Chapter 16
Exodus 26
“Last night,” said Mother, as Sophy and Arthur finished their supper, “we talked about the ark, the table, and the candlestick. Tonight we shall learn about the tabernacle itself.”
Soon the little family were gathered in the favored spot, and Mother began:
“Now the Lord had said to Moses: ‘Thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet; with cherubim of cunning work shalt thou make them.’ The women helped with this part of the tabernacle, in spinning the cloth for the curtains. The curtains must have looked very beautiful with the cherubim richly embroidered over them. The ten curtains were to be all the same size; five were to be fastened together and the other five together. Then they were to have fifty loops of blue all down the edge of each group. Into these loops of blue were to be put studs or buttons of gold to loop them all together that it might be one tabernacle.
“The colors of the curtains, like everything else in the tabernacle were to show the glories of the Lord Jesus, each having a special meaning. The blue was the heavenly color, the purple was the royal kingly color and the scarlet was the color of earthly splendor and glory. We know that the Lord Jesus had all these glories. He was the heavenly One, He was a king, and God has given Him glory as a man, because when He was a man down here, He perfectly glorified God. When He comes into this world again, He will take His great power and reign and He will be king over His people Israel. Then they will see in Him all these glories. The cherubim which were beautifully worked on the curtains also spoke of grace and glory.
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“Everything about the tabernacle was most wonderful and as Moses thought of it he must have felt what glory belonged to God’s presence, and how unsuited to Him were all the thoughts and works of men. How full his heart must have been of heavenly things when he spent forty days to learn their pattern. He learned it so well that he could come down from the mount and make everything exactly like what he had seen up there! Only the Holy Spirit could teach him the things of God.
“Then the Lord told him to make eleven curtains of goats’ hair, for the first set of coverings for the tabernacle. These were to be made longer than the curtains of the tabernacle, so as to cover them completely. Five were to be fastened together and six together, and they were to have fifty loops on each side, but they were to be joined by buttons of brass, that it might be one tent.
“The tent was to be put over the tabernacle because the tabernacle was God’s sanctuary or holy place, and everything in it was to be suited to Him. But what suited Him did not suit a sinful people, so God said the curtains of goats’ hair should be placed on the tabernacle. It was called ‘the tent of the congregation’ which means ‘the tent of the people.’ It was suited to man, as the beautiful curtains of the tabernacle were suited to God, and this was also the reason why they were looped together with buttons of brass; but the curtains of the tabernacle had buttons of gold.”
At this point Sophy wanted to know if anyone could see the beautiful curtains from the outside. “I think not, Sophy,” replied Mother.
“After this the Lord told Moses to make more coverings. Next came the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, and there is no measurement given for these. They would point to the devotedness of Christ to God which was without measure — even unto death.
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“The outside covering was to be made of badger skins. The badger is a small animal that lives in holes in the rocks away out in the country. The badger skins were not beautiful to look at, but they would protect the beautiful curtains and things inside the tabernacle from all that would be around it in the wilderness, and anything which might spoil its beauty. It reminds us of the Lord Jesus who was ‘holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners.’”
“Mother,” interrupted curious-minded Arthur, “how did the tent stay up?”
So Mother went on to explain. “The coverings were to be held up by boards of shittim wood overlaid with gold. There were to be twenty boards on each side, which were to have small pieces of wood at the bottom of each to fit into sockets of silver. This was to keep them standing up. At the end of the tabernacle there were to be six boards and the two corner boards. All of the boards were to have rings of gold upon them and bars of shittim wood, overlaid with gold, to slip into the rings to hold the boards together. The Lord had said, ‘Thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was showed thee in the mount.’
“The Lord made it clear to Moses where to put all the things in the tabernacle, so it was important to make it exactly as he was told. The Lord said, ‘Thou shalt’ and he obeyed.
“Then the Lord told Moses to make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet and fine linen with the cherubim worked upon it. It should be hung by hooks of gold upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold and these should stand upon four sockets of silver. The veil was to divide the tabernacle into two parts; it was to separate the “holy place” from the “most holy,” and was to be hung under the buttons which fastened the curtains together.
“I think I have told you before that there would be two rooms in the tabernacle, like a heaven inside heaven, for the tabernacle was intended to be a pattern of the heavens. The ark and the mercy seat with the cherubim were to be in the most holy place; that is, inside the veil. Outside the veil, in the holy place, were to be the table and the candlestick.
“Next there should be a hanging for the door of the tent of blue, purple and scarlet, worked with needlework and hung with hooks of gold on five pillars of wood overlaid with gold. These pillars were to stand on five sockets of brass.
“You will remember there were cherubim on the veil, and that they spoke of judgment. But those inside could look on that which spoke of judgment and not be afraid, because they were there in all the value of the blood of Jesus that had been shed for them. However, there were no cherubim on the hanging for the door, for God’s attitude now toward the sinner is grace. The Lord Jesus tells us, ‘I am the door, by Me if any man enter in he shall be saved.’ Those who come to God through Christ have all their fear of judgment taken from them, for they know that He has suffered in their stead.
“Now I think that will be enough for tonight,” said Mother, “for Arthur is getting sleepy, and you both need your rest.”