Bible Commentaries
Exodus 39

Verses 32-43

Seeing Christ in the Tabernacle

Exodus 39:32-43 ; Exodus 40:35-38

INTRODUCTORY WORDS

I. A lesson in obedience. Perhaps, the outstanding thing relative to the erection of the Tabernacle, and the preparation and placing of its furnishings is the perfect obedience displayed on the part of Moses and the Children of Israel. In Exodus 39:43 we read: "And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the Lord had commanded." As we read the 40th chapter we find the expression continually stated: "Thus did Moses: according to all that the Lord commanded him, so did he." There is a similar statement, "As the Lord commanded Moses."

There is a verse in Hebrews 8:5 which gives reply to this query: "Who serve unto the example and shadow of Heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith He, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount."

It was necessary, therefore, to make the tabernacle and its furnishings as the Lord outlined them, because everything connected with the Tabernacle was typical. In Hebrews 9:8-9 we read: "While as the first Tabernacle was yet standing: which was a figure for the time then present." Thus, everything in the tabernacle was telling us of Christ, and was a shadow of the good things to come.

2. A lesson in typology. There is a verse in 1 Corinthians 10:1-33 , which speaks of the journeyings of the Children of Israel after they had left Egypt. Read 1 Corinthians 10:11 .

Relative to types there are two things which we would impress.

(1) We should always perfectly perform types lest by malperformance we mar the testimony of Jesus Christ. We give an example in the life of Moses. God had commanded Moses to "speak" to the rock. Moses, however, being angry with the rebelliousness of Israel, struck the rock, and struck it twice. Prior to this time Moses had, under God's command, struck the rock and the water had gushed forth. On the authority of the Book, we discover that that Rock was Christ that is, typically speaking, it spoke of Christ and of how He was smitten upon the Cross, when the Blood ran from His side.

It was for this cause that Moses was told to speak to the rock, because the rock had already been smitten. When, therefore, Moses struck it the second time, and struck it twice, he entirely spoiled the type for Christ was once offered, and once only, for our sins.

(2) We should always, in the study of types look for Christ. We remember how Moses lifted up a serpent in the wilderness. Jesus Christ Himself spoke of that historical act, and said: " Even SO must the Son of Man be lifted up."

I. THE TABERNACLE WAS A TENT OF TESTIMONY (Exodus 25:16 ; Exodus 25:21-22 )

1. The word "tent" and also the word "tabernacle," is a testimony of the fact that all things of earth are temporal and passing. We are all familiar with that little verse:

"Here in this body pent,

Absent from Him we roam,

Yet daily pitch our moving tent

A day's march nearer home."

Abraham considered himself no more than a transient, journeying toward a City whose Builder and Maker is God. It is written that he dwelt in tents along with Isaac and Jacob.

The Book of Hebrews emphasizes this transient feature of the Christian's life. We are to be first strangers to this world, and then pilgrims to another, and a better world, When this fact grips our lives we will no longer look upon the things which are seen, neither will we love the world and the things of the world. The true Christian does not lay up for himself treasures upon the earth.

2. The words "tent" and "tabernacle" speak to us of the fact that we may walk with God in the midst of a wicked and perverse generation. Wherever the Children of Israel went, the Lord went with them. The Tabernacle in all the depths of its' meaning was theirs, every step of the way. They were in the world but were not of it. Though separated from God, yet, they walked with God, and knew God.

All of this may be true in our lives. As the world loses its grasp upon us, the Lord will be the more and more manifest. He will come and take up His abode with us. He will manifest Himself to us.

II. THE MINOR DETAILS OF THE TABERNACLE (Exodus 39:33-34 ; Exodus 26:31 ; Exodus 36:1-38 ; Exodus 36:35 )

1. We see the importance of even the details which mark the erection and furnishings of the Tabernacle. We will not have time to enter into a discussion of each of these singly. However, it will be well to study the taches, the boards, the pillars, the sockets, the skins, the veil and everything else connected with the tabernacle. Relative to these things we suggest a few.

(1) The curtains of the Tabernacle. They were commanded to be of blue, of purple, of scarlet, and of fine linen. Each one of these colors show a distinctive glory in our Lord Jesus.

(2) The blue presents to us His Heavenly nature. We think of the blue sky and in thinking of it we remember that Jesus Christ came from the Father when He came into the world; and we beheld Him as the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth.

(3) The purple stands for royalty. It is so unto this day. Jesus Christ is not only the Lord of glory, but He is the King of David's throne. When He comes again, He will come as King of kings with many diadems upon His brow.

(4) The scarlet represents the Blood of the Cross. It foreshadowed Calvary, where Christ went forth as the sacrificial Lamb to die the Just for the unjust.

(5) The fine linen stands for the righteous character of our Lord. When saints' are robed in linen, white and clean, they are robed in the righteousnesses of their acts and deeds (Revelation 19:8 ).

2. We see how the Tabernacle was a Tabernacle of testimony. This was because the taches, the boards, the bars, the pillars, the sockets, the rams' skins dyed red, the badgers' skins, the veil of covering and all of the rest spoke of Christ.

III. THE ARK OF TESTIMONY (Exodus 40:35 )

There are wonderful verses in Hebrews 9:4-5 concerning the ark. Read them.

We hope to give a fuller study upon the ark. Just now, we want to press one thing only, and that is this that Christ dwells with His people.

1. Of old the Lord dwelt in the midst of the cherubim. There did He meet His people. Today, the Lord Jesus dwells in the midst of His Church, Has He not said, "Where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them"?

Again, we are a building, "Fitly framed together" growing "unto an holy temple in the Lord." This building is for the express habitation of God through the Spirit. God doth not now dwell upon earth in the midst of the cherubims, the tabernacle is gone. God does dwell in the midst of His Church.

2. Of old God dwelt in the midst of the cherubim, now He dwells in the believer. Have we not read this Scripture: "Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" Truly, "if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His."

The Lord is not only with us, and for us, but He is in us. Oh, the glory of it all! When Solomon was dedicating the Temple the glory of the Lord filled the Temple. That same glory often fills our own souls as we minister unto God, and do His will. There is no experience more glorious than this.

IV. THE TABLE AND THE SHEWBREAD (Exodus 39:36 )

1. Our minds naturally think of Christ, as the Bread which came down from Heaven. The very table itself made of cassia wood and covered with gold speaks to us of Christ made flesh, and of Christ in the flesh, veiled as God the Son, and Son of God. The shewbread, however, speaks to us of Christ as He said "I am the Bread of Life: he that cometh to. Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst."

When the Lord Jesus Christ in speaking of the manna said: "I am the Living Bread which came down from Heaven," many of His disciples turned back from following after Him. He had said: "And the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." He had also said: "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His Blood, ye have no life in you." He had also said: "For My flesh is meat indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed." It was because of these and similar sayings that many of His disciples said: "This is an hard saying; who can hear it."

2. Our minds readily think of Jesus Christ as our Strength and the Sustainer of our life. Did not the Lord once say: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God"? We now begin to understand the reason that so many believers carry a starved and hungry look. It is because they fail to feed upon the Heavenly Manna.

In conclusion, will you think of Christ as the Bread? If so, think of the wheat that is plucked from the field of grain. Think of the grinding of that wheat in the mill. Think of its being baked into the loaf, and then think of the bread being crushed and ground in your own teeth; and you will get some idea of the sufferings of Christ and the anguish which was His ere He became to us the Bread of Life.

V. THE CANDLESTICK WITH THE LAMPS THEREOF (Exodus 39:37 )

1. When we think of the candlesticks we think of light. Jesus Christ is the Light of the world. It is He who lighteth every man who cometh into the world. However, we must remember that men love darkness rather than light.

We must also remember that the Light shone into the world but the world received it not. Remember that the golden candlesticks gave their light in the holy of holies.

2. When we think of the candlesticks we think more particularly of Christ as the Light of His own people. In the First Book of Thessalonians we read: "Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness." In the Epistle of John we have a great deal about light. We read, for instance, this statement: "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." Then we read this: "If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another."

3. When we think of the candlesticks we think of Divine guidance as we journey on our Christian way. Our Lord becomes a Lamp unto our feet and a Light unto our path. He shows us the way where we should go.

4. When we think of the candlesticks we think of Christ as the illumination and revealer of Truth. The Word of God is filled with wonderful, unspeakable glory. For this cause we need a light from Heaven to shine upon us, that we may understand its riches of glory, and its fullness of truth. Of course the Holy Spirit who gave the Word does shine upon it; even so, also, did the candlesticks lighten the Truth.

5. When we think of the candlesticks we think of God as Light. Remember the candlesticks were of wrought gold. We are not seeking the light of men, but the light of God. God is light.

VI. THE ALTAR OF INCENSE (Exodus 39:38 )

We have before us an altar made with wood, and covered with gold. Upon this altar the incense was placed. The altar stood near to the veil that separated from the holy of holies.

In the study today we want to speak more particularly of Jesus Christ, our great High Priest,

1. The believer's prayer life is a vital part of spiritual worship. Prayer is the vital connection between the believer and his God. Prayer bespeaks of approach to the Father, It also suggests the fellowship which we have with Him. Prayer even reaches into comradeship. Praper leads us to share with God, His glories on the one hand; while He, on the other hand, stoops down to share our poverty and our needs with us.

2. The believer's prayer life is enforced by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit Himself maketh intercession along with our spirits. We never pray as we should pray, unless we pray in the Spirit.

3. The believer's prayer life reaches God only by the way of the altar of incense, that is, by the way of Christ Jesus, our great High Priest. "He ever liveth" to intercede for us. He is our Representative at the throne of grace. It is for this reason that we dare to come boldly that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need.

The altar of incense seems even now to be speaking to me. It is saying, we have in Heaven a faithful High Priest. It tells me that we have an High Priest who has passed through the heavens, and there He holds an unchangeable and an eternal priesthood for us.

VII. THE BRAZEN ALTAR (Exodus 39:39 )

We began our lesson with the study of the Tabernacle as a testimony. We began in the holy of holies, passed backward into the holy place and now we stand in the outer court, at the brazen altar. This altar speaks of the initial step Godward.

1. There is no approach unto God excepting by the way of the Cross. It is the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, His Son, which cleanseth us from all sin. It is at the Cross that our sins were rolled away. It is there that we were made the righteousness of God in Him.

On the one hand, at the brazen altar our sins are placed on Christ. He suffers the Just for the unjust. He bears our stripes. He makes His soul an offering for sin. He carries our sorrows, bears our shame.

On the other hand, at the brazen altar we are clothed with the imputed righteousness of Christ. We are washed in the Blood of the Lamb. God no longer beholds iniquity in us. What a glorious imputation! What a blessed consummation!

2. Having passed by the brazen altar we come to the laver. This laver stood in a direct line, which from the outer door, passed the brazen altar, and went on to the holy place, and holy of holies. It stood to block the way of our approach to the holy place.

We have entered by Christ who is the door; we have paused at the brazen altar, where our sins are taken away. Before we proceed, however, we must stop at the laver.

The brazen altar stands for imputed righteousness . The laver stands for imparted holiness. Justification must be followed by sanctification. If we are children of the light, we must walk in the light . If our sins have been washed away at the brazen altar, we must reckon ourselves to be dead unto sin, and freed from its power and sway at the laver. The grace of God may never be an excuse for an unholy walk. God calls us unto holiness.

AN ILLUSTRATION

In preaching the Tabernacle do not cover up Christ.

A rendition of Handel's famous. Oratorio, "The Messiah," was to take place in one of the old churches in Bern, Switzerland's quaint city on the Aar. It was the night of the last rehearsal. Every part of the famous production had been faultlessly and triumphantly sung, as might be expected under the skillful direction of so masterly a leader as Father Reich el.

There was, however, something lacking in the soprano solo, "I know that My Redeemer Liveth." The technique was perfect; the breathing, the placing of the notes, the enunciation of the young Woman's faultlessly trained voice were all beyond criticism, and as the last note died away those who were listening waited for the high praise which they knew must fall from the lips of the noted director. Imagine their surprise at what took place; the old man, whose snow-white hair hung gracefully almost to his shoulders, tapped sharply with his baton for silence and, turning to the beautiful singer, said, "Daughter, you do not really know that your Redeemer liveth, do you?"

Being a Christian, the young woman replied, "Why, yes, Monsieur Reichel, I think I do. Why do you ask?"

"Do you really believe Him to be your Redeemer?" said he.

"Why, yes, I know He is," came the earnest reply.

"Then, sing it," cried the old man, "sing it with all your heart; sing it in the measure in which you believe it; sing it so that I and all these here will know that you do understand the joy and the power of it!"

Then, as with commanding gesture he made ready for the orchestra's accompaniment, the soprano took up her part again. This time she forgot herself and all thought of applause. There was the same faultless voice and the same brilliant technique though the singer was unconscious of it as she sang with all her heart the truth she experienced in her soul. True, as she closed, they applauded her, but it was with tears in their eyes because of the glorious message they had received. As she paused, all unmindful of the applause, the famous old musician stepped over to her and, kissing her on the forehead said, with tears in his eye, "You do know, daughter, for you have told me so."

What a lesson here for everyone! Put heart into your work.

My brother minister, what a mighty lesson here for you and me! W. E. Biedenwolf.

"Let us not fail to reveal Christ."