Exodus 25

Ex 25:1-40.

CONCERNING AN

OFFERING.

1. the Lord spake unto Moses, &c.--The business that chiefly

occupied Moses on the mount, whatever other disclosures were made to

him there, was in receiving directions about the tabernacle, and they

are here recorded as given to him.

2. bring me an offering of every man that giveth it willingly,

&c.--Having declared allegiance to God as their sovereign, they were

expected to contribute to His state, as other subjects to their kings;

and the "offering" required of them was not to be imposed as a tax, but

to come from their own loyal and liberal feelings.

3. this is the offering which ye shall take of them--the

articles of which the offerings should consist.

brass--rather copper, brass being a composite metal.

4. goats' hair--or leather of goats' skin.

5. badgers' skins--The badger was an unclean animal, and is not

a native of the East--rather some kind of fish, of the leather of which

sandals are made in the East. [See on

Ex 39:34

and

Eze 16:10.]

shittim wood--or Shittah

(Isa 41:19),

the acacia, a shrub which grows plentifully in the deserts of Arabia,

yielding a light, strong, and beautiful wood, in long planks.

7. ephod--a square cloak, hanging down from the shoulders, and

worn by priests.

8. a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them--In one sense the

tabernacle was to be a palace, the royal residence of the King of

Israel, in which He was to dwell among His people, receive their

petitions, and issue His responses. But it was also to be a place of

worship, in which God was to record His name and to enshrine the mystic

symbols of His presence.

9. According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the

tabernacle--The proposed erection could be, in the circumstances of

the Israelites, not of a fixed and stable but of a temporary and

movable description, capable of being carried about with them in their

various sojournings. It was made after "the pattern" shown to Moses, by

which is now generally understood, not that it was an unheard-of

novelty, or an entirely original structure, for it is ascertained to

have borne resemblance in form and arrangements to the style of an

Egyptian temple, but that it was so altered, modified, and purified

from all idolatrous associations, as to be appropriated to right

objects, and suggestive of ideas connected with the true God and His

worship.

10. an ark--a coffer or chest, overlaid with gold, the

dimensions of which, taking the cubit at eighteen inches, are computed

to be three feet nine inches in length, two feet three inches in

breadth.

11. a crown--a rim or cornice.

12. rings--staples for the poles, with which it was to be

carried from place to place.

15. staves shall be in the rings of the ark--that is, always

remain in the rings, whether the ark be at rest or in motion.

16. the testimony--that is, the two tables of stone, containing

the ten commandments, and called "the testimony," because by it God did

testify His sovereign authority over Israel as His people, His

selection of them as the guardians of His will and worship, and His

displeasure in the event of their transgressing His laws; while on

their part, by receiving and depositing this law in its appointed

place, they testified their acknowledgment of God's right to rule over

them, and their submission to the authority of His law. The superb and

elaborate style of the ark that contained "the testimony" was

emblematic of the great treasure it held; in other words, the

incomparable value and excellence of the Word of God, while its being

placed in this chest further showed the great care which God has ever

taken for preserving it.

17. thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold--to serve as a

lid, covering it exactly. It was "the propitiatory cover," as the term

may be rendered, denoting that Christ, our great propitiation

[1Jo 2:2; 4:10],

has fully answered all the demands of the law, covers our

transgressions, and comes between us and the curse of a violated

law.

18. two cherubim--The real meaning of these figures, as well as

the shape or form of them, is not known with certainty--probably

similar to what was afterwards introduced into the temple, and

described in

Eze 10:8-22.

They stretched out their wings, and their faces were turned towards the

mercy seat

[Ex 25:20],

probably in a bowing attitude. The prevailing opinion now is, that

those splendid figures were symbolical not of angelic but of earthly

and human beings--the members of the Church of God interested in the

dispensation of grace, the redeemed in every age--and that these

hieroglyphic forms symbolized the qualities of the true people of

God--courage, patience, intelligence, and activity.

22. there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from

above the mercy seat--The Shekinah, or symbol of the Divine

Presence, rested on the mercy seat, and was indicated by a cloud, from

the midst of which responses were audibly given when God was consulted

on behalf of His people. Hence God is described as "dwelling" or

"sitting" between the cherubim.

23. table of shittim wood--of the same material and decorations

as the ark [see on

Ex 25:5],

and like it, too, furnished with rings for the poles on which it was

carried

[Ex 25:26].

The staves, however, were taken out of it when stationary, in order not

to encumber the priests while engaged in their services at the table.

It was half a cubit less than the ark in length and breadth, but of the

same height. [See on

Ex 25:10.]

24. crown--the moulding or ornamental rim, which is thought to

have been raised above the level of the table, to prevent anything from

falling off.

29. dishes--broad platters.

spoons--cups or concave vessels, used for holding incense.

covers--both for bread and incense.

bowls--cups; for though no mention is made of wine, libations

were undoubtedly made to God, according to JOSEPHUS and the rabbins, once a week, when the bread was

changed.

to cover withal--rather, "to pour out withal."

30. showbread--literally, presence bread, so called

because it was constantly exhibited before the Lord, or because the

bread of His presence, like the angel of His presence, pointed

symbolically to Christ. It consisted of twelve unleavened loaves, said

traditionally to have been laid in piles of six each. This bread was

designed to be a symbol of the full and never-failing provision which

is made in the Church for the spiritual sustenance and refreshment of

God's people.

31. candlestick--literally, "a lamp bearer." It was so

constructed as to be capable of being taken to pieces for facility in

removal. The shaft or stock rested on a pedestal. It had seven

branches, shaped like reeds or canes--three on each side, with one in

the center--and worked out into knobs, flowers, and bowls, placed

alternately

[Ex 25:32-36].

The figure represented on the arch of Titus gives the best idea of this

candlestick.

33. knops--old spelling for "knobs"--bosses.

37. they shall light the lamps . . . that they may give

light--The light was derived from pure olive oil, and probably kept

continually burning (compare

Ex 30:7;

Le 24:2).

38. tongs--snuffers.

39. a talent of pure gold--in weight equivalent to 125 lbs. troy.

40. look that thou make them after their pattern--This caution,

which is repeated with no small frequency in other parts of the

narrative, is an evidence of the deep interest taken by the Divine King

in the erection of His palace or sanctuary; and it is impossible to

account for the circumstance of God's condescending to such minute

details, except on the assumption that this tabernacle was to be of a

typical character, and eminently subservient to the religious

instruction and benefit of mankind, by shadowing forth in its leading

features the grand truths of the Christian Church.