October 2

17 ¶ And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up.

18 And Moses reared up the tabernacle, and fistened his sockets, and set up the boards thereof, and put in the bars thereof, and reared up his pillars.

19 And he spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent above upon it; as the LORD commanded Moses.

20 ¶ And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy seat above upon the ark:

21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the vault of the covering, and covered the ark of the testimony; as the LORD commanded Moses.

22 ¶ And he put the table in the tent of the congregation, upon the side of the tabernacle northward, without the vault.

23 And he set the bread in order upon it before the LORD; as the LORD had commanded Moses.

24 ¶ And he put the candlestick in the tent of the congregation, over against the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward.

25 And he lighted the lamps before the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.

26 ¶ And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the vault:

27 And he burnt sweet incense thereon; as the LORD commanded Moses.

28 ¶ And he set up the hanging of the door of the tabernacle.

29 And he put the altar of burnt offering by

the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the meat offering; as the LORD commanded Moses.

30 ¶ And he set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and put water there, to wash226.

31 And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet thereat:

32 When they went into the tent of the congregation, and when they came near unto the altar, they washed; as the LORD commanded Moses.

33 And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.

34 ¶ Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud about thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

36 And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:

37 But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.

38 For the cloud of the LORD sent upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

The Epistle to the Hebrews is the Holy Ghost's commentary on the tabernacle and its services. Everything about the tabernacle pointed to Jesus Christ. The truth that God dwells with His people, which was in the tabernacle in symbol, was in Christ in reality. His name is "Emanuel— God with us;" and the evangelist, with perhaps a reference to this very symbol, has said, "The Word became flesh, and dwelt"—literally, "tabernacled"—"among us, and we beheld His glory." Each church should be a tabernacle of the Holy Ghost, the centre of worship, the place of sacrifice, the means of making known the true God.

Each home should be a tabernacle where God abides, as Jesus in the house of Mary and Martha and Lazarus; where God is worshipped and honored and loved.

Each heart should be a tabernacle of the Holy Ghost. And in the dedication of the tabernacle by Moses, God has given us a wonderful symbol of the transaction between Him and ourselves, by which He comes into our hearts. The question may be asked, "What did Moses do to induce the Lord to come in and upon the tabernacle?" Nothing. The blood cleansed it for His occupancy, and the Lord needed no inducement to occupy it. Moses simply did what the Lord commanded him to do, set the tabernacle apart to the Lord, offered the offerings, and left it to Him. This done, the Lord, of His own free will, came in and upon it and there abode. The Lord needs no inducement to take entire possession of us. All we have to do is to give ourselves wholly up to Him and let Him have us without reserve, and He will quickly take us as His own.

Closet Promise.—And the Lord shall guide thee continually.—Isa. lviii. 11.

"Thy way, not mine, O Lord! However dark it be; Lead me by Thine own hand; Choose out the path for me;

"I dare not choose my lot; I would not if I might; Choose Thou for me, my God! So I shall walk aright."

When perplexed as to duty, cowed down as to any of life's sorrows, rebellious as to disappointed hopes, defeated purposes, irremediable losses, or thwarted desires, may the image of the great Burden-bearer in Gethsemane rise before the mind, strengthen and quiet the heart. If thorns in the flesh are extracted, grace sufficient will be granted to so endure as that larger blessing shall accrue to the sufferer and greater glory to him. The formation of the Christ-image then demands in us a willing denial of will. By the example and grace of Christ we will in the dark and cloudy day or in the clear shining say: "Not as I will, but as Thou wilt."—Rev. William M. Campbell.