E
X O D U S
CHAP. XXVI.
Moses
here receives instructions, I. Concerning the inner curtains of the tent or
tabernacle, and the coupling of those curtains, ver. 1-6. II. Concerning the
outer curtains which were of goats' hair, to strengthen the former, ver. 7-13.
III. Concerning the case or cover which was to secure it from the weather,
ver. 14. IV. Concerning the boards which were to be reared up to support the
curtains, with their bars and sockets, ver. 15-30. V. The partition between
the holy place and the most holy, ver. 31-35. VI. The veil for the door, ver.
36, 37. These particulars, thus largely recorded, seem of little use to us
now; yet, having been of great use to Moses and Israel, and God having thought
fit to preserve down to us the remembrance of them, we ought not to overlook
them. Even the antiquity renders this account venerable.
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The
Tabernacle and Its Furniture.
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B.
C. 1491.
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1 Moreover thou shalt
make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and
blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt
thou make them. 2 The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty
cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and every one of the
curtains shall have one measure. 3 The five curtains shall be coupled together
one to another; and other five curtains shall be coupled one to
another. 4 And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain
from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the
uttermost edge of another curtain, in the coupling of the second. 5
Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou
make in the edge of the curtain that is in the coupling of the second;
that the loops may take hold one of another. 6 And thou shalt make fifty
taches of gold, and couple the curtains together with the taches: and it shall
be one tabernacle.
I. The house must be a tabernacle or tent, such as soldiers now
use in the camp, which was both a mean dwelling and a movable one; and yet the
ark of God had not better, till Solomon built the temple 480 years after this,
1 Kings vi. 1. God manifested his presence among them thus in a tabernacle, 1.
In compliance with their present condition in the wilderness, that they might
have him with them wherever they went. Note, God suits the tokens of his
favour, and the gifts of his grace, to his people's wants and necessities,
according as they are, accommodating his mercy to their state, prosperous or
adverse, settled or unsettled. When thou passest through the waters, I will
be with thee, Isa. xliii. 2. 2. That it might represent the state of God's
church in this world, it is a tabernacle-state, Ps. xv. 1. We have
here no continuing city; being strangers in this world, and travellers
towards a better, we shall never be fixed till we come to heaven.
Church-privileges are movable goods, from one place to another; the gospel is
not tied to any place; the candlestick is in a tent, and may easily be taken
away, Rev. ii. 5. If we make much of the tabernacle, and improve the privilege
of it, wherever we go it will accompany us; but, if we neglect and disgrace
it, wherever we stay it will forsake us. What hath my beloved to do in my
house? Jer. xi. 15.
II. The curtains of the tabernacle must correspond to a divine pattern. 1.
They were to be very rich, the best of the kind, fine twined linen; and
colours very pleasing, blue, and purple, and scarlet. 2.
They were to be embroidered with cherubim (v. 1), to intimate that the
angels of God pitch their tents round about the church, Ps. xxxiv. 7. As there
were cherubim over the mercy-seat, so there were round the tabernacle; for we
find the angels compassing, not only the throne, but the elders; see Rev. v.
11. 3. There were to be two hangings, five breadths in each, sewed together,
and the two hangings coupled together with golden clasps, or tacks, so that it
might be all one tabernacle, v. 6. Thus the churches of Christ and the saints,
though they are many, are yet one, being fitly joined together in holy
love, and by the unity of the Spirit, so growing into one holy
temple in the Lord, Eph. ii. 21, 22; iv. 16. This tabernacle was
very strait and narrow; but, at the preaching of the gospel, the church is
bidden to enlarge the place of her tent, and to stretch forth her
curtains, Isa. liv. 2.
7 And thou shalt make
curtains of goats' hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle:
eleven curtains shalt thou make. 8 The length of one curtain shall be
thirty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and the eleven
curtains shall be all of one measure. 9 And thou shalt couple five
curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double the
sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle. 10 And thou shalt make fifty
loops on the edge of the one curtain that is outmost in the coupling,
and fifty loops in the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second. 11 And
thou shalt make fifty taches of brass, and put the taches into the loops, and
couple the tent together, that it may be one. 12 And the remnant that
remaineth of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remaineth, shall
hang over the backside of the tabernacle. 13 And a cubit on the one side, and
a cubit on the other side of that which remaineth in the length of the
curtains of the tent, it shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this
side and on that side, to cover it. 14 And thou shalt make a covering for the
tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering above of badgers'
skins.
Moses is here ordered to make a double covering for the tabernacle, that it
might not rain in, and that the beauty of those fine curtains might not be
damaged. 1. There was to be a covering of hair camlet curtains, which were
somewhat larger every way than the inner curtains, because they were to
enclose them, and probably were stretched out at some little distance from
them, v. 7, &c. These were coupled together with brass clasps. The stuff
being less valuable, the tacks were so; but the brass tacks would answer the
intention as effectually as the golden ones. The bonds of unity may be as
strong between curtains of goats' hair as between those of purple and scarlet.
2. Over this there was to be another covering, and that a double one (v.
14), one of rams' skins dyed red, probably dressed with the wool on;
another of badgers' skins, so we translate it, but it should rather
seem to have been some strong sort of leather (but very fine), for we read of
the best sort of shoes being made of it, Ezek. xvi. 10. Now observe here, (1.)
That the outside of the tabernacle was coarse and rough, the beauty of it was
in the inner curtains. Those in whom God dwells must labour to be better than
they seem to be. Hypocrites put the best side outwards, like whited
sepulchres; but the king's daughter is all glorious within (Ps. xlv.
13); in the eye of the world black as the tents of Kedar, but, in the eye of
God, comely as the curtains of Solomon, Cant. i. 5. Let our adorning be that
of the hidden man of the heart, which God values, 1 Pet. iii. 4. (2.) That
where God places his glory he will create a defence upon it; even upon the
habitations of the righteous there shall be a covert, Isa. vi. 5, 6. The
protection of Providence shall always be upon the beauty of holiness. God's
tent will be a pavilion, Ps. xxvii. 5.
15 And thou shalt make
boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood standing up. 16 Ten cubits shall
be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half shall be the
breadth of one board. 17 Two tenons shall there be in one board, set in
order one against another: thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the
tabernacle. 18 And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty
boards on the south side southward. 19 And thou shalt make forty sockets of
silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two
tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons. 20 And for the
second side of the tabernacle on the north side there shall be twenty
boards: 21 And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one
board, and two sockets under another board. 22 And for the sides of the
tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards. 23 And two boards shalt thou
make for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides. 24 And they shall be
coupled together beneath, and they shall be coupled together above the head of
it unto one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two
corners. 25 And they shall be eight boards, and their sockets of
silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under
another board. 26 And thou shalt make bars of shittim wood; five for
the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, 27 And five bars for the boards
of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side
of the tabernacle, for the two sides westward. 28 And the middle bar in the
midst of the boards shall reach from end to end. 29 And thou shalt overlay the
boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for
the bars: and thou shalt overlay the bars with gold. 30 And thou shalt rear up
the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was showed thee in the
mount.
Very particular directions are here given about the boards of the tabernacle,
which were to bear up the curtains, as the stakes of a tent which had need to
be strong, Isa. liv. 2. These boards had tenons which fell into the mortises
that were made for them in silver bases. God took care to have every thing
strong, as well as fine, in his tabernacle. Curtains without boards would have
been shaken by every wind; but it is a good thing to have the heart
established with grace, which is as the boards to support the curtains of
profession, which otherwise will not hold out long. The boards were coupled
together with gold rings at top and bottom (v. 24), and kept firm with
bars that ran through golden staples in every board (v. 26), and the
boards and bars were all richly gilded, v. 29. Thus every thing in the
tabernacle was very splendid, agreeable to that infant state of the church,
when such things were proper enough to please children, to possess the minds
of the worshippers with a reverence of the divine glory, and to affect them
with the greatness of that prince who said, Here will I dwell; in
allusion to this the new Jerusalem is said to be of pure gold, Rev. xxi.
18. But the builders of the gospel church said, Silver and gold have we
none; and yet the glory of their building far exceeded that of the
tabernacle, 2 Cor. iii. 10, 11. How much better is wisdom than gold! No
orders are given here about the floor of the tabernacle; probably that also
was boarded; for we cannot think that within all these fine curtains they trod
upon the cold or wet ground; if it was so left, it may remind us of ch.
xx. 24, An altar of earth shalt thou make unto me.
31 And thou shalt make a
vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning
work: with cherubims shall it be made: 32 And thou shalt hang it upon four
pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of
gold, upon the four sockets of silver. 33 And thou shalt hang up the vail
under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of
the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place
and the most holy. 34 And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the
testimony in the most holy place. 35 And thou shalt set the table
without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of
the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north
side. 36 And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of
blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework.
37 And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood,
and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold:
and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.
Two veils are here ordered to be made, 1. One for a partition between the holy
place and the most holy, which not only forbade any to enter, but forbade them
so much as to look into the holiest of all, v. 31, 33. Under that
dispensation, divine grace was veiled, but now we behold it with open face, 2
Cor. iii. 18. The apostle tells us (Heb. ix. 8, 9) what was the meaning of
this veil; it intimated that the ceremonial law could not make the comers
thereunto perfect, nor would the observance of it bring men to heaven; the
way into the holiest of all was not made manifest while the first
tabernacle was standing; life and immortality lay concealed till they were
brought to light by the gospel, which was therefore signified by the
rending of this veil at the death of Christ, Matt. xxvii. 51. We have not boldness
to enter into the holiest, in all acts of devotion, by the blood of
Jesus, yet such as obliges us to a holy reverence and a humble sense of
our distance. 2. Another veil was for the outer door of the tabernacle, v. 36,
37. Through this first veil the priests went in every day to minister in the
holy place, but not the people, Heb. ix. 6. This veil, which was all the
defence the tabernacle had against thieves and robbers, might easily be broken
through, for it could be neither locked nor barred, and the abundance of
wealth in the tabernacle, one would think, might be a temptation; but by
leaving it thus exposed, (1.) The priests and Levites would be so much the
more obliged to keep a strict watch upon it, and, (2.) God would show his care
of his church on earth, though it is weak and defenceless, and continually
exposed. A curtain shall be (if God please to make it so) as strong a defence
to his house as gates of brass and bars of iron.
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