Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God.

14 And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them.

15 And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.

16 And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.

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17 And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.

18 And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.

IN this chapter we have some important matters to be considered and improved; may the Lord give us grace to profit by them all. Moses, Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, are admitted to the mount. The people were to worship afar off; but Moses alone shall come near the Lord. The others were not to approach; and none of the people were to be with him.

Why may Moses alone come near? Because of the relation in which he stood, as a typical mediator between God and the people. Here, then, we behold the way of access to God by Christ. No man can come to the Father but by Christ. (John xiv. 6.) In that capacity, Christ stands alone; none of the people are with him; there is no joint mediator, nor mixed mediation. He that trode the wine-press alone (Is. lxiii. 3) stands before God alone, as the one mediator between God and man. (1 Tim. ii. 5.) We may draw near through him, and find mercy; but not conjointly with any other than him, nor without him alone, if we would be saved.

In this capacity, Moses told all the words of the Lord to the people; "and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the Lord hath said will we do" (v. 3). As the true mediator, Christ declares of all his people, "I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they

have believed that thou didst send me." (John xvii. 8.)

Under that hill where the Lord thus ap

peared Moses built an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings; and then sprinkled the people with the blood of the sacrifices which had been offered; and thus ratified and confirmed the whole (v. 4—6).

May we not here again see Jesus, in his mediatorial capacity, as our sacrifice and peace? It was only by the altar of the burnt offering and peace offering that a way was opened to God on the mount. It was by the blood of that offering they found acceptance and peace. Is it not so with us? Is not Christ the true offering for sin? Hath he not made peace with God by the blood of the cross? Is it not, as having done this great work of reconciliation and peace, that he acts as our gracious mediator with the Majesty on high? Is not the gospel of our salvation confirmed by his blood? Is not every promise of the gospel, and every precept likewise, sprinkled with his blood? Is not sin done away by his blood? Are not our souls washed in his blood? Is it not his blood that speaks pardon and peace? Must not all our works, our prayers, and praises, be sprinkled with his blood? In short, is not the whole salvation of Christ, from first to last, altogether a salvation by blood; even his own most precious blood, which he shed for our redemption, pardon, life, and peace?

In consequence of these typical offerings, Moses, Aaron, and the others with them, were admitted to the mount. They saw the glory of God and lived; they eat and drank in his presence; the people witnessed the glory all around (v. 9-11).

Is not all this really verified in the experience of every believer in Christ? All believers may draw near. To all believers, more or less of the glory of God is made known. In the face of Jesus Christ that glory is seen, tempered with the mildest beams of mercy and love. Thus, drawing near, instead of death they find life. Instead of being condemned, they are pardoned and justified. Instead of being devoured with the fiery element, they taste his love, they feed upon the riches of his grace, they rejoice in his favour, they glory in his salvation.

Oh, may that "God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness," shine "in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ!" (2 Cor. iv. 6.)

CHAPTER XXV.

1 What the Israelites must offer for the making of the tabernacle. 10 The form of the ark. 17 The mercy seat, with the cherubims. 23 The table, with the furniture thereof. 31 The candlestick, with the instruments thereof.

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ND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.

3 And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass,

4 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and 'fine linen, and goats' hair,

5 And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,

6 Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense,

7 Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.

8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

9 According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

10 ¶ And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

11 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.

12 And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.

13 And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.

14 And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.

15 The staves shall be in the rings of the ark they shall not be taken from it.

16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.

17 And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

18 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.

19 And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.

20 And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.

21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.

22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

23 Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

24 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about.

25 And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about.

26 And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof.

27 Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table.

28 And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them.

29 And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, "to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them.

30 And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.

31 ¶ And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold of beaten work shall the candlestick be made his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.

32 And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:

33 Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the

six branches that come out of the candlestick.

34 And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.

35 And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick.

36 Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.

37 And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.

38 And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.

39 Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.

40 And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the

mount.

(1) Heb. take for me.

(2) Or, heave offering.

(3) Or, silk.

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(5) Or, to pour out withal.

(6) Or, cause to ascend. (7) Heb. the face of it.

(4) Or, of the matter of the mercy (8) Heb. which thou wast caused seat.

to see.

As there can be no true knowledge of the Lord but what emanates from his own revealed word and will, so all true knowledge of his revealed word and will, will lead to the acceptable and reverential worship of his holy name. "God is a spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." (John iv. 24.) Two things are essential for such divine worship. God must teach us how and in what manner he may thus worshipped. God must enable us to worship him aright, when he hath taught us the way.

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It is clear that no man, as a sinner, can approach a holy God as such, without some devised and acceptable method by which that access may take place. Ever since the entrance of sin into the world, that method has been in and through Jesus Christ, either foretold, typified, or come. Thus the way opened to Adam, immediately upon the fall, is the same as that prescribed to the Israelites after their Egyptian release; and the same as that revealed unto us in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. The types and oblations, coupled with the predictions and the promises, were to them what the Saviour plainly revealed in the gospel is to us, namely, "the

way, the truth, and the life." (John xiv. 6.) Though the accompaniments have been diverse, the method itself has always been the same.

A right understanding of this point is needful for a profitable improvement of the series of typical preparations now opening before us.

How astonishing is that fact, the spoils of the Egyptians are now converted into the means of furthering the worship and service of Almighty God! From those very spoils the people made their offerings; and of those offerings Moses prepared the whole visible apparatus for God's public worship. Does not this prove that the silver and the gold are the Lord's, and that he can make what use he pleases of them, when there is need? (Haggai ii. 8.)

Let us notice these facts. God will have a sanctuary, that he might dwell among them. Moses must make that sanctuary according to the pattern thereof in every particular; and where does he begin? First, he commences with the ark in which was to be deposited the testimony which the Lord would give him. Then, the next part was the mercy seat, which was to be placed above upon the ark wherein the testimony was to be deposited, and where the Lord would meet and commune with him of all that concerned his people. After these he was to make the table for the shewbread, and the candlestick for the lights, according to the pattern shewed him in the mount.

What were all these things to them, but significant types and shadows? What are they to us, but the consecrated tokens of true and blessed realities. In the mercy seat behold Christ. God hath set him forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood; that is the true place of meeting. In him God and the sinner may meet in peace. There we learn all the Father's will concerning his children; there we find reconciliation, pardon, and life (ver. 22 with Rom. iii. 20).

Next, view the ark on which the mercy seat was placed. Therein was the testimony deposited; and the law, which we have broken, was covered over by the propitiatory placed thereon. How precious are these truths! He who hath made reconciliation for our iniquity, hath also fulfilled the law which we have

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broken! His righteousness covers all our offences, and puts them away, never to be seen any more! Oh! blessed propitiation! Oh! glorious righteousness! Everything connected with this gracious work is as real and precious as the purest gold! May we daily meet our gracious God at that mercy seat! May we daily put on that glorious righteousness! May we daily feed upon Christ as the true living bread, and walk in the light and comfort of his salvation!

CHAPTER XXVI.

1 The ten curtains of the tabernacle. 7 The eleven curtains of goats' hair. 14 The covering of rums' skins. 15 The boards of the tabernacle, with their sockets and bars. 31 The vail for the ark. 36 The hanging for the door.

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OREOVER 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.

7¶ And thou shalt make curtains of goats' hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle: cleven 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

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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.

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 shewed thee in the mount.

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.

(1) Heb. the work of a cunning | (3) Heb. in the remainder, or, surworkman, or, embroiderer. plusage. (2) Or, covering. (4) Heb. hands. (5) Heb. twinned.

WE have seen the first part of the instituted preparation for the pure and holy worship of God under the law, namely, the ark, the mercy seat, the table of shewbread, and the candlestick. These were placed in the sanctuary, which Moses was to make after the pattern shewed him in the mount. We have also briefly touched upon their typical use and intent. The ark contains the covenant; the mercy seat covers the law; it affords the place of meeting; the whole is Christ in his reconciliation, righteousness, and redemption; then comes his constant exhibition as the food and life of our souls, and the light of his word and Spirit by which we come to the saving knowledge of the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent. (John xvii. 3.)

was,

The next part of Moses's appointed work "Thou shalt make the tabernacle." Every part of this tabernacle is mentioned; even to every curtain, board, loop, and pin. What was the use of this tabernacle? Evidently it was to be a covering and protection for the several typical parts before mentioned. Within the compass of this tabernacle were those several parts to be placed; such as the ark, and the mercy seat, the table, and the candlestick.

But the compass of its extent was to be divided into two portions. Across one end of this tabernacle Moses was to hang a vail; that vail was to divide between the holy and the most holy place; within that vail, or the innermost part of the sanctuary, called the most holy place, Moses was to deposit the ark of the testimony and the mercy seat; the table and candlestick were to be in the other part, or the holy place; and these things were so ordered and arranged by God himself, in the pattern given to Moses on the

mount.

Now, if you ask, What were all these things in their spiritual use then, and how are they to be viewed and improved by us now? I reply, they exhibit Christ. Jesus Christ is the true tabernacle in which God dwells; in him is the covenant; he is the propitiation; he is the life and light of men. How delightful is this truth! Christ is all and in all. Are we not expressly told, that “in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily?" (Col. ii. 9.) Is it not in him, and, as we are interested in his salvation, God says, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them?" (2 Cor. vi. 16.) Is it not in him that astonishing truth is verified, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men?" (Rev. xxi. 3.)

The outer part of the covering of the sanctuary was poor and mean to all appearance, goats' hair and such like; but the inner part was splendid and glorious. So, also, was it with Christ. In his human nature and deep abasement, he was mean and lowly. He was but a tender plant; a root growing out of a dry ground. There was no beauty or comeliness to attract the carnal eye. "A man of sorrows" (Is. liii.); the citizen of Nazareth; the poor wanderer, hated and despised by