered with gold, inside and outside, having a crown of gold, golden rings at the corners, and staves of shittim wood, also overlaid with gold, for carrying it. Its dimensions were about 4 feet 4 inches long, 2 feet 7 inches wide and high. (This adopts the old Egyptian cubit of 21 inches long, as most likely to be the measure used.) So that it was a good sized chest. It would appear to have been the first vessel made, for we find in Deut. 10:1-5 Moses made it before he went up the mount the second time, and it awaited the tables of stone when he came down with them.

The two materials tell us again of Christ in His human and divine characters; the latter not in energy for man, but in worthiness for God. Nothing suits God truly but Himself and His own glory. The gold within reminds us of motive and the hidden springs of the heart. These in Christ fully suited God. The gold without, and the golden crown recall Him, the Word, made flesh, shittim wood, whose glory John says "we beheld,.... the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.”

This God commences with, the highest figure of the person of the Lord Jesus; even as the burnt offering is first described among the sacrifices; and the decorated linen curtains are first detailed in the record of the building. This ark, too, stands alone, in that no other was ever made. All other vessels were made afresh for the temple of Solomon, but this ark was set in Solomon's "oracle" with its mercy seat and cherubim complete. In its history we find it was strangely separated from the Tabernacle, taken out to battle, captured by Philistines, restored to Israel, but not to Shiloh; eventually put by David in a tent he had prepared for it in the City of David, and thence carried to Solomon's temple. It is not clear whether it went to Babylon with "the goodly vessels of the house of Jehovah," 2 Chron. 36:10, 18, at the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. Such are said to have been returned by Cyrus, and brought by Sheshbazzar to Jerusalem; Ezra 1:7-11, but the list given does not include the ark.

But the story of the ark as the highest type of Christ is full of value. Once removed from the Tabernacle it is never restored to it, but it becomes, alone, the center for Israel. David accords it the first place; Solomon sets it in the "most holy" of the temple. The tabernacle building is unnoticed from the time of Joshua, until it is carried by Solomon to the temple. So the true house of God has received no recognition at the hands of believers from the time of the apostle Paul until recent years; though Christ as Savior has been upheld all through this dispensation.

The rings and staves put to the ark remind us how Christ goes ever with His people in all their journeys, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world," Matt. 28:20.

“And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee," Ex. 25:16. This is repeated in the close of verse 21, after the mercy seat—the lid of the ark—has been described. The insertion of it in verse 16 before the vessel is finished, must have some special meaning. Let us look carefully at it.

The ark foreshadows the person of the Lord Jesus and His moral glory. Could mercy be founded and established on that alone? It is not possible. Christ in incarnation simply can be no Redeemer, nor can all His personal perfectness be an atonement through which grace may flow out to the guilty. "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone," John 12:24. Therefore, it would seem, before God will tell of grace in the mercy seat, He introduces the truth of Christ's work as well as that of His person. The testimony put in the ark expresses Christ's delight to do God's will. But that will was not only His delight in life, it included His death. Indeed it is in connection with sacrifice that these words, "I delight to do thy will," occur in Psa. 40 He received commandment from His Father to lay down His life; and He "became obedient unto death," Phil. 2:8. The law within the ark expresses that obedience in full. So that in verse 16 the essence of His blessed atoning work is presented, as well as His own perfectness in the description of the ark itself.

With both these, the person and the work, in view, God at once proceeds to tell us of grace; "and thou shalt make a mercy seat.”

This was of pure gold, of the same length and width as the ark. Two cubits and a half, by one cubit and a half. What these two measures may in themselves mean is not clear, but the fact that ark and mercy seat are alike in size is full of importance. The grace of God, while it flows out from His own eternal love, is righteously founded on Christ and His work, just as the mercy seat rests on the ark containing the law. But also that grace is the whole size of Christ, it is no partial blessing; it is a whole Christ; all that Christ is to God. Measures here are poor. The limited tells the infinite. What is Christ to God, and what His work? Such is divine grace to every believer to-day.

The limits put by some on the grace of God are as if the mercy seat were less than the ark. Those who count on the love of God apart from Christ and His work, err like making a mercy seat larger than the ark. Full as is the heart of God with love, His grace reigns "through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord," Rom. 5:21. No grace can be shown to us, but through the atoning death of the Lord Jesus. "A just God and a Savior." "Just and a Justifier," God stands revealed, with His throne unsullied as He forgives the guilty now, through the death of Christ.

Two cherubim of beaten—rounded, lit.:—work were made, one on each end of the mercy seat, of one piece with it, and of pure gold, their wings stretched forth, their faces towards each other, and towards the mercy seat. They are the activity of the thing they are connected with, the executive. Viewing the ark as God's throne in Israel, they are the executive of government in Israel, ready to bless the man who keeps the covenant, or curse the man who breaks it. In the line of illustration we are following now, they speak of divine activity in making good the mercy to those who need it. God Himself (gold only, no wood) must be the power of His own love into a sinner's heart. Faith is His gift. But the cherubim and the mercy seat are inseparable. God does work rich blessing. The grace is His, its bestowal is His, and its duration is as its source. How liable we are to confound the instrument with the Power who uses it. It pleases Him by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

Preach then, instant in season and out of season as a faithful servant, but God must give the increase. No preacher is responsible to convert anybody, but he is responsible to deliver his Master's message, in his Master's spirit; the preacher can do no more, but he can know that the cherubim look on the mercy seat, and divine action will bless His own declared word, whether the preacher see that result or not. Truly nothing gives a preacher more consciousness of power in his work, or more earnestness than this simple looking to God, first for His message, and then to God alone for fruit. The vessel is only earthen, the excellency of the power is of God alone, so that the aim of the preacher should not be souls, but to present God's heart as God would have it presented.

We have thus in this vessel Christ's person, and in principle, His work; then divine grace founded upon, and measured by, that work and Person; and then the administration of the grace retained in God's own hand, irrespectively of any vessel He may deign to use.

One thought further in verse 22 may be repeated in closing; it is the place of communion from which God would give Moses His instructions for the children of Israel.

It is in the "most holy" "above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim, which are upon the ark," that God gives, and His servant receives, such instructions. Are the workers of to-day consciously in the third heaven, in communion with the Father and the Son (1 John 1:3, 1 Cor. 1:9) receiving divine messages of grace, themselves only channels by which He can administer the fullness of Christ?

What a stupendous privilege.

The Table

In the second vessel of our chapter we have God's picture of the result. The table of shewbread, verses 23-30, is to be set on the north side of "the holy," for the purpose of carrying continually 12 loaves in God's presence. The loaves themselves are described in Lev. 24:5-9. They are to be of fine flour baked, laid in two rows on the table, with frankincense on each row. They are to be renewed every Sabbath; the removed loaves to be eaten by the priests in "holy place.”

The table itself presents us with Christ in another character, viz.: that of Sustainer of all His people before God. The shittim wood and the gold, the human and the divine in Him; the crown, the moral glory of His person. The border would seem to have carried the golden vessels of verse 29. Read, however, for "covers," "cups," and for "to cover," "to pour out." Clearly this is connected with Num. 28:7, "in the holy shalt thou cause the strong wine to be poured unto Jehovah for a drink offering." The same change must be made in Ex. 37:16, as in 25:29, while in Num. 4:7 read "the bowls and cups for the drink offering.”

On the table itself, which has its own crown distinct from the crown to the border, the two rows of shewbread are laid; exhibition bread, displaying in a representative way the 12 tribes of Israel, the entire nation before God. The fine flour, as in Lev. 2, is surely Christ, but "baked" tells of the action of fire, so that the whole nation is represented before God as passed through judgment in Christ. Similarly, it is a figure of all believers, seen by God in Christ after judgment. No leaven is used, but frankincense is laid on them, reminding us of the active beauty of the Lord Jesus. How our gracious God and Father has delighted in this; not only judgment passed and evil cleared away, but a new creation in Christ, who is "the beginning of the creation of God." Making us "partakers of the divine nature," His own children in resurrection, covered, to His eye, with the moral perfume of His beloved Son.

Not 11 loaves but 12—all, the entire nation; and so all believers, not a privileged part of them, it is God's free gift to all. He means us to enjoy on earth the blessed truth that all His saints are so blessed now. It is no question of attainment, or of growth in grace, though many regard it so; it is the only way in which grace is working, setting the guilty free, but free in Christ; their very justification is a "justification of life," and all attainment is but a consequence of enjoying the primary gift in full.

Note further in verse 25, as to the border. The Hebrew word itself denotes an enclosing, and so securing the enclosed. Again we are confronted with the precious grace that each, every believer, all believers are secured by God. The highest revealed blessings are theirs, and these cannot be alienated, nor the believer be removed from the position given him. Christ, the table, maintains him before God; Christ, the border, secures him there. The border too has a crown as well as the table. There is a certain glory attaching to our maintenance, and further a glory attaching to our security. If a believer could be lost, if anything could impair his security, if the border could be damaged, the crown must share it, and the very glory of Christ be sullied. Impossible. "Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

The 12 loaves are laid together upon the table; all are within one border. Of course if anyone is doubtful as to his privileges in Christ, it cannot be expected that he will act upon them, but the privileges are assured, in order to produce action. Further, we are blessed together in Christ—are one in Him. The 12 loaves are in number connected with Israel, but for us the Lord has set forth one loaf; and His table is one table, though expressed in a multitude of localities. We are one, i.e., all believers, and, strictly, it is on this alone that true fellowship rests. "By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body," 1 Cor. 12:13. We have not to make ourselves one; that oneness exists, and because it does exist we are to express it, live it, act it out. "Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace," Eph. 4:3. The unity is unbreakable in its nature, but how grievously has it been forgotten and disregarded. The varied, even antagonistic, fellowships of true believers are to-day more applauded than condemned; indeed they are too often defended as "necessary" and "healthy." But our figure repudiates all division. It is Christ sustaining all His redeemed people within one border, and the true principle of fellowship is, not that we think alike on certain doctrines, but that though we should unhappily not so think alike, yet WE ARE ONE. We are indissolubly bound together in one by one Spirit. This is no choice of ours, no outcome of our experience, nor fruit of our discernment. WE ARE ONE. The light into which we are brought declares this, and it lays its injunction upon us to keep the unity.

Then obey. Too often the reply is, it is not now possible. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me," Phil. 4:13. You cannot make others do so, but you can take your own right place, outside the camp of sects and parties, having for your ground of fellowship, WE ARE ONE.

What a stupendous privilege.

The ex-shewbread became the food of the priests in "holy place," not in "the holy." It was part of their appointed maintenance from God.

The Candlestick

The third vessel in our chapter is the candlestick. It is of gold only, having a shaft (no foot or base) "and his branch," not branches (chapter 37:17 is correctly rendered, and the Hebrew is in the singular in both places), and six branches out of the sides, making seven branches in all, and a triple form of ornament—bowl, knop and flower—arranged upon it. It may be that in each of the branches there were three bowls, and only one knop and one flower, but from the way in which the description is given it seems more probable that the threefold idea was maintained throughout. Nothing is said about "his branch" as to any ornament upon it, but it can hardly be supposed to have been a plain stem out of harmony with the rest. Regarding it as similarly decorated to the others, there would then be a central upright line of shaft and his branch containing together seven times repeated this tripe ornament of bowl, knop, and flower. Again, as the six branches are three on each side of the shaft, and as we are told, a "knop under two branches" for each couple in the shaft, there would also be in a line running along each pair of branches, seven repetitions of the triple ornament, viz.: three in each branch and one in the shaft. Thus there would be found in the whole arrangement four lines, each containing, seven times over, the triple ornament.

The vessel was entirely of gold, no wood. Hence, while it is some view of Christ, it would rather be a divine than a human one, presenting God in Christ, as the pure gold mercy seat is the expression of divine grace in Christ, who is the true mercy seat now.

The threefold ornament in gold links itself with the Trinity; the repetition in lines of seven reminds us of heavenly and mystical perfectness, and the four lines of this display will express the completeness of it on earth. The heavenly perfections of God completely displayed on earth in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, may thus be seen in the details of the golden candlestick.

Seven lamps are provided for it, and oil olive is to be burned in them. Light is given, truth revealed, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The vessel itself is set on the south side of the tabernacle, over against the table which is on the north side, so that the light shines directly on the shewbread.

Thus it becomes of most solemn importance that we take in faith the place we have seen shown by the shewbread, or we shall not be in the sphere of the light, the Spirit's communication of the truth. Is our fellowship that of believers in the enjoyment of resurrection life in Christ? Is it enjoyed according to the fragrance of Christ upon us in God's sight, and in the restful sense of the security in which He sustains us now, and forever? Is it fellowship on the ground of our unity—WE ARE ALL ONE—which we are endeavoring to keep? Then, the light will shine upon us; we "shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Mark, the shewbread is shone upon. It does not make the light. The light is provided to shine upon it by God. "When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth," John 16:13. What is wanted is that we expose ourselves to His blessed working by unreservedly taking the full position in grace which God gives.

It is in the "most holy" (the veil is rent), separated from the world, where there is no window for nature's light to interfere, where God supplies direct His own light, while we wait to receive it. Experience and expediency, which are the great pleas of "the camp," are not found here. It is the divine revelation alone, the Spirit and Word of God, and then ourselves just subject, taking what is given in the text of His book, and adding nothing to it.

“When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick," Num. 8:2. The term here rendered, "over against" is peculiar, and conveys the thought of lighting up the candlestick itself, illuminating it. This is very distinct from shining upon the shewbread, and it is an additional idea. It is the light displaying to the believers the beauty of the vessel itself—God fully revealed in Christ.

This in no way impairs the light of the truth made good to us, but it sets a special object before us for our delighted interest. It is the only worthy object for our hearts that know what redemption is, God in Christ, and that object well lit up by seven lamps, the perfect energy of the Holy Spirit.

Some have connected the seven lamps with the seven assemblies in Rev. 1., 2. and 3. But these lamps give no outside testimony, and their material is only gold. There may rather be a link between them, and "the seven spirits which are before the throne," Rev. 1:4, 4:5, and 5:6. This in no way weakens the truth of assembly responsibility before the world; on the contrary, that responsibility will be more clearly seen, and more deeply felt, as believers enjoy their place of blessing in the "most holy" with God.

To sum up this chapter, Ex. 25, in the order of its three vessels, we have—

First Vessel

The person of Christ, verses 10-15.

His obedience, unto death, verse 16.

Divine grace, established thereon, and commensurate therewith, verse 17.

God's own application of that grace, verses 18-20.

Communion with God accordingly, verse 22.

Second Vessel

The effects of the foregoing:—

I All God's people brought in before Him.

In a risen Christ.

Sustained there by Christ.

Secured by Christ.

Covered with His fragrance.

In the integrity of communion each with all.

Third Vessel

So that God can tell them His mind, and will and ways.

And they find God in Christ their absorbing object.

All these vessels stand on the ground, telling us of grace and privilege for faith now, while we are still on the earth. It is heavenly things set out on earth, for faith to enjoy.

Chapter 17.

THE GREAT DAY OF ATONEMENT

Lev. 16

The opening verse of this chapter carries us back to the history in chapter x., where we learn the sin of the two sons of Aaron, for which they died. They had been appointed priests, and part of their official duty was to burn incense. It was the taking of "strange fire" for this purpose, which constituted their sin. God's work must be done in God's way; not by other means than He directs, however suitable such might seem to us. What a lesson this should be to the workers of to-day. Aaron's sons disregarded God's distinction of fires; and it seems that chapters 11-15 are inserted to teach many more distinctions, even all through creation—for why? God's lessons must be learned. What sorrow and loss we should save ourselves by simple obedience.

The story is resumed in Lev. 16, by a clear prohibition laid on Aaron and his sons, not to enter "the holy within the veil," save once a year with the ceremonies the chapter describes.

Note that, having in verse 2 spoken of the most holy as "the holy within the veil," it is called through the rest of the chapter "the holy;" save in verse 33, where it is called "the holy sanctuary.”

The eastern division of the building usually called "the holy" is in this chapter called "the tabernacle of the congregation." The court is once named in verse 24 as "holy place," though it may perhaps be considered that "the altar" stands for the third part of the holy precincts.

It is the 29th and 34th verses which make the day a yearly one. On the tenth day of the seventh month Jehovah would "appear in the cloud on the mercy seat.”

Lev. 16:3 appoints sacrifice; verse 4 the dress of the high priest. The precedence suggests the "Lamb foreordained," prior to His manifestation on earth, as dressed. The dress itself is not that of the garments of glory and beauty, but one of plain linen. He is to deal with sins before God, and suitably too, to God's glory, but His own work must be undertaken in a way and dress corresponding to His position, that of humility and of purity, not that of honor and display.

Two sets of sacrifices are brought, one for the whole priestly family, and one for the congregation at large. The priestly family is usually a figure of the church, and for these, the heavenly people, animals of the fullest energy are taken, a bullock and a ram. For the nation, an earthly people, two kids of the goats are the sin offering (and these are separated by lot, one for Jehovah, and the other to be scapegoat), with a ram for a burnt offering.

When these preliminaries are completed, the first great act of the day, verse 11, is the killing of the bullock, the priestly sin offering. This is the public expression, in the open view of those assembled, of the need of death before Aaron, a man, can be admitted to the immediate presence of God. The propitiation of blood-shedding must precede, and be the real ground of entrance within the veil. There is no need to repeat here the details of a sacrifice for sin, but the necessity for death, as the only basis of blessing, cannot be too strongly insisted upon.

Aaron, however, does not at once carry the blood of the victim inside; apart from it he could not enter, Heb. 9:7; it must of necessity be shed first; but, verses 12, 13, he is next to take a censer of coals of fire and sweet incense beaten small, and carry them within the veil. We have already seen the meaning of these: Christ in the graces of His person, and the fire, the judgment of God. When within the veil, the incense is to be put upon the fire, "that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat, that he die not.”

Now Jehovah appears, verse 2, "in the cloud;" the expression of His divine glory, as we have previously seen. Sin both offends righteousness and excludes glory. But the Creator made man upright, and also formed him a vessel for His own glory. If atonement, propitiation, repair, is to be made, it must not only satisfy the throne in righteousness, i.e., meet the cherubim between which Jehovah appears, but a glory also must be brought to the Divine Majesty. Indeed, this latter must be the primary work; it is the higher question; a cloud must be found to meet God's cloud. Nothing lower than a cloud will do. Glory alone responds to glory. The most accurate justice is altogether short of a cloud. "When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants, we have done that which was our duty to do," Luke 17:10. Righteousness accomplished settles claims arising from unrighteousness. But glory—the cloud—is beyond that sphere. It takes a cloud to meet a cloud, and nothing but cloud is enough.

Who can furnish this? Can the creation any way supply it to meet our default of it? No. All the rest of creation together can, at best, but fill up the measure of its own responsibility to God. It can have no surplus. How shall the void be filled—the lack supplied? Incense, the excellence of the incarnate Son of God, the unmeasured sweetness of His worth; this alone, burnt, bowed under judgment in death vicariously, can produce the needed cloud.

Our Lord Jesus sought the glory of Him that sent Him, sought it in His life, and sought it in His death; God was glorified in Him upon the cross, just as in the figure of Lev. 16, the cloud of incense, out from fire, covered the mercy seat where Jehovah appeared in His cloud.

It is worth special notice that the words, "that he die not," are connected in verse 13, with the burning of the incense. They are not used in connection with the blood memorial, but only with the incense cloud. Clearly this assures us of the true value of the cloud; it can be nothing less than we have been seeing, for while it has no life itself, yet it secures the life of Aaron. It is not the ransom of life, but it is greater and includes the less.

The figure indeed goes deeper than that, for as the cloud covers the mercy seat and Aaron is standing on the other side of it, i.e., behind it as seen from the mercy seat, he is covered by the cloud before Jehovah, seen in it, and only so seen.

Such is God's gracious view of those who believe on His Son today; they are covered with all the beauty and worthiness of Christ, even to the full value of His work in glorifying God about them. God sees them as though they themselves had glorified Him, their very standing is in the perfectness of Him who glorified God as well as purged their sins. They stand in Him risen, their very justification is a "justification of life," not of deliverance only, but "of life," and that life is Christ, Rom. 5:18, 1 Cor. 15:1,4,16,17, Col. 3:3,4, 1 John 5:11.

The next action by the high priest is to take of the bullock's blood, and sprinkle it on the front of the mercy seat, and seven times before the mercy seat.

This is both witness to, and memorial of, the death of the sacrifice. "Upon the mercy seat" first, that is, in the view of the cherubim, whose faces look towards the mercy seat, and also blood lies on gold.

Blood tells of life surrendered, death. Gold tells of the Divine in worthiness and excellency. Two more absolute opposites cannot be found. The extremist penalty known on earth, and the highest standard of value; these representing to us the death of the Lamb of God under judgment, recorded on the throne in the holiest; evidence laid up under God's eye of accomplished atonement, by blood once sprinkled on the symbol of God's own nature, and that in the holy of holies.

What a fact. It is real in Christ.

The Blood Is on the Gold

Sprinkled once, is enough for God; no repetition is wanted for Him, but before the mercy seat, it would seem on the ground, there is a sevenfold sprinkling. Towards man, as on his behalf and for his undoubting satisfaction, repeat the sprinkling seven times. Let man know and be assured that as the truth of his guilt is indisputable, so is the mercy of the God he offended; as righteousness was satisfied at the cross, so peace is declared (not a war cry), for these have kissed each other, Psa. 85:10. Because the blood is on the gold testifying God satisfied, blood is thereafter on the ground, and earth is to have the knowledge and blessing of Christ's one obedience unto death. The atonement made to God should produce the reconciling of the world.

The Blood Is on the Gold

and angels, and living ones, and elders, in their innumerable hosts, cry "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.”

The Blood Is on the Earth

and the witness is gone out to "all the world" (Col. 1:6), has been "preached to every creature which is under heaven" (Col. 1:23).

With what response, let each say.

Has the atonement produced its blessed fruit, the reconciliation? If not, why not?

Aaron then kills the nation's in offering, the goat chosen by lot for Jehovah, and deals similarly with its blood.

Some difficulty has been raised about verse 16, "And he shall make an atonement for the holy, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins, and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness." Why "uncleanness"? All evil is unclean and defiling. Whatever deals with it is unclean by contact, as Lev. 15:4-12, Num. 19:7, 8, 10, etc. show. And uncleanness needs both cleansing and atonement. The building could not be guilty, but it did get unclean, by reason of "their transgressions in all their sins," for unclean Israel frequented the tabernacle, and the very dealing with their uncleanness defiled' that which was holy. Atonement was needed because uncleanness had been suffered.

Verse 17, Aaron must be alone for this service.

"Alone He bare the cross,

Alone its grief sustained.”

Even His disciples forsook Him and fled; while, deeper far, none could share the burden of atoning work, no one was competent to assist in that, it was His exclusively.

The altar named in verse 18 appears to be the brazen altar, for there the uncleanness of the children of Israel would require a cleansing and an atonement which would not otherwise be provided for. Some have thought it to refer to the golden altar, because in Ex. 30:10 we learn that the "blood of the sin offering of atonements" was to be put on the horns of that altar yearly. This appointment is not named in Lev. 16 though doubtless it was carried out; the latter half of verse 16 would seem to include it, as the golden altar stood there. There is an additional item in verse 19, the sprinkling of the blood on the altar itself.

Thus there would be seven distinct actions with the blood of the sin offering that day.

1. On the mercy seat, verse 14.

2. Before the mercy seat, verse 14.

3. Before the veil, Lev. 4:6,17.

4. On the horns of the golden altar, Ex. 30:10.

5. On the horns of the brazen altar, verse 18.

6. On the brazen altar itself, verse 19.

7. The remainder poured out at the bottom of the brazen altar, Lev. 4:7, 18.

The guilt of sin and the defilement of sin for the year are thus fully dealt with by blood in all the spheres of priestly action, as well as in the holiest of all.

Read verse 20, "And when he hath made an end of making atonement for the holy," etc.

God has been now glorified according to His nature, and been justified in government by incense and by blood. The claims of righteousness and of purity are all settled.

Then let the nation know it.

Aaron is now to "lay both his hands on the head of the live goat," which is part of the national sin offering, "and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness. And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.”

What a demonstration to all the people. Gathered as they would be in the center of the camp, they see the fit man lead out the goat from "holy place," and going through the thick of them with their sins on its head, for all are acquainted with the ceremony, the goat and sins together are taken off never to return.

We read in Heb. 10:3 "But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance made of sins every year." For the sins which had been committed, and sacrifices offered for them through the past 12 months, were remembered on the Day of Atonement and confessed on the goat's head. Only on that day was blood carried in to the mercy seat, and only on that day was a scapegoat led out into the wilderness.

For us, all is in entire contrast to this; "once purged," the worshipper has "no more conscience of sins." There is no recall of them to mind, but he knows them absolutely gone, gone forever, as surely as Israel knew their 12 months' pardon.

In the figure God had been fully met, and His immediate response was: Let the nation know.

In the cross of Christ we have the absolute reality of perfect sacrifice, perfect atonement, perfect glory to God, all attested to us by His Holy Spirit, and yet how many there are who think it presumptuous to speak of a present knowledge of forgiveness. Israel knew by a goat; shall we not know by the Lord Jesus Christ?

The whole question of guilt being thus cleared, Aaron puts off his garments, bathes himself, puts on his proper garments of glory and beauty as usual, and offers his and the people's burnt offerings.

This was the worship offering so far as sacrifices could go; its smell of delight was rendered to God, as the response of their hearts to His pardoning mercy. The fat of' the sin offering was added to it.

The carcasses of the two sin offerings were next burnt outside the camp, for the worshippers, in their joy, will be but too glad to see the judgment of sin in the flesh completed.

Observe, too, that the high priest bathed when he had finished with sins, for dealing with them, however right the dealing, defiled him. The "fit man" who had led out the scapegoat, washed his clothes and bathed his person, for he had become defiled, though his work was in itself right. He that burned the sin offering carcasses was also to wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water, for he had been in contact with the evil thing, though only doing his duty therein.

What a triple lesson for us. How distinct the difference between guilt and defilement. Yet neither can be allowed to go on un-judged and un-removed.

It has often been asked, why was there no scape-bullock? Surely priests, instructed men in God's mind, ought not to need such an assurance of the effect of their sin offering; and as figures of God's heavenly people, they are treated as becomes faith. The nation is treated as an earthly people, and has a material witness before its eyes.

Chapter 18.

THE CONSECRATION OF THE PRIESTS

Ex. 29:1-28.,

In verses 1-3, sacrifices are appointed.

“ “ 4, Aaron and his sons are bathed.

“ “ 5-9, They are dressed, but Aaron anointed alone, by pouring on his head.

“ “ 10, etc., sacrifices are offered.

The appointed sacrifices are—sin offering, burnt offering, consecration offering (this last being a variety of peace offering), and three varieties of meal offering; i.e., Christ for atonement, Christ glorifying God about sin, Christ the power of communion unto total devotedness, and Christ in the triply tested perfectness of His person; the unbaked meal offering is not here.

All are bathed—figure of new creation blessing, the new nature born of the Word.

Such can be dressed, displayed in characters which may be best studied separately, in our next chapter, observing only that souls are now born again that they may be able to enter into all God's thoughts of mercy, none of which are apprehended or enjoyed by the first Adam, not even the forgiveness of sins.

Aaron's distinct dress is high priestly, and he is anointed before sacrifice and alone, as figure of our Lord Jesus, who was anointed at His baptism apart from blood. Aaron's anointing also was by pouring on the head in this first case, which is special to the high priest, and is called "the crown of the anointing oil of his God," Lev. 21:10-12.

The order of the offering up of these sacrifices is of importance; first, the bullock of the sin offering is brought and killed, Aaron and his sons laying, leaning, their hands upon its head. It is for them on account of their guilt, not for any particular transgression.

Its blood is put on the horns of the brazen altar—a public record of the death; the rest is poured beside the bottom of the altar. These two are in a general way, the clearing of the offerer's conscience, and satisfaction to the government of God.

The fat burned upon the altar connects the sin offering with the burnt offering, for it rises a smell of delight to God.

The flesh, entire, burnt without the camp prefigures the judgment of nature, sin in the flesh condemned.

The ram of burnt offering is next dealt with, and, according to Lev. 1, it is wholly burned for a smell of delight to Jehovah.

The two great truths of sacrifice are thus first made good to those who are to be priests—Atonement, the putting away of evil, every barrier to blessing; and, Acceptance into the full favor of God, according to the smell of delight that supplanted sin at the cross.

These are essential to us if we are to take the place of priests suitably now; the bright and blessed sense of our sins eternally gone, of sin judged in the death of Christ, and of our standing in full Divine favor, loved of God as He loves Christ, John 17:23, and blessed in Him forever with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places.

What true priests the children of God would be if in simple faith they just took this home to their own hearts. Priests, that is, worshippers, with spiritual sacrifices, the sacrifices of praise, the fruit of our lips. The conscious recipients of such grace, we could not fail to answer to it; and that is precisely what the Father is now seeking.

The ram of consecration comes third. On it Aaron and his sons lean their hands—identify themselves with it—it is killed, and some of its blood is put on his and their right ears, thumbs, and toes. According to the use of these members of our bodies, this suggests that our intercourse with others is to be blood-marked, our work and business are to have the same character, and our whole journey, wherever it may take us, is to be blood-marked too.

“I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service," Rom. 12:1.

It is well to notice here, that this is no optional matter for Aaron and his sons; God appoints this, and He-carries it out by Moses. It is not for our choice—will we, or will we not, live lives of devotedness as priests. True, "the love of Christ constrains us," but if the constraint is not in operation in our life, where is our sense of the love?

Moses is also to take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, on his sons, and on all their garments. This is our anointing, the seal of the Holy Spirit, as sent down by Christ ascended. The oil and the blood, now together, assure our hearts, and we are empowered for our priestly work.

Parts of the offering, with one loaf, one wafer, and one cake, are next put in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons to be waved as a wave offering before Jehovah. This was the specialty of consecration. To consecrate, is, literally to fill the hands. It is to completely occupy. And what with? Christ in His personal perfectness, and as a smell of delight to God, for all was to be burned on the altar.

What an occupation. The hands so filled could be busy with nothing else. They can wave what they hold, and that alone engages them. Where are such priests to-day? Priests, redeemed souls, so absorbed with the beauty of the Lord Jesus, that they can only display it, recount it, before God, and dwell on what He was in Himself, such that God's fire could find nothing but smell of delight there.

Finally, verse 32. The priests were to eat the-flesh of the ram, and the remainder of the meal offering. As in the peace or communion offering, we have here Christ not only for life, but for our food, for the maintenance of life, in its proper character and energy.

What do we feed our souls with? Quails? to be surfeited?

What do we feed our souls with? Num. 11:5, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, garlic and fish? All these suited Egypt, being found on the ground or below the surface—you must stoop to get them.

What do we feed our souls with? Christ, the corn of the land, the grapes, and figs, and pomegranates, which are all grown off the ground, and for which we must look up? Christ the communion offering, His flesh, His blood, His very self, all that God Himself finds His joy in, and gives us for our joy?

Then we shall be priests indeed, and God shall get His worship at our hands; we, full of Christ recounting Christ, sharing the very fragrance of the Incense we are burning, and pouring out before our God such expressions of the Worthy One as the calves of our lips can tell.

AM I SUCH A PRIEST?

Chapter 19.

THE GARMENTS OF GLORY AND BEAUTY

Ex. 28 gives us the details of this dress; chapter 29., the order of putting the several garments on. It will be noticed that this is the reverse of the order in 28:4; the application to man usually begins with the close of the order of a divine announcement. It was so with the sacrifices, and also with the building of the tabernacle and its coverings.

We have seen Aaron bathed—new created in figure, and then the coat was the first garment put on.

“And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the miter of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework," chapter 28:39.

Fine linen has two references in the New Testament which will show its meaning. It was the material of which the veil was made, and we read in Heb. 10:20, "the veil, that is to say, His flesh," i.e., the very body of Christ; and again, in Rev. 19:8, "the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the saints." Both thoughts seem to be found in the coat, Christ Himself, in the character of righteousness. The further idea of the embroidery will be one of special enrichment, about which no detail is told us. It was of divine pattern, for Moses was to make all things after the pattern shown to him in the mount. It may suggest to us, not simply righteousness of life, but that divine righteousness which we find in the New Testament, "righteousness of God.”

This needs examining, for we find our Lord Jesus was made sin for us, "that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him," 2 Cor. 5:21. This must be distinguished from simply justification, it is vastly more than that. Nor is it the imputation to us of the righteousness Christ ever wrought in His life here. Blessed and perfect as all His ways were, He ever magnifying the law, and making it honorable, yet clearly that could not be imputed to us, seeing we are told in Gal. 2:21 "if righteousness come by the law then Christ died in vain." No legal righteousness then is ours in grace before God, but Christ Himself "is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption," 1 Cor. 1:30. It is then what God has made Christ personally to be to us. It is a new thing since the cross, not anything our Lord did, but what He now is, being made such by God. This does not detract from either His life or His death; rather it shows what His life and death must have been to God, that God should thereupon constitute Him God's righteousness. So in Phil. 3:9, Paul says, "not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”

This is what the gospel brings to the soul, of which the Apostle says, he was not ashamed, "For therein is righteousness of God by faith revealed to faith," Rom. 1:17, lit. Again, "by deeds of law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight," Rom. 3:20. "But now righteousness of God without law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; righteousness of God, by faith of Jesus Christ." It is the revelation of another righteousness, one of which law knew nothing, but we are made it in Christ, and Christ is made it to us.

The coat of linen, embroidered, may well illustrate this truth in Christ, the righteousness of God.

It will not be supposed that the dress of the high priest, used here to illustrate grace to us, is intended to suggest even that we become high priests. Not at all. But believers to-day are in Him who is the Great High Priest, so that while the dress is the display of what is proper to the Lord alone, it tells also of blessing which we are brought into as in Him.

“And thou shalt make the girdle of needlework." The primary use of the girdle is to secure the dress to the person who is wearing it. This the girdle did when put on. Thus the coat was fastened to the priest; and so in grace is God's righteousness, not Christ's, secured to the believer; it is a gift of God, and can never be taken away.

The robe of the ephod was the next garment; in verses 31-35 it was made all of blue, with a hole in the top bound round that it be not rent, while on the hem were pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet, alternated with golden bells.

“All of blue" suggests a heavenly character which was so real in Christ. The Lord says "they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world," John 17:16. Our citizenship is in heaven, even where the Lord is. He is rejected from the earth, and "the disciple is not above his Master, but every one that is perfect shall be as his Master," Luke 6:40. It is a special privilege that we now have, that of being associated with Him whom the world cast out.

It is from the hem of the blue that the rich fruits and bells hang. The fruits are formed in the three colors, and in those three characters-Son of God, Son of Man, and Son of David, our Lord bore fruit to God. The bells of gold speak of divine testimony, and He was "the faithful and true witness." That fruit and testimony we share, while also fruit and testimony that should result from us will flow from our taking up our heavenly calling. We can be no more than instruments, but what an honor to be put in trust in any way with the truth of God; what an honor to "go forth therefore unto Him without the camp," our very outsideness being some witness in itself, in addition to any sound that may be heard.

As Aaron moved, wearing the dress, the sound was heard without any effort on his part. If we but quietly went about in the joy of our heavenly calling, thankful to be separated to the Lord, the witness would flow freely with no effort from us. Our part is to live just what we are—results are with God.

The ephod itself, verses 6, 7, was of linen, decorated with gold, blue, purple, and scarlet; chapter 39: 3 shows that the gold was beaten into thin plates, and cut into wires or laces and worked into the linen, etc. There would appear to have been a front and a back part, which were connected by two shoulder pieces, while "a curious girdle" bound the lower parts together upon the priest's body.

It was the display of the colors, and added to them, of the gold, which is divine glory; Christ in the characters of Son of God, Son of Man, Son of David, and also gold; the Revealer of the chief glory of God, the love of His heart. "Hereby we have known love, because He laid down His life for us," 1 John 3:16. Only so do we know true love, and "God is love." It is told us in Christ supremely. Presently too, when the millennial fulfillment of all this is accomplished, the glory of God will be displayed in Christ and in us, to the world. Even now to faith God's glory shines in the face of Jesus Christ.

There are two special passages written for us that appear to carry the thought of the gold, "That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto His own kingdom and glory," 1 Thess. 2:12, and "The God of all grace who hath called us unto His eternal glory in Christ Jesus," 1 Peter 5:10.

What a place of blessing for us in Christ, known now.

The "curious girdle," tied all on Aaron; the full display of Christ the King that has yet to be made in millennial times, is as sure as the past display of God in Christ, humbled 1,800 years ago, and our blessing in Him equally so "Heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.”

“O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God? How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!'.' Rom. 11:33.

Two onyx stones, each with six names of the tribes of Israel graven upon it, are to be set in ouches of gold upon the shoulders of the ephod, as stones of memorial unto the children of Israel. Thus Israel as an entire nation, all 12 tribes, is to be borne in the place of power by their high priest before God.

Our great High Priest ever liveth to make intercession for us, having entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us, able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto' God by Him.

The breastplate also was fastened to the ephod. Of the same materials, four-square doubled, a span each way. It had four rows of different stones each bearing a graven name of a tribe, three in a row, 12, and each set in gold. Probably these rows were the four sides of a square, leaving the center for the Urim and Thummim which were put in it. The order of the names on the shoulders was that of birth, verse 10, but this is not said in verse 21, where it is simply said, "according to their names," no precedence being indicated.

The whole is fastened by rings, chains, and laces, to the ephod, "that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod, and Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment"—estimate—"upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy, for a memorial before Jehovah continually," verses 28, 29.

Now it is upon his heart, in the place of affection, that the 12 names are borne. Accordingly, each name has a different stone; they are not alike, for the estimate of each is varied, but all are there, and in gold settings. This too, was "for a memorial.”

To-day "the Lord knoweth them that are His," 2 Tim. 2:19, and "having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end," John 13:1 "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you," John 15:9. Christ "loved the church, and gave Himself for it," Eph. 5:25.

As Israel in the near future will be inseparable from the glory of His earthly kingdom, so too we are bound up in the love of His heart with all the display then, as well as with all His interests now.

“In Him," He is—coat—made unto us righteousness, the righteousness of God.

“In Him," He is—robe—not of this world, but heavenly; the wisdom of the counsels of God are hid in the mystery of the church, Col. 2:2, 3, with its heavenly calling.

“In Him," He is-ephod-the glorified One, with whom we shall be glorified, when the redemption shall be completed for body as well as soul, "whom He justified, them He also glorified.”

Lastly, the miter, bearing the gold plate graven with "Holiness to Jehovah," is to be on Aaron's forehead, that he "may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts.”

Himself our sanctification, as well as righteousness, wisdom, and redemption.

Let no license intrude here, and think that the faults of our services are of little moment. The abundance of God's blessed provisions, instead of producing in us any tolerance of the least wrong, should produce a deeper and more thorough condemnation of it. Indeed, if we but enjoyed our privileges, the latter would be the sure result.

Yet what a true comfort, the Lord our sanctification is. How much there is that we fail to perceive, which is none the less due from us, and how much there is that we do perceive, that we but very partially fulfill.

The Lord Jesus as our sanctification meets for us all the omissions and the commissions by which we vary from the perfect standard, the unknown as well as those known which we fail to confess.

Is not the mercy of our God perfect? Is it not the precious tenderness of a Father's love?

Chapter 20.

THE RED HEIFER

Num. 19

The special nature of all the appointments in this chapter require our separate consideration of it, though the offering is called a sin offering; the words at the close of verse 9, "it is a purification for sin," are literally, "it is a sin offering;" and in verse 17 it should be "take of the ashes of the burning of the sin offering, and running water.”

Also there is strong ground for changing "water of separation," which occurs five times in the chapter, into "water of purification.”

Clearly it is not a sacrifice touching the fundamental relations of the nation to God, for His altar is not referred to, nor does the high priest act; atonement is not said to be made; it is a heifer, not a bullock, and it is killed "without the camp." Their relation to God is at the same time owned by the sprinkling of the blood "towards the tabernacle of the congregation seven times," verse 4.

The term to burn, verse 5, is not that used in connection with the altar, causing sweet savor, but it is one carrying the thought of destroying entirely, consuming. The entire carcass was so burnt; and into the burning, cedar, hyssop and scarlet were to be cast. Cedar, the stately growth in nature, and hyssop, the straggling weed in nature, seem to stand for the highest and lowest inclusively of all that nature furnishes, 1 Kings 4:33; while scarlet, the national color, suggests the pride of man, and possibly all that is artificial, for it was a dye obtained by processes.

The true sacrifice is ever the Lord Jesus, here seen bearing the destructive judgment of God; the world crucified to us, and we to it at Calvary. Whether as a source of direct satisfaction or of indirect, "what things were gain to me those I counted loss for Christ, yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord," Phil. 3:7, 8. So that Paul could say, "Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh; yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him no more," 2 Cor. 5:16. Only the new creation in Christ risen could give Paul any satisfaction, the circle of Christ's interests held his heart. All else was to him burned in the cross.

It was the ashes of such a burning that were to be kept laid up, to be used for a water of purification. There is no transgression calling for this sacrifice, the use to which it is put brings no forgiveness; it deals entirely with defilement and cleansing, not with guilt or any failure.

More limited still, the defilement to which it is to be applied is exclusively that which arises from a man's death. "He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days," verse 11. Then, the tent in which death occurs, then all that come into the tent, and all that is in the tent, all are unclean. Again, he who touches a bone of a man, or a grave, is unclean, and this uncleanness lasts for seven days.

It might be quite right to touch a dead body, or a grave, or a bone; indeed the only record we have of the use of this water in their history, is in Num. 31, where God directs 'Israel to avenge themselves of the Midianites, and the fighting men were kept outside the camp for the cleansing of the water of purification, verses 19-24. Defilement, therefore, may, and must be, clearly defined from guilt. Guilt cannot be rightly contracted, but defilement may.

Still, as it is such, it must be dealt with, and the provision here is the ashes—results of applying fire— of the sacrifice including its blood, and of all natural or worldly things. These applied by means of water, —the written word,—should bring home to our consciences the true value they carry in God's sight,—fit only for judgment,—and our severance from them all in death, by the cross. It is the true and full power of the cross, which we are so apt to neglect, applied to our practice in a scene where the things themselves surround and tempt us continually.

The application of the ashes in water on the third and seventh days, gives a very solemn sense of the importance of the provision, the gravity of defilement, and the serious interference it is with the communion in which we are privileged to live.

So deep and real is this that he who neglected to purify himself was to be cut off from among the congregation, for he defiled the sanctuary of Jehovah.

Chapter 21.

A CLOSING WORD

There is a remarkable verse in Num. 18, which may suitably close our examination of these topics. After stating the charges of the priests, and then their portion of the most holy things for their special food, we read in verse 10, "In the most holy shalt thou eat it, every male shall eat it, it shall be holy unto thee.”

There is no varied Hebrew text as to this, nor any doubtfulness about the translation. The Septuagint confirms it, so that the supposition that it might be rendered "as most holy shalt thou eat it," in view of a suggested change in a Hebrew letter, does not seem tenable.

What does it mean then? For Aaron and his sons were forbidden to enter the most holy.

Is it not written purely for us? Intending that we who have the Substance and are the true priests now, should eat and feed on the foreshadowed Christ only in the most holy, only in the clear sense of God's immediate presence.

Flesh and its wisdom have no place there, and have no skill to appropriate such food.

But faith, seated in the heavenlies in Christ, can enjoy and assimilate all that is revealed of Him. "Eat O friends, drink, yea drink abundantly O beloved," Song of Sol. 5:1.

“He that eateth of this bread shall live forever," John 6:58. But eat it in the most holy.

E. C. P.

2, Headstone Drive,

Wealdstone, R.S.O.,

December 31St, 1894.

Appendix

SOME NOTES ON THE PRECEDING PAGES

A brother writes: "Don't forget, the placing of the tribes around the tabernacle is very important, too. And every one knew his place, and did not hesitate to keep it, also the pedigrees. Num. 1.18.”

Chapter 2; Page 2. "Symbolism of Vessels and Materials." Some saints see other meanings to some of these symbols. Let us remember that we cannot limit the Infinite, and these symbols may include all, and more, than any have ever seen in them. "Thy Commandment is exceeding broad." (Psa. 119.96). About some of these meanings we cannot be too dogmatic, and let us remember the writer points out (the end of Chapter 1) they may possess "other and secondary values.”

Page 6; 23rd line, beginning, "Fire.—" Should not the comma be omitted between "final" and "judgment"?

Page 9; Line 8. We would prefer to say "for whose sake He is the gate.”

Page 10; 11Th line. Would it not be more clear if it read: "angels' nature", or "the nature of angels"?

Page 10. The gate, 20 cubits broad, about 35 feet according to the Egyptian cubit, would surely suggest the widest invitation and welcome to all: "Whosoever will" may come. Remember the door of the Ark was large enough to admit an elephant.

Page 20. Last line, should not "Person" have a capital?

Page 26. Line 4. Steps to the altar might suggest raising oneself by ones own strength little by little, one step at a time Page 27. Lines 1, 4 "capable person"; "perfect person". Should not "person" be spelled with a capital "P": "Person"?

Page 33. End of 1St Paragraph. May not the sinner slaying his own substitute also include the realization that it was my sins, apart from those of any other person, that caused the death of my Substitute: it was I who slew Him?

“Teach me that if none other

Had sinned, but I alone,

Yet still Thy blood, Lord Jesus,

Thine only, must atone.”

Page 38; Last Line; Page 39; Line 1. Does not the young bullock remind us of the words in Psa. 110.3: "Thou hast the dew of thy youth"? There was nothing old or worn about the One Who gave Himself for us.

Page 56. The Burnt Offering. Some have questioned Mr. Pressland's application. May we suggest that those interested read with care Mr. Darby's remarks on the 1St Chapter of Leviticus in "The Synopsis of the Books of the Bible", Vol. 1, where this subject is further discussed.

Page 65. Line 4. It would seem that "all" should read "both", or, "in complete contrast".

Page 70; Last Paragraph. The Golden Altar. Considerable difficulty has been felt by many regarding Heb. 9.3 & 4: "And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant...". The Greek word translated "censer" may also mean "altar", so that as far as the translation is concerned the passage may read: "which had the golden altar, and the ark of the covenant." Heb. 9:2 enumerates the candlestick and the table: but if "censer" is used in verse 3, the Golden Altar is omitted from the list of furniture, which would seem to be unlikely, While no mention is made in the Old Testament of a Golden Censer as part of the furniture of the Holiest of all.

At first sight however it is difficult to understand how the Altar of incense could be described as part of the Holiest of all: but it should be noted that the Spirit of God changes His language in the 3rd verse, from that used in verse 2. In verse 2 The candlestick and the table are said to be "in" the first tabernacle, or Holy place, or "the holy", as Mr. Pressland speaks. But the "golden censer", or, "golden altar", whichever it should read, is not said to be "in" the Holiest of all, but the Holiest of all "had" this article of furniture. It would seem that the Golden altar of incense really belonged to the Holiest of all, but as the way was not yet made open to enter there, God, in His grace, put it just outside the Veil, where the priests could ever approach it, instead of inside, where it belonged. In Ex. 30:6 it is said to be "before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee." And in Lev. 4:12 it is said to be "before the Lord." (See, "The Epistle to the Hebrews" by Dr. Westcott).

If the bars of this altar were through rings "by the two corners thereof", (Ex. 30.4), might it not seem likely that the altar would be put in front of the Veil cornerwise, so the bars would be parallel to the veil? If that were so, the horns would point North, South, East and West; suggesting the directions which our prayers might include.

Page 71; Last line. Should not "completely" read "completeness"?

Page 72; Second Paragraph. Let us remember that in Rev. 5.8, Margin, "Incense" is said to be the "prayers of the saints." See also, Rev. 8.3 & 4.

Page 72; Last line but one. Would it not be clearer if we read, "When, then, the incense..."?

Page 73; 6 lines from bottom: Should not "blesser" read "Blesser"?

Page 80; 8 lines from bottom. We would like to put a capital to "Bible".

Page 91. Line 15. "Taches." We find the golden taches mentioned in Ex. 26:6, and then follow the words: "And it shall be one tabernacle." And in 36.13, after speaking of the golden taches, we read: "So it became one tabernacle." Similarly in 26.11, after speaking of the brass taches, we read: "That it may be one.' And in 36.18, almost the same words. The taches are again mentioned in Ex. 39, where a list is given of the parts of the Tabernacle and its furniture that they brought to Moses: and in verse 33 we find the "taches" head the list, though perhaps they were the smallest of anything in the tabernacle: but what a place of honor is given to them! If they do not typify, they at least remind us of, the "joints and bands" (Col. 2:19) which make the body one; and they make us think of those saints, often poor and unknown, hidden and lightly esteemed, who hold the saints together: for let us remember that it' is generally the well known leaders who scatter the sheep.

Pages 82, 83. The Boards. Mr. Pressland's arrangement of the bars that held together the Tabernacle Boards, as I understand it, is shown in the sketch, marked "Sketch A". Though I very much hesitate to differ from this writer, it has seemed to me that perhaps the arrangement was as shown in the second sketch, marked "Sketch B". You will note that Mr. Pressland is not at all dogmatic about the arrangement he suggests; nor would it be possible to say with any certainty that the other arrangement is more correct. If we accept Mr. Pressland's suggestion that the boards were half a cubit thick, (using 21 inches to a cubit), this would mean they were 102 inches thick, which would give ample room for a concealed bar to "shoot through" the boards, and would make the strongest link of all in holding the boards together. I have thought perhaps the five bars might be seen in Eph. 4:2, 3:

Lowliness would be the bottom bar. Meekness the second bar.

Longsuffering the fourth bar.

Forbearing one another in love, the top bar; and, The Unity of the Spirit, the "middle bar to shoot through the boards from one end to the other." (Ex. 36.33). That unseen bar, the strongest link of all between the boards, would represent the mighty, unseen power of the Spirit of God that does still link together in a very real way all believers. Some have thought the Golden rings which held the bars represented Love.

Page 94; 4th Paragraph; 1St Line. It might be clearer if the words "wood and gold" were inserted.

Page 117; Line 25. Does not the girdle represent service? See Luke 12.37; John 13.4. Compare this with 1 Peter 5. 5, where the meaning probably is "gird on the slave's apron"; where Peter probably refers to our Lord the night He washed the disciples feet. John 13. The one who became a voluntary slave in Ex. 21. 1-6, "shall serve him forever.”

Earlier in the story. The individual name on the individual stone would surely represent the individual love that our Great High Priest has to each individual saint, borne separately and individually on His heart.

Foreshadows

Table of Contents

Preface

Preface to Second Edition

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2.

Chapter 3.

Chapter 4.

Chapter 5.

Chapter 6.

Chapter 7.

Chapter 8.

Chapter 9.

Chapter 10.

Chapter 11.

Chapter 12.

Chapter 13.

Chapter 14.

Chapter 15.

Chapter 16.

Chapter 17.

Chapter 18.

Chapter 19.

Chapter 20.

Chapter 21.

Appendix