The Tabernacle’s Typical Teaching
FOREWORD.
SOMEONE has well described the Tabernacle "as a prophecy
in linen, silver and gold." "The patterns of things in the heavens" (Heb. ix.
23)-"the example and shadow of heavenly things" (Heb. viii. 5)- " a shadow of
things to come" (Col. ii. ‘7) -"every whit of it [the Tabernacle] uttereth
His glory" (Ps. xxix. 9, margin) - are divine statements which bespeak to the
full the importance and blessedness of our theme. The New Testament, especially
the Epistle to the Hebrews, throws much light on the subject. It is all
compressed into one word, that these things "are a shadow of things to come ;
but the body (or substance, that is in contrast to the shadow) is of CHRIST"
(Col. ii. 17).
CHRIST, then, is our happy theme - His Deity, His
manhood, His atoning death, His finished work, His resurrection, the blessing
that flows from Him to His people, and their association with Him.
Less
than two chapters (Gen. i. ii.) suffice to tell us of the mighty work of
creation. Indeed one verse of ten short words (Gen. i. x) gives us the record
"that the worlds were framed by the word of God" (Heb. xi. 3). But thirteen
chapters in Exodus alone are taken up with instructions as to the Tabernacle,
whilst, we may say, the whole of the history, teaching and instructions of the
Pentateuch, stand mainly in relation to the Tabernacle. This alone shows the
importance of our theme. Creation was necessary to afford a platform on which
God might carry out His scheme, the shadows of which are given in the
Tabernacle. Creation is but the scaffolding for the erection of the building.
The scaffolding will be taken down one day, and the building of God will remain
for ever to His praise.
To the unenlightened reader the instructions as
to the Tabernacle and its service seem dry and needless recitals of a
meaningless ritual of long ago. But to the Christian, who holds the key to the
right understanding of it all, it is instinct with delightful teaching, it is
fragrant of Christ, it is a striking evidence of the fulness and inspiration of
God’s word, its record is one of the richest mines of purest gold in the
whole Bible. May God give grace and help for such a theme. May He richly bless
our meditations.
Brackley,.
Weston-super-mare.
THE TABERNACLE’S TYPICAL TEACHING.
CHAPTER I.
NOT fewer than 603,550 male Israelites of twenty years
old and upwards paid the atonement money that was taken of the children of
Israel in the wilderness of Sinai, when God numbered His people. This number
did not include the tribe of Levi, which was specially set apart for the work
of the Tabernacle. From this we gather that roughly speaking some three million
souls must have come out of Egypt, when God, "with a mighty hand, and with an
outstretched arm," delivered His people from the bitter bondage of Pharaoh.
What a stirring tale it is, a tribute to God’s mighty power and abounding
mercy.
Sheltered by the blood on the passover night, saved by power as
God’s mighty hand brought them through the Red Sea, this host of erstwhile
slaves found themselves God’s redeemed and rescued people. on the
wilderness side of the Red Sea, on the opposite shore of which lay Egypt, the
land of their bitter bondage. These things happened for our learning. We read
"Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us" (i Cor. V. 7) ; again, "Now all
these things happened unto them for ensamples; and they are written for our
admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come" (i Cor. x. II) ; again,
"Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that
we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope" (Rom. xv.
4).
The passover begins the spiritual history of Israel, and by it God
would declare that redemption is the foundation of His dealings with men.
On this foundation God announced His good pleasure in dwelling among His
people, and to this end instructed Moses as to the construction of the
Tabernacle, the order of the sacrifices, the service of the Priests and
Levites, and the conduct that should mark a people thus brought into relation
to Himself. The Tabernacle was divided into two compartments, the holy place
and the holy of holies. Its total length was about 54 feet; its breadth about
16 feet. The court of the Tabernacle was roughly 18o feet by 90 feet.
For
its size it was perhaps the most expensive structure that has ever been.
Over £16o,ooo worth of gold, and over £34,000 of silver, besides
quantities of copper, linen, etc., were used in its construction. The weight of
silver alone has been computed at 4 tons. This small building was worth about
£200,000.
When we reflect who furnished the materials, our
astonishment deepens. The Israelites had just escaped from bitter bondage.
Their lot had been rigorous. "Bricks without straw" had plumbed the depths of
the misery of sweated labour. Yet these were the people who so willingly
offered of their substance that Moses had to restrain their flood of
generosity.
We read of the offerers that "everyone whose heart stirred
him up, and every one whom His spirit made willing," gladly contributed to the
work of the Lord. Men and women brought their bracelets, earrings, rings,
tablets and jewels of gold; the "wise-hearted" women spun linen and goats’
hair; the rulers brought precious stones, spices and oil. What a lesson to us !
Those who sow sparingly shall reap sparingly; those who sow bountifully shall
reap bountifully. "God loveth a cheerful giver" (2 Cor. ix. 7). The widow, who
cast her two mites - all her living - into the treasury of the temple, when
that system of things was drawing to its close, and morally had "Ichabod"
written upon it, might well encourage us at the end of this dispensation to
serve the Lord in this way. He will be no man’s debtor, nor is He
unrighteous to forget the work and labour of love done in His name. In giving
the typical significance of the various articles used in the construction of
the Tabernacle, it is well to remember that we cannot dogmatize, but that we
offer our explanations to the spiritual judgment of the reader.
Many
things in Scripture we can and must be dogmatic about; for instance, the Deity
and manhood of the Lord Jesus, His atoning work, the presence and work of the
Holy Spirit, the inspiration of Scripture, the Church of God, her origin,
blessings and destiny, the calling and ultimate blessing of Israel - for these
truths are directly affirmed in Scripture. And even in the types there are
things we can be dogmatic about, such as the passover being typical of Christ
seen in the efficacy of His atoning death : "Christ our Passover is sacrificed
for us" (i Cor. v. 7), is our warrant for this. The mercy seat is typical of
Christ, who in His atoning death enables God to meet and bless the believing
sinner, and that consistently with His own holiness. "God hath set forth
[Christ] to be a propitiation [literally a mercy seat] through faith in His
blood" (Rom. iii. 25), being our warrant for this. Other examples will occur to
the reader. Bearing the above in mind, let us proceed with our explanations.
GOLD. - Typical of Deity when in
reference to Christ; of divine righteousness when seen in relation to men. In
Exodus whenever gold is typical of Deity it is always "pure gold" ; when it
illustrates divine righteousness the word gold" is used. Such is the exactitude
of Scripture.
SILVER. - Typical of
redemption. The half shekel demanded of the males from twenty years old and
upward when Israel was numbered, is described as "atonement money" (Exodus xxx.
ii - x6).
BRASS. - Wherever the
word "brass" is employed in Scripture it should be "copper." Brass is an alloy
and not so fire-resisting as copper, a pure metal. Keeping this in mind, we
purpose employing the phraseology employed in our Authorized Version and speak
of "the brazen altar," "the brazen layer," etc. Brass then is typical of
atonement in the aspect of the judgment of God being sustained, and man’s
responsibility being met.
BLUE. -
Typical of what is heavenly. The Hindustani word for heaven is simply "blue."
It is the colour of the cloudless sky.
PURPLE. - Typical of the glory of Christ as Son of
man, as King of kings and Lord of lords. Purple in history is the colour used
by emperors. Christ will be the true Lord Emperor. An Emperor is, strictly
speaking, a King of kings.
SCARLET. - Typical of the glory of Christ as the
King of Israel. Scarlet is the kingly colour, and Christ will be specially the
King of Israel. In mockery of His kingly claims the soldiers put on Jesus "a
scarlet robe" (Matt. xxvii. 28).
FINE LINEN. - Typical of the
spotless sinless life of the Lord Jesus, or of that which should characterize
His people.
GOATS’ HAIR. - Typical of Christ as prophet.
Zech. xiii. 4, 5, shows that a hairy garment was the badge of the prophetic
office. When the sick King Ahaziah enquired what sort of man it was that met
his messengers, they replied that he was a hairy man; that is, he wore a hairy
garment, and had a leathern girdle round his loins. Immediately the King
recognized the description as that of Elijah the prophet. John the Baptist is,
likewise, described as having a camel’s hair garment and a leathern
girdle.
RAMS’ SKINS DYED RED. - Typical of Christ’s
devotedness to God’s glory even to death. The "ram" is called "the ram of
Aaron’s consecration" in Exodus xxix. 26, etc. "Dyed red" signifies the
length to which consecration can go, even to death.
BADGERS’
SKINS. - Typical of Christ as seen by the world. These formed the outward
covering of the Tabernacle. Illustrates Isaiah liii. 2, no form or comeliness,
no beauty to make Him desired.
SHITTIM WOOD. - Typical of the
humanity of the Lord Jesus, or that of the believer. The Acacia wood of the
desert - very indestructible in nature.
OIL. - Typical of
God’s Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is called in the New Testament "the
Anointing," and the typical anointing in Old Testament times was always with
oil.
SPICES. - Typical of the fragrance of Christ before
God.
ONYX AND PRECIOUS STONES. - Typical of the preciousness of
the believer to God, the outcome of his relation to Christ.
SANCTUARY. - How blessed is God’s desire to dwell among His people,
.and in order to carry out His gracious desire He must have a sanctuary - a
holy set-apart place - to dwell in. The materials used in the construction of
this dwelling in their typical significance show that the only way by which
this desire can be met is by Christ, in His person, and His work, and the place
and portion His people have in relation to Him before God.
"ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN."Human mind and imagination are not left to
work out what is suitable to the mind of God. Moses had been called up to the
top of Mount Sinai. The elders of Israel saw him disappear in the glory of the
Lord, which was like a devouring fire on the top of the mount. There he was
instructed by God and exhorted - " look thou that thou make them [the various
parts of the Tabernacle] after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the
mount" (Exod. xxv. 40).
Seeing all these details have been designed by
God Himself in order to teach His people lessons of heavenly things, these
types and shadows become intensely interesting, and their study not to be
neglected without real. loss to the souL
Just as the refraction of light
breaks it s up into its seven prismatic colours, so the types break up the
great truths concerning Christ - His Deity, His manhood, His atoning work, the
blessing and standing of His people - into instructive details. And as we learn
these details, and one detail after another is stored in our memory, gradually
the right appreciation of the whole is formed in our souls, till the truth is
woven into the very spiritual fibre of our beings, affecting us for God’s
glory, and through us affecting others.
End of this Extract