Exodus 25

Chap. XXV. Ver. 1-40. Offerings required for the building of the Temple.—These offerings, probably, were derived chiefly from the free-will offerings of the Egyptians to the Israelites on their leaving Egypt; and were, therefore, the more suitable as free-will offerings from Israel to Jehovah. As they were voluntary, the proportions were to be regulated by the means and liberality of the giver. “‘For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.” ((2 Corinthians 8:12).) Directions are now given for the formation of the Tabernacle and its sacred furniture, of which the principal article was the “ark of the testimony,” the typical design of which gives it more importance than the choice wood of which it was composed, or the precious metal with which it was overlaid.

The ark itself was a chest, about four feet five inches in length, and two feet eight inches in breadth and depth. This was called the “ark of the covenant,” because therein were contained the two tables of stone on which the law was inscribed, with some other articles; and the covering of gold was called the mercy-seat, or propitiatory, because on this was sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice to make atonement. This cover was wreathed, or indented, somewhat in the manner of an ancient crown; and upon it were placed, at the two ends, carved figures, with wings that overshadowed the ark. These figures appear to have been so well known at the time, that no description is here given; we shall, therefore, defer our inquiries into their peculiar form, till we come to consider the larger figures in the Temple.

From the explanations given by the apostle to the Hebrews, ((Exodus 9)) there can be no doubt of the general design, though of the minutia, as the apostle says in one instance, “we cannot now speak particularly.” The Tabernacle itself was built as a residence for the Shekinah, the glory of the God of Israel; who, as Israel dwelt in tents, condescended to dwell in a tent also; but when his people came to a city of habitations, required likewise a house to dwell in. As to the Tabernacle, Moses not only received directions for building it, but had a model or pattern shown him in the mount, from which it is probable he himself took these directions. As this tent was designed for the special residence of Deity, so it was calculated to typify the divine Logos, or “Word of God,”

who was ‘‘made flesh, and dwelt amongst us.” ((John 1:14).); The ark itself also typified the same divine person, in the dignity and purity of his nature, being made of wood incorruptible, covered with pure gold. The mercy-seat brings to our mind the atonement that he offered; the chest itself showed, that the law of God resided in his heart, as the tables of stone in the Mosaic ark. We decline to enter now into the mystery of the cherubim, but from these figures looking down upon the ark, we may safely admit the inference of the apostle, concerning the truths and mysteries of the gospel, that “unto these things the angels earnestly desire to look;” and that unto them is ‘made known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God.”

(1 Peter i. 12. (Ephesians 3:10).) ‘The table of shewbread,” containing twelve cakes or loaves was to exhibit the various provisions of God’s house, adapted to every tribe of the spiritual Israel; and the golden candlestick ‘(or rather lamp) represented him who is the “true light;” and who, coming into the world and the church, enlightens every other, containing their secret things, entirely concealing the mysteries of religion who does not shut his eyes against the illuminating influences of the Holy Spirit.; The great object of all this was to provide a suitable emblematic dwelling for the God of Israel: “and here (says he) will I meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy-seat, from between the two cherubims.”

“To hold communion with God, properly understood, is the great end and object of public worship, under both the old and new dispensa-

Notes on the verses

Chap. XXV. Ver. 2. Bring me an offering.—Margin, ‘‘Take for me a tid;” so called, because raised, or heaved up. See Exposition of Chap. XXIX. Ver. 3. Brass.—(Nechosheth, rather, copper; as brass is a factitious metal, composed of copper, and the oxide or ore of zinc.)—Bagster. Ver. 4. Blue.—Techai/eth, generally supposed to mean an azure or sky-colour; rendered by the LXX. and Vulgate, hyacinthum.— Purple.—Argaman, a very precious colour, extracted from the purpura, or murex, a species of shell-fish; and supposed to be the same with the costly and much celebrated Tyrian purple. ‘Scarlet.—Tolaath; properly the worm whence the scarlet colour was produced; which grew in a coccus, or excrescence, of a shrub of the ilex kind, like the cochineal. Ammi is by naturalists arranged under the same genus as the Arabic Kermez, which also denotes this colour.

—Bagster. Ver. 10. An ark.—(Aron, denotes a chest or coffer, in general; but is applied particularly to the chest or ark, in which the testimony or two tables of the covenant were laid up; on the top of which was the propitiatory or mercy-seat; and at the end of which were the cherubim of gold; between whom the visible sign of the appearance of God appeared as seated upon his throne. We meet with imitations of this divinely instituted emblem among several heathen nations, both ancient and modern. Apuleius, describing an idolatrous procession after the Egyptian mode, says, ‘A chest, an ark, was carried by an worm in the Opuntia of America; which same genus as the Arabic Kermez, which region.” Plutarch, describing the rites of Osiris, says, ‘‘On the tenth day of the month, at night, they go down to the sea, and the stolists, together with the priests, carry forth the sacred chest, in which is a small boat or vessel of gold.”

—Bagster. Ver. 23. Shittim-wood.—[Shittim-wood is probably the acacia Nilotica. Jerome says, that the Shittim-wood grows in the deserts of Arabia, and is like white thorn, as to its colour and leaves, but the tree is so large as to furnish very long planks. ‘The wood is hard, tough, and extremely beautiful. It is thought he means the black acacia, because that is the most common tree in the deserts of Arabia. It is of the size of a large mulberry tree. The spreading branches and larger limbs are armed with thorns, which grow three together. The bark is rough; and the leaves are oblong, standing opposite each other.—The flowers, though somewhat white, are generally of a bright yellow; and the fruit, which resembles a bean, is contained in pods like sacs of the lupin.

“The Acacia,” says Dr. Ska, “being by much the largest and most common tree in the deserts,” (Arabia Petra,) we have some reason to conjecture, that the shittim-wood was the wood of the acacia; especially as its flowers are of an excellent smell, for the Shittah tree is, in (Isaiah 41:19). joined with the myrtle and other fragrant shrubs. It may be remarked, that of the two Hebrew names, Shittim is masculine, and Shittah feminine. So Bruce says ‘the MALE is called Saiel; from it proceeds the gum Arabic on an incision with an axe.” —Bagster. Herodotus tells us the Egyptians build their Ver. 31. A candlestick of pure gold.—This candlestick, (or rather chandelier,) consisted of an upright shaft, or pillar, with a lamp at top, and three branches on each side, (supposed to represent the seven days of the week,) each of which contained a small lamp, which was supplied with the purest oil.