themselves, or adopted any other postures they pleased in Prayer; or not have prayed at all.

3. So again, with respect to Singing and Music in Public Worship, On this subject also the Mosaic Law is absolutely silent. From what we know of Moses' Musical attainments, and of the great Musical Service which he conducted on the Asiatic shore of the Red Sea,1 we should have expected the Law to enjoin the continual maintenance of instrumental and vocal music, congregational and antiphonal melodies, in the great Sanctuary of Hebrew Worship. But "the Thôra contains no directions respecting the use of song and music in divine worship, except the commands concerning the ritualistic use of silver trumpets to be blown by the priests (Num. 10)." So far as the Mosaic Law is concerned, all the choirs of Israel might have remained silent for ever.

In giving the Law, Moses' individuality was evidently subordinated to the Divine Will. He added nothing to, and he took nothing from, the Revelation which God entrusted to Him. As it was in the time of our first parents; and as it was again in the time of Christ; so it was in the time of Moses: the imposition of an obligatory Devotional Ritual for Public Worship formed no part of God's purpose towards man. The Church under the Law enjoyed as large a liberty in this matter. as the Patriarchal and Christian Churches themselves. Nor was this liberty abused by the Jewish Church. Her errors and shortcomings were many; but they did not much affect her Devotional Ritual.

The Mosaic Code of Ritual Observances was fulfilled in Christ, and was abrogated by His authority. But the abrogation of this Code abrogated nothing but the contents of the Code itself; and; therefore, it did not in 1 See above, Chapter XXI. § 3. 2 Delitzsch, On the Psalms, I. p. 30.

1

any way touch the question of Devotional Ritual, with respect to which the Mosaic Law hardly contains a single positive precept. As I have said above, the Law found Public Worship Responsive, Congregational, Reverent, Musical, Beautiful and Processional; and the Law left it so. The Law created circumstances which indirectly stimulated Devotional Ritual. But neither the promulgation, nor the repeal, of the Law, in the smallest degree affected the essential characteristics of the Devotional Ritual which preceded the Law; which prevailed alongside it; which survived it; and which shall never die.

1 The appointed Form of Blessing for Public Worship (Num. 6. 22), and the Forms of Words appointed to be used in Offering the First Fruits and in giving the Tithes (Deut. 26), are not only historical indications that Fixed Liturgies were used in Moses' time, but are express Divine recognitions of the principle that fixed liturgical formulas are proper, and often necessary, for worship. The Songs of Moses and many of the Psalms were also inspired formulas of Public Worship in the Jewish Church.

CHAPTER XXVII.

THE JEWISH TABERNACLE AND THE DRESS OF THE JEWISH HIGH PRIEST, PRIESTS, AND LEVITES.

1. Preparations for building the Tabernacle. -2. The Tabernacle. 3. Dress of the Levites, Priests, and High Priest.-4. Westward Direction of Jewish Worship in the Tabernacle.

1.-Preparations for building the Tabernacle.

WHEN Moses was on Mount Sinai, receiving the Law, God showed him a picture or model of the Tabernacle and its furniture, which he was commanded to make, after the prescribed pattern, out of the freewill-offerings of the people. "Let them make Me a Sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According 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." All earthly temples and worship, in so far as they are a true following of the Instinct of Worship, are patterns of the temple and worship in Heaven, with the modifications rendered necessary by man's physical organization and spiritual condition, which, even prior to the Fall, "made him a little lower than the angels." But in the majority of cases, earthly temples and worship are marred and disfigured patterns of "the heavenly things themselves:" the Divine ideal in the heart of man being blurred and darkened by his sin. Therefore, God showed to Moses a true pattern of "Heaven itself," "the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with

hands;" in order that Moses should, after "the copies of the things in the heavens," build a worthy Sanctuary on earth, purified from the prevalent idolatrous accretions, and perfectly adapted in all its symbolism for worship in that preparatory dispensation.1

The Tabernacle which Moses was commanded to build was a type of God's Church on earth and in heaven. It was, therefore, beautiful and costly and it was also, both in its materials and workmanship, a freewill-offering from the people. God wills to have His Church built by willing hands and grateful loving hearts. He will not accept an unloving, forced service. He accepts the service of sons, not of slaves.

The total value of the materials, apart from the labour and workmanship, required for the construction of the Tabernacle, was at least £250,000.2 The 29 talents of solid gold alone would, according to the present commercial value, cost about £158,775.3

Having received full instructions from God, Moses summoned the whole congregation together, and invited them to present their freewill-offerings of materials for the construction of the Tabernacle. "Whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the Lord: gold, and silver, and brass, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen," and skins, acacia-wood, gems, oil, and incense. In the next place, Moses enumerated in detail to the people all the different kinds of work required, down to the construction of pins and cords for the Tabernacle; and he invited all who had special skill or talents to devote them to God's service. "Every wise

1 Ex. 25. 8, 9. Ps. 8. 5. Heb. 9. 8-11, 23, 24. Fairbairn's Typology of Scripture, II. p. 241.

'A Talent of gold, weighing 102 lbs. 13 oz. (avoir.), was worth about £5475. See Oxford Helps to the Study of the Bible, pp. 106, 107.

4 Ex. 35. 4-19.

hearted among you shall come." In order to encourage the contributors both of materials and of labour, Moses added, “See, the Lord hath called by name Bezaleel the Son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and He hath filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship; and to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make all manner of cunning work. And He hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. Them hath He filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work. Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise-hearted man, in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the Sanctuary, according to all that the Lord had commanded."1

In making his appeal to the religious generosity of the people, Moses, by enumerating at great length all the different kinds of materials and labour required for the construction of the Tabernacle, made it possible for all to contribute something. Some doubtless gave large and costly offerings, others gave little. Some executed the highest kinds of workmanship, others the lowest. But all, both men and women, rich and poor, skilled and unskilled, were able to give or to do something. The man who graved diamonds or onyx-stones or other gems, or wrought in gold, and the man who made ropes

1 Ex. 35. 30-35: 36. I.

2 Ex. 35. 4-19.