Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

pillars at the east end, on which to hang that vail also. Then he spread abroad the linen curtains, and hung them up, and afterwards placed the other set of curtains and covers according to their order. Then the ark, with its staves, mercyseat, and cherubims, were placed in the holy of holies. And he hung up the curious vail, which hid the most holy place from view. Next he placed the table, and set on it the shew bread in the holy place, on the north side of the taber nacle. Then he placed the candlestick of pure gold on the south, and the altar of perfume just in the middle, before the vail. Then he hung up the vail, at the east end of the tabernacle, having burnt sweet incense, all which was done exactly as the Lord commanded. Thus all within the tabernacle was concealed from common and open view. Next, therefore, Moses set up the brazen altar before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the first time of using it, he offered the burnt-offering and meat-offering, as the Lord commanded. Then he set the laver between the tent, or tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar of burnt-offering, and put water therein to wash withal. And then he encompassed the whole tabernacle, altar, and laver, with a pale of hangings round about.

That you may clearly see the truth of all this, I will transcribe the preliminary verses, going before my text, beginning at ver. 16. "And it

came to pass in the first month, in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up. And Moses reared up the tabernacle, and fastened his sockets, and set up the boards thereof, and put in the bars thereof, and reared up his pillars; and he spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent above upon it, as the Lord commanded Moses: and he took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy-seat above upon the ark: and he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the vail of the covering, and covered the ark of the testimony, as the Lord commanded: and he put the table in the tent of the congregation, upon the side of the tabernacle northward, without the vail: and he set the bread in order upon it, before the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses: And he put the candlestick in the tent of the congregation, over against the table, on the south side of the tabernacle: and he lighted the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses; and he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation, before the vail, and he burnt sweet incense thereon as the Lord commanded Moses: and he set up the hanging, at the door of the tabernacle: and he put the altar of burnt-offering, by the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation, and offered upon. it the burnt-offering, and the meat-offering, as the

Lord commanded Moses. And he set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and put water there to wash withal. And Moses, and Aaron, and his sons, washed their hands and their feet thereat; when they went into the tent of the congregation, and when they came near unto the altar, they washed; as the Lord commanded Moses." And thus I am brought to my text, "And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate; so Moses finished the work."

I will here endeavour to set before you briefly, what the tabernacle, with its sacred emblems, and the court, with its sacred furniture, signified. And first, of the tabernacle. It was a type, symbol, and pledge of our Lord's incarnation; a figure of his body, as was the temple, of which our Lord, speaking of himself as the antitype, says, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. But he spake of the tabernacle or temple of his body." John ii. 19, 21. The tabernacle and temple were both one and the same, as to their symbolical meaning. The walls of the temple, which were of shittim wood, were covered with plates of gold on the inside, and on the outside with various coverings; so that it might be said to be mean in its outward appearance, though all-glorious within. So Christ in our nature appeared in the form of a servant, and

in the likeness of sinful flesh. The tabernacle being to be taken down and set up, as occasion required, might serve to point out how our Lord's body would be pulled down by death, and raised up again by his resurrection from the grave, and power of death. The tabernacle being all-glorious within, served to point out Christ, who though essentially and personally glorious, as one in the incomprehensible Jehovah, and as God-man, all fulness of grace and glory was inherently in him, yet it was suspended and concealed under and within the tabernacle of his earthy body. The fine linen sculptured curtains were emblematical of the immaculate purity and perfection of his human nature; which was prepared by the Father, framed and articulated by the Holy Ghost, and assumed by the only begotten Son of God into personal union, so that God and man became one Christ. The man and lion, and the lion and man united in the profile cherubic figure on the curtains of fine linen, were a memorial of the union of the Second Person in Jehovah, to the man Christ Jesus. The colours of blue, purple, and scarlet, with which the figures of the cherubs were wrought in the curtains, may be considered as expressive of the bloody sweat, the bleeding body, and the death of Christ. The several coverings might denote the protection and safety which Christ affords his church. The tabernacle was Jehovah's dwelling-place. It

shadowed forth Christ's becoming incarnate, and tabernacling with his people.

The tabernacle and its vails also were types of the body of Christ. The first vail or curtain, by which the priest entered into the holy place, was expressive of Christ, who is the way of access to God. Our Lord says of himself, "I am the door; by me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved." As the priest entered, he saw the golden candlestick, with its seven lamps; an exhibition of Christ, the light of everlasting life. Opposite to it was the table of shew bread, with the cups of frankincense; expressive of Christ, who bears up his people in remembrance before the Lord; he is always in his Father's presence on their behalf; he perfumes both their persons and services, so that they are a sweet perfume to God: Christ remembers his church and people with everlasting kindness. It was also expressive of Christ, the bread of everlasting life. The golden altar of incense was typical of Christ, the intercessor of his church. The curious vail or curtain, which parted the holy from the most holy place, was expressive of the body of Christ; it pointed out his flesh, as rent by death, to open a passage way into the holiest of all. The ark, mercy-seat, and cherubims of glory, were sacred records of the covenant transactions of the eternal Three; they were symbolical of Christ, who

« AnteriorContinuar »