EXO 26:15-25)"AND thou shalt 'Make boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood standing up.' Ten cubits shall be the length of 'a board, and a cubit and a half shall be the breadth of one board. Two tenons shall there be in one board, set in order One against another: thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the tabernacle. And thou Abaft make the boards for the tabernacle; twenty boards on-the south side southward: And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for. his two tenons. And for the second side of the tabernacle on the north. side there shall be twenty boards: and their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board; and two sockets under another board: And for the sides of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards. And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides., And they shall be coupled together beneath, and they shall be coupled together above the head of it unto one ring: thus shall it be far them both; they shall be for the two corners: And they shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board."
" the Boards of Shittim Wood.
And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood standing up, ver. 15.] Regarding: the tabernacle as typical of Christ, these boards of shittim wood overlaid with gold, the framework of the tabernacle him in the combination of the human and the Divine, natures in his blessed, person, the foundation truth of Christianity, "God manifest in the flesh."
But, taking the tabernacle as typical of the Church, these boards represent the individual believers of
whom the Church of God is composed.
The Material.
They were to be of shittim wood, shittim wood being, as we have seen, typical Of human nature.
Their Position.
Bards of shittim" wood standing up] This intimates that they had been previously cut down.
Believers were once the children of wrath, even as ethers, growing wild in nature's forest; but they had been selected by Divine-grace; and had been brought low by the convictions 'of' the Spirit,- and they are" here 'seen Standing In grace. (Rom. 5: 2.) Their feet, as 'it were, set upon a rock, and their goings established.(Psalm 40: 2.)
The Design
Boards for as tabernacle.] Representing true believers, prepared to confess Christ, and to meet together in the confession of his name. Not only by one Spirit baptized into one Body, Which is true of all believers, but also builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit (Eph. 2: 22), which is outwardly true only of those. Who are united together in the confession of the naive of Jesus in Church fellowship.
Boards for the tabernacle of God. Not members of a particular Church. This is man's, perversion of the, Divine original. Not any person for an outward professing Church formed on man’s model, on, but the boards, representing real believers, saints, and faithful brethren in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2.), which could" keep rank. (1 Chron. 12: 23) Consistent in walk, sound in doctrine, subject to the authority of Christ, keeping his word, and not denying' his name, and associated together to form a sanctuary for a dwelling place for God. (Ex. 14:8, and Eph. 2: 22.)
The. Dimexsions of the 'Boards, Ten, Cubits Shall Be the Length of a Board and a Cubit and a Half the Breadth of One Board.]Say About Eighteen Feet Three Inches High, by Two Feet Nine Wide.
Thus ten cubits was the height of the' tabernacle. One third of the height of the' holy place in Solomon's temple, and half the height of the most holy place.
A certain height and breadth was appointed by God for the boards of the tabernacle.
In 'Numbers 3: 15, &c., we find that every' male of the tribe of Levi was numbered from a month old and upward. But in chapter 4. they Were numbered from thirty years old and upward. "All that entered into the host, to do the work in the tent of the congregation." And in chapter 1. we read that all Israel from twenty -years old and upward numbered, "all that were able' to go forth to War in Israel.
Every regenerate person is born into the family' of God, and is a member of the body of Christ: and, as such, has a title to a place in the assembly.
But 'in order to fill this place happily and to the glory of God, a certain depth, height, and breadth of Christian experience is desirable. He must have faith in Jesus and being justified by faith, have peace with God; and standing in grace rejoice in hope of glory. He must also be in charity with his brethren and prepared to show and to receive love. Faith, hope, and charity; these three. Depth, height, and breadth.
Depth, down to the sockets of silver (v.19). Faith. In redemption.
Height, up to the rings of gold (v.24). Hope of the coming glory.
Breadth, extending to the other boards on either side. Love in the truth to all them that have known the truth, for the truth's sake which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us forever. (2 John 1:2.)
These boards were not trees left unhewn, in their natural shape, but planks, four-square like stones fitted for their appointed place in a building.
We should meet, not simply as, professors, but as believers; and not only as 'believers, but in the name of him that is holy and true, and that hath, the key of David. '(Rev.3: 7.)
This is, I believe, God's model for building at the present time.
There must be, individually and collectively, faith, holiness, truth, and subjection to the Lordship of Christ, if we would so meet as that Christ may say, "Thou hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name."
The Tenons.
Two tenons shall there be in one board, set in order one against another: thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the tabernacle, ver. 17.]," Two tenons,” Hebrew, " hands." According to their name they appear to represent the -hands of faith, laying hold on the redemption, 'which is In Christ Jesus; and, according to their position at the bottom of the boards, they suggest the idea, of the feet, of faith, standing firm on redemption, and the redemption price.
"Set in order." So as to fit exactly into the sockets. No slackness, no wavering, but" steadfast, and unmoveable," "stablished, strengthened, settled:" "Two hands," or two feet. A firm grasp, and firm standing. Thus shalt 'thou make for all' the boards of the tabernacle.].. The, tabernacle of God is composed of such and such only as have saving faith in Jesus; and in: the redemption accomplished by his atoning blood.
The Number of the Boards, on the South and North Sides.
And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards on the south side southward. And for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side there shall be twenty boards, vers. 18, 20.] Twenty boards of a cubit and a half make thirty cubits, while the length of the holy place of the temple and the most holy together was sixty cubit's, or double the length. Thirty cubits will be about fifty-five feet long.
The Sockets of Silver.;
And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons, ver. 19.] The comparison of Ex. 30: 11 to 16 and 38: 25 to 28, with 1 Peter 1:18, 19; will give us most clearly and beautifully the spiritual import of these sockets of silver. " And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then they shall give every man a ransom for his soul unto the Lord, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them when thou numberest them. This they shall give, every one that passeth among" them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs;) an half 'shekel shall be the offering of the Lord. The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the Lord, to make atonement for you souls."' (Ex. 30:1 to 15.)
" Forasmuch as ye know," says' Peter,' "that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold.......but with the precious blood of Christ, As of a lamb without blemish and without spot."'
All God's people are numbered as a ransomed people; to be reckoned among them on the ground of profession merely, is to come under judgment. The tares will in due time be all burned in the fire. (Matt. 13)
The redemption, price is fixed by "nod himself. The value of the Soul, and the demerit of sin, being estimated according to 'divine holiness and its requirements. ("After the shekel of the sanctuary.") There can be no ransom for the soul, and no redemption for the sinner at a less price than the precious" blood of Christ and all souls are of equal value. Then as to the use made of the redemption silver. "And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the tent of the congregation that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the Lord, to make an atonement for your souls." (Ex. 30:16.) "And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation, was an hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and three score and, fifteen Shekels after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of the hundred talents of silver were cast he sockets of the sanctuary, and the sockets of, the vail; an hundred sockets of the hundred talents, a talent for a socket.", (Ex.38: 25,27,)
A talent of silver is computed at £342 3s. 9d.;a talent being abort 114 lbs weight.
Thus typically each individual comparing the habitation of God is seen standing, on, redemption as a soul ransomed by the precious brood of Christ, God's, spotless Lamb; and the whole foundations of the tabernacle are laid in that which is the memorial to God's people and the memorial before God of the completed work of Jesus.
The 'candlestick was made of one talent of gold, expressive of the, all-sufficiency of Divine, grace, as provided testimony.
And to each, socket of the 'tabernacle there was apportioned a whole talent of silver, expressive of the all-sufficiency of the redemption price.
The Two Sides Westward.
And for the sides of the tabernacle, westward, thou shalt make six boards. And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides; vers. 22, 23].Sides, not side; "two sides westward:” Three boards for each side, meeting in the middle; and projecting about two cubits in the center, and two boards for the corners, one board for each cornet, making eight boards in all..
In representations of the tabernacle, the west end is generally drawn as though it was composed of one side only, whereas there are two sides and two corners. Six boards are but enough to reach from side to side (the breadth of the tabernacle, as found by the size of the curtains being ten cubits), and eight boards are too many if put straight. As suggested above, I believe all difficulty is removed, and the sixteen sockets will also be in place.
The Coupling and Foundations of the Scorner, Boards.
And they shall be coupled beneath, and they shall be coupled together above the head of it unto the ring thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners. And they shall be "eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets;, two sockets under one board, and two sockets under, another board vers 24: 25]
In Heb. 3: 6, we read, “ Christ as a Son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. And again, v. 14, " For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end."
The boards were " coupled beneath." And believers are one in the confidence of faith. Each board standing firm in the sockets of silver, and each believer established in the faith of the Gospel.
And the boards were also "Coupled together 'to one ring above."—And we are One in the rejoicing of the hope.- We have one faith, and One hope of Our calling: Christ crucified is the foundation of our faith, and Christ glorified the substance and center of our hope; Christ himself being the chief Corner Stone, uniting. the Jew and the Gentile in one on earth beneath; and he is also the Head Stone of the corner, uniting them together in one in heaven above. T. N.
[The Bars of the Tabernacle (D.V.) in the Number for May.]
THE unity of Christ's body being the ground assumed, all Christians have, in principle, a title to be there, the Lord's name-being maintained as to doctrine \and 'discipline. If 'you insist on a certain standard of intelligence beyond Christ, before receiving them, you prove that you are not intelligent, and you abandon your own (i.e. God's). principle. At the same time, it is all well that young converts should wait; it would do them no harm. 'The great requisite for receiving, is satisfaction as to membership of the body of Christ ... .. The principle is "one body and lone Spirit;” the resource, now that all is
confusion and inconsistency, is Matt. 18:20. J. N. D.