Silver Sockets

Under each board were two silver sockets, which would make ninety-six sockets under the boards; and there were four sockets under the pillars that supported the veil, making one hundred sockets, or bases, in all. Again, we must resort to its factors, ten and ten, to learn the meaning of this number. According to what we have seen, ten times ten would give the highest expression of responsibility toward God. Let us inquire a little into the meaning of the silver sockets. In order to do this we will need to turn to Exodus 30:11-16. Here we learn that when the people were numbered, each man must give half a shekel of silver, “a ransom for his soul unto the LORD.” The rich were not allowed to give more, and the poor must not give less. In this we get a vital principle — when the question is the ransom, or redemption of the soul, the man of highest morality must be redeemed at the same cost as that which will be required for the vilest sinner, and that is the precious blood of Christ.
Passing on to Exodus 38:25-27, we get the interesting fact that this ransom money amounted to something over a hundred talents of silver, and that out of the talents a hundred sockets were cast for the sanctuary, “a talent for a socket.” Let us look at one more point and then seek to make the application. Each board with its two tenons stood on two of these silver sockets. Now gathering up the thoughts — silver speaks of redemption; every ransomed sinner is redeemed at a like cost; one hundred speaks of responsibility. We have then the blessed and precious truth that each believer stands before God on the ground of redemption, the purchase price being the blood of Jesus, but he stands in this position as fully responsible to God, and there to bear witness for Christ. His feet have been lifted from the miry clay and placed upon the rock; and now, with glad heart, he can sing,
“On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand.”
Feelings that rise and fall even as the waves of the sea have no part in this perfect redemption; nor have the good works of one who has not eternal life any part in it; such works are termed of God, “dead works.” All is based on the finished work of Christ the unchanging One.
Looking at the boards as they stand in their silver sockets, we see the house of God formed; but, thus far, the boards are detached, therefore are independent of each other. God could not have His house in this unstable condition. Man’s heart would lead him to be independent, and to do as he pleases, but this is not God’s thought; He speaks of believers as being builded together for His habitation through the Spirit. The building together, which is according to His heart, is seen in type in the bars which passed through rings of gold at the sides and the ends, and held all securely together. Some see in the five bars a type of the five gifts to the Church, which are given “for the perfecting of the saints,” the “work of the ministry,” and so forth (Eph. 4:11-13).