THE OFFERINGS FOR THE TABERNACLE, EXODUS 25:1-91And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. 3And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass, 4And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, 5And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood, 6Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense, 7Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate. 8And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. 9According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it. (Exodus 25:1‑9).
EXO 25: 1-9) 1-2. " And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering."
These were communications from God to Moses while he was on the mount, and were to be imparted to the people as communications from God himself.
In contrast with these offerings for the tabernacle, we have in chapter 32 The account of the contributions for the golden calf; and the comparison is instructive.
Aaron says, "Bring your contributions unto me and they brought them unto Aaron" (verses 2, 3), and the result was the molten calf, and religious worship by proclamation, " To-morrow is a feast to Jehovah " (verses 4, 5). This is man's contribution to man for a professedly religious object, according to the wisdom and will of man, and what came of it (verse 24), "and there came out this calf."
God says, "Let them bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering." Offerings to GOD for the accomplishment of his word and will.
God, in thus speaking to the children of Israel, whom he had redeemed out of Egypt, is in spirit speaking to every ransomed soul, of whom the children of Israel are the types (1 Cor 10: 11; Rom. 15: 4).
" Let them bring me an heave offering." So the Hebrew, and the margin. There are two kinds of offerings mentioned in scripture, the heave offering, or that which is offered or heaved up to God, and the wave offering, that which is caused to pass and repass before him: as significant, the one, of that which is done to God, and the other, of that which is done in his presence. Here it is the heave offering, but in Exodus 35, both terms are used (verse 22). Literally, " Every one that waved a wave offering of gold," and (verse 24), " Every one that heaved an heave offering of silver."
And whether it be in doing, suffering, or giving, when there is first a willing mind it is accepted, if done to God, and as in the sight of God; as he says, " Of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering."
"God loveth a cheerful giver;" but then he sets the example; and by his own unspeakable gift he lays the believer under infinite obligation, and leads the soul to make the earnest inquiry, “What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me?" These gifts make not God our debtor; they are the feeble acknowledgment on our part that we owe a debt which eternity will never see discharged.
But God has not only expressed his willingness to receive, he has also specified what is to be given.
3. "And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass," &c. (3-7).
These various materials are significant, and we will endeavor to point out their symbolical import, as suggested by other portions of the inspired word.
GOLD, the purest, most precious, and most beautiful of metals, is the emblem Of that which is divine, of the divine nature, excellency and glory.
SILVER, anciently the chief circulating medium, the emblem of redemption, and atonement, communion (Ex. 30: 11-16, with 1 Pet. 1: 18, 19).
BRASS, typical of enduring strength (Deut. 33: 25).
BLUE, of heaven, from its color, and of perfection, from its Hebrew name. Heavenly perfectness.
SCARLET, of earthly dignity and glory (2 Sam. 1: 24).
PURPLE, a combination of blue and scarlet, typical of heavenly and earthly glory combined.
FINE LINEN, purity, righteousness, &c. (Rev. 19: 8)
GOAT'S HAIR, human nature simply, without the idea of purity.
RAMS' SKINS DYED RED, atonement (1 Pet. 1: 19), as " a garment dipped in blood" (Gen. 37: 31).
BADGERS' SKINS, the pilgrim character (Ezek. 16: 10).
SHITTIM WOOD, human nature.
OIL FOR THE LIGHT, the Holy Spirit in testimony. SPICES FOR THE ANOINTING OIL, the graces of the Spirit of Christ.
AND FOR SWEET INCENSE, those graces of the Spirit which are for a sweet smelling savor to God.
PRECIOUS STONES, various excellencies and perfections, both in Jesus, and in his people, through grace.
This is the "alphabet," so to speak, with which it is necessary to be familiar before we shall be able to read the types of the tabernacle intelligently. I think I have given each " letter" its true expression and power. I think I have " pronounced" them rightly. Others, indeed, may differ from me in this, but like different dialects of the same language, I am persuaded we shall nearly agree in substance.
Now let us put these "letters" together in the order in which they here occur, and I think they will spell a well known and much loved name: the name of him who is the Alpha and the Omega, the name of Jesus, Jehovah the Savior.
GOLD, for he was with God, and was God, " God over all, blessed forever."
SILVER, he is our Redeemer. His precious blood was our redemption-price.
BRASS, the Almighty Savior, of patient and enduring strength.
BLUE, he came down from heaven, and even while on earth could speak of himself as " the Son of man which is in heaven;" and he was perfection itself.
SCARLET, as Son of David all earthly dignity and glory belongs to him.
PURPLE, both heavenly and earthly glories center in him.
FINE LINEN, he did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.
GOAT'S HAIR, he was made in the likeness of sinful flesh, though, personally, he knew no sin.
RAMS' SKINS DYED RED, he was the atoning Lamb.
BADGERS' SKINS, he was a pilgrim and stranger here, not having where to lay his head.
SHITTIM WOOD, " The Word was made flesh and tabernacled among us."
OIL FOR THE LIGHT, he was the Christ, the anointed One, the faithful and true witness, the light of the world.
SPICES FOR ANOINTING OIL, every grace and virtue centered in him.
AND FOR SWEET INCENSE, his name is as ointment poured forth.
PRECIOUS STONES, the one in whom every excellency, perfection, and glory meets and dwells.
" Join all the glorious names
Of wisdom, love, and power,-
That mortals ever knew,
That angels ever bore.
All are too mean to speak his worth,
Too mean to set the Savior forth."
We now come to the object for which the contributions were made.
8. "And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them."
Gracious words! God having redeemed a people out of Egypt, desired to have a dwelling-place among them in the wilderness. So God now desires that sinners redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, should be builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit (Eph. 2: 22), and be built up a spiritual house, composed of living stones (1 Pet. 2: 5)
When Jesus was here upon the earth, he himself was the sanctuary and dwelling-place of God. In him the glory of the Godhead dwelt. " The Word was made flesh and dwelt (or tabernacled) among us, and we beheld his glory." Before his death, in this respect, he abode alone (John 12: 24). But now having finished his work, and ascended up on high, upon the foundation of the confession of his name, as the Christ, the Son of the living God, known in the soul by the revelation of the Father, he is building his church (Matt. 16: 15-16), " for an habitation of God," the house of God, the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Tim. 3: 15).
" Let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them."
How perfect, how suggestive are the words of God! He does not say, Let them make themselves a tabernacle, or meeting-place, that I may come and visit them.
It is natural to man to think of himself first, and to begin from himself. But God's thoughts and ways are the opposite of man's. God begins from himself, " Let them make ME a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them."
Oh, for grace to learn this lesson perfectly! So that in meeting together in church fellowship our first thought may be, not our own comfort and convenience, nor even our own edification-God will take care of that-but that God may have a dwelling-place among us, and that God, through Christ, may be glorified.
Let us mark another thing. He does not say, Let them make me a tabernacle, or a tent, as though anything would do for God; but, "Let them make me a sanctuary," a holy habitation "that I may dwell." Yes, " holiness becomes God's house forever."
In the gospel God comes down to sinners; it is grace abounding amidst the aboundings of sin. But the truth for the saint is the doctrine which is according to godliness. To the sinner, by the gospel, God says, " Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow: though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." But to the believer he says, "What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? And what part hath he that believeth with an unbeliever? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people" (2 Cor. 6: 14-18).
"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Cor. 7: 1).
" That I may dwell among them," not as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night, but to be at home there. And Jesus has told us the secret of this (John 14: 23). And the secret is, love and obedience: love to Christ and obedience to him. " If any man love me he will keep my word (Gr., not words. See Rev. 3: 8), and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our abode with him."
The visits of divine grace, in a Father's love and a Savior's pity, to the abodes of the saints in the midst of their uncleanness and is one thing; the home-dwelling of divine love, where holiness is cultivated and obedience sought, is another, and far more blessed.
9. " According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and after the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it."
In the things of God no place is left for human reason, and no margin for self-will. God has arranged everything according to infinite wisdom, and the word of God contains full instructions.
These earthly types were " the example and shadows of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount" (Heb. 8: 5).
Weighty and important words! May they be brought to bear upon our consciences, and tell upon our hearts!
The assembly of saints on earth should be the reflection down here of what the church is in Christ above. Is the church above redeemed to God from an evil world? the church on earth is to be separate to God, as not of the world, even as Christ is not of it. Is the church above one in Christ its glorious Head? the church on earth should exhibit this oneness. Is the church above a holy and true church? the church on earth should be conspicuous for holiness and truth, "the epistle of Christ, known and read of all men," "the pillar and ground of the truth." And just as Christ on earth was " God manifest in flesh;" so the church should exhibit Christ manifest in his people.
T. N.