Exodus 24, 25.
It is deeply important to distinguish between “Law” and “Grace,” and to trace in the divine oracles the contrast between the righteous and condemning demands of the legal covenant, and the unsearchable riches sad full salvation of the gospel of the grace of God. The Holy Scriptures frequently remind the believer that he is “not under the law but under grace;” and the Epistle to the Galatian saints specially warns as against the pernicious error of mixing up these things which differ, viz., the Law which was given by Moses, and the Grace and Truth that came by Jesus Christ. It is well to observe that the gospel was not designed to help, but to save those that believe; not to improve the human family in a moral and intellectual sense, but to give life and deliverance from “the wrath to come;” not to heal the unwounded who are lying is a state of contented alienation and distance from God, but to comfort the sin-stricken sinner, purge his guilty conscience, and bring him nigh, by the blood of Jesus. Man being a fallen creature, “without strength,” and “ungodly,” can render nothing to God― “all have sinned and come short.” Legal requirements, therefore, only expose the weakness and depravity of the sinner, and consequently make manifest his real state as “far off” from God. This unsuitableness of the Law (holy, just, and good as it is) is remarkably exhibited in these chapters in Exodus; and also the all-sufficient power of divine Grace in accomplishing for us what the Law could not do.
No sooner had the Law and. Judgments been given to Israel than Moses was commanded to “come up” into the presence of God (Ex. 24:11And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the Lord, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off. (Exodus 24:1)). It was a solemn moment. It at once tested the “law of commandments.” Most carefully the legal code might be perused, and the special and minute injunctions concerning judgments be weighed, but the more diligently they were considered the clearer it must have appeared that something else was needed to bring “nigh to God.” This call of Jehovah to Moses strikingly skews that the Law, though abounding with instruction concerning outward observances, was unable, because it was weak through the flesh, to bring into God’s presence: ― there was nothing in the whole catalog of legal requirements that could furnish men with means of “access” to God.
Moses therefore has recourse to Sacrifice―the blood of the slain victim is his refuge, for he rose up early in the morning, builded an altar, and sent young men to offer burnt-offerings and sacrifice peace-offerings unto the Lord, and when the blood was sprinkled, Moses went up into the Mount.
In this way the prophet could “draw nigh to God.” By the blood of the sacrifice he went at once into God’s presence; yea, when the sight of the glory was like devouring fire on the top of the Mount, Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the Mount. When the summons to “come up unto Jehovah” was announced, he was compelled to take refuge in that which was alone able to it him for the presence of the Most High. “Without shedding of blood is no remission;” therefore by the blood of the sacrifice only, was sinful flesh able to approach God and live: by the efficacy of the shed blood of Another he drew near, and was able to abide in the presence of God―there to enter into the counsels of God, and receive instruction and heavenly wisdom concerning the service of the God of Israel.
How truly blessed it is thus to find the glory of the Gospel shining forth, so attractively, immediately after the giving of the Law! How sweet to behold the excellence and suitability of Grace to our condition! How soul-comforting to read in types and figures the liberty which the blood of Jesus gives in the presence of God! Unbelief and carnal reason may look for creature fitness and human worthiness, but faith delights alone in the riches of divine grace, and by the blood of the Son of God enters with boldness into the holiest of all, and there abides.
Moses having thus peacefully entered into the presence of the LORD, there beholds the pattern that is to be imitated, and has minute instructions communicated to him concerning the service of the Tabernacle. If any imagine that communion with God involves nothing but personal enjoyment, let them pause and consider. Our Heavenly Father looks for fruit in the branches of the True Vine, and has so ordered, that the edification of the “whole body” of Christ, shall be by that which “every joint supplieth.” Each member, therefore, of the Church of God is so necessary, that the most feeble can never be said to be needless. To be independent of our fellow-members is to be, in measure, independent of Christ. But to return: there is the Service of God, as well as the Grace of God; and the former, when acceptable, is, I doubt not, the sure result of the latter. It is “much fruit” that glorifies our Father—not the suggestions and activities of the flesh which “profiteth nothing,” but that which is of the operation of the Spirit of God, and therefore according to His own blessed pattern. “See, said He, that thou make all things according to the pattern sheaved to thee in the Mount” (Heb. 8:55Who serve unto the example and shadow 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. (Hebrews 8:5)).
In the details we may notice: 1. That the service enjoined by the Lord is to be the obedience of a “willing heart”―not grudgingly, but of a ready mind; for God loveth a cheerful giver. 2. That the quality and kind of service are minutely described, each ingredient of which represents Jesus in some way or other. 3. That the Spirit of God takes up the offerings, and applies them to the service of the Tabernacle (Ex. 35:3030And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the Lord hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; (Exodus 35:30)).
We cannot suppose that any Israelite was so poor as to be unable to render something to the service of the Tabernacle―the badger’s skin, shittim wood, and goat’s hair had their places there, as well as the gold, and silver, and brass; but nothing that did not correspond to “the pattern,” however large in quantity, or wealthy the hand that brought it, could be accepted. The Spirit of God is the Glorifier of Jesus, and He only displays His power and wisdom in that which exalts Him who is the Worthy One; hence the poorest of the families of Israel, who willingly dedicated his feeble measure of oil or spice, met with a ready welcome, while the richest abundance, which accorded not with “the pattern, “would find no appointed place of service in the Tabernacle.
What practical lessons are found here, beloved! Christ “the way”― His blood our alone ground of acceptance and fellowship―His example our only pattern―His Spirit our only power to serve Him acceptably, and the grace of God which bringeth salvation, and not the law given by Moses, the root and source of all. We may remark also here, that this service of the Tabernacle was abundantly fruitful to the servants of the Lord, for the further they advanced in the work the more the glory of the mercy-seat was known, and the more apparent it was that the Law was fulfilled, magnified, made honorable, and taken out of the way. Moses was commanded to take the two tables of testimony, on which the law of commandments was written, and put them in the Ark, above and upon which was the mercy-seat.
Lastly, we may notice, that the time came for every man’s work to be made manifest―the Tabernacle was reared up, and all the accepted offerings of the people used for the glory of God, according to the wisdom and workmanship of the Holy Spirit. Nothing was then seen but what was according to “the pattern.” Each minute part, as well as the whole, resembled Jesus. No result of human policy had a place there, but the poor man’s piece of badger’s skin filled up a place of service that gold and silver could not, while the precious stones, and most costly and rare materials had their places also.
Let us take courage, beloved! Not a cup of water, a prayer, nor a word, expended in the service of the Lord, according to Christ, shall be unnoticed in that day; while the high-flown pretensions of the unspiritual will find that the works of carnal wisdom are not accepted of the Lord. “We are not under the Law, but under Grace;” washed, justified, and sanctified in Christ, in whom we have a living and an imperishable hope. Let us then draw near by the blood of Jesus, and abide in the holiest of all. Let us attentively consider “THE PATTERN” we are called to imitate, and seek to render to Him that service which will glorify Him now, and of which He will graciously manifest His approval in that day, when He shall make up Me jewels.