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<TITLE>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible [Exodus, Chapter XXXIX].</TITLE>
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"This site is for those friends and family members who may or may not know Our Lord Jesus Christ, and if not, they may come to know Our Lord through His Prophets."> <meta name="author" content="Brian Duncalfe">
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<center><h1>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary
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on the Whole Bible</h1></center>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%">
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[<A HREF="MHC00000.HTM">Table of Contents</A>]<BR>
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[<A HREF="MHC02038.HTM">Previous</A>]
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[<A HREF="MHC02040.HTM">Next</A>]<BR>
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<TD ALIGN="RIGHT" VALIGN="TOP">
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Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1706)
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</TD></TR></TABLE>
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<!-- (Begin Body) -->
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<CENTER>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+3><B>E X O D U S</B></FONT>
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<BR>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+2>CHAP. XXXIX.</FONT>
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<HR SIZE=1 WIDTH=50>
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</CENTER>
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<FONT SIZE=-1>
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<P>
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This chapter gives us an account of the finishing of the work of the
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tabernacle.
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I. The last things prepared were the holy garments. The ephod and its
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curious girdle,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ex+39:1-5">ver. 1-5</A>.
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The onyx-stones for the shoulders,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ex+39:6,7">ver. 6, 7</A>.
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The breastplate with the precious stones in it,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ex+39:8-21">ver. 8-21</A>.
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The robe of the ephod,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ex+39:22-26">ver. 22-26</A>.
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The coats, bonnets, and breeches, for the inferior priests,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ex+39:27-29">ver. 27-29</A>.
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And the plate of the holy crown,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ex+39:30,31">ver. 30, 31</A>.
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II. A summary account of the whole work, as it was presented to Moses
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when it was all finished,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ex+39:32-43">ver. 32</A>,
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&c.</P>
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</FONT>
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<A NAME="Ex39_1"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_2"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_3"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_4"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_5"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_6"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_8"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_9"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_10"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_11"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_12"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_13"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_14"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_15"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_16"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_17"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_18"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_19"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_20"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_21"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_22"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_23"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_24"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_25"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_26"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_27"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_28"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_29"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_30"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_31"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec1"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>The Tabernacle and Its Furniture.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 1491.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>1 And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of
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service, to do service in the holy <I>place,</I> and made the holy
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garments for Aaron; as the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> commanded Moses.
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2 And he made the ephod <I>of</I> gold, blue, and purple, and
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scarlet, and fine twined linen.
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3 And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut <I>it
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into</I> wires, to work <I>it</I> in the blue, and in the purple, and in
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the scarlet, and in the fine linen, <I>with</I> cunning work.
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4 They made shoulderpieces for it, to couple <I>it</I> together: by
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the two edges was it coupled together.
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5 And the curious girdle of his ephod, that <I>was</I> upon it,
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<I>was</I> of the same, according to the work thereof; <I>of</I> gold,
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blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>
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commanded Moses.
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6 And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold,
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graven, as signets are graven, with the names of the children of
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Israel.
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7 And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, <I>that they
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should be</I> stones for a memorial to the children of Israel; as
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the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> commanded Moses.
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8 And he made the breastplate <I>of</I> cunning work, like the work
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of the ephod; <I>of</I> gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine
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twined linen.
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9 It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span
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<I>was</I> the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, <I>being</I>
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doubled.
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10 And they set in it four rows of stones: <I>the first</I> row
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<I>was</I> a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this <I>was</I> the first
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row.
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11 And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
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12 And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
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13 And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper: <I>they
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were</I> inclosed in ouches of gold in their inclosings.
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14 And the stones <I>were</I> according to the names of the children
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of Israel, twelve, according to their names, <I>like</I> the
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engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the
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twelve tribes.
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15 And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, <I>of</I>
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wreathen work <I>of</I> pure gold.
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16 And they made two ouches <I>of</I> gold, and two gold rings; and
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put the two rings in the two ends of the breastplate.
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17 And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two
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rings on the ends of the breastplate.
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18 And the two ends of the two wreathen chains they fastened in
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the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod,
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before it.
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19 And they made two rings of gold, and put <I>them</I> on the two
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ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which <I>was</I> on
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the side of the ephod inward.
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20 And they made two <I>other</I> golden rings, and put them on the
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two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart of it,
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over against the <I>other</I> coupling thereof, above the curious
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girdle of the ephod.
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21 And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the
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rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above
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the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might
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not be loosed from the ephod; as the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> commanded Moses.
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22 And he made the robe of the ephod <I>of</I> woven work, all <I>of</I>
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blue.
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23 And <I>there was</I> an hole in the midst of the robe, as the
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hole of an habergeon, <I>with</I> a band round about the hole, that it
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should not rend.
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24 And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates <I>of</I>
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blue, and purple, and scarlet, <I>and</I> twined <I>linen.</I>
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25 And they made bells <I>of</I> pure gold, and put the bells
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between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about
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between the pomegranates;
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26 A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round
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about the hem of the robe to minister <I>in;</I> as the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> commanded
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Moses.
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27 And they made coats <I>of</I> fine linen <I>of</I> woven work for
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Aaron, and for his sons,
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28 And a mitre <I>of</I> fine linen, and goodly bonnets <I>of</I> fine
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linen, and linen breeches <I>of</I> fine twined linen,
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29 And a girdle <I>of</I> fine twined linen, and blue, and purple,
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and scarlet, <I>of</I> needlework; as the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> commanded Moses.
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30 And they made the plate of the holy crown <I>of</I> pure gold,
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and wrote upon it a writing, <I>like to</I> the engravings of a
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signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
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31 And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten <I>it</I> on high
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upon the mitre; as the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> commanded Moses.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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In this account of the making of the priests' garments, according to
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the instructions given (ch. 28), we may observe,
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1. That the priests' garments are called here <I>clothes of
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service,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ex+39:1"><I>v.</I> 1</A>.
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Note, Those that wear robes of honour must look upon them as clothes of
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service; for from those upon whom honour is put service is expected. It
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is said of those that are arrayed in white robes that they <I>are
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before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his
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temple,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+7:13">Rev. vii. 13, 15</A>.
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Holy garments were not made for men to sleep in, or to strut in, but to
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do service in; and then they are indeed for glory and beauty. The Son
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of man himself <I>came not to be ministered unto, but to minister.</I>
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2. That all the six paragraphs here, which give a distinct account of
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the making of these holy garments, conclude with those words, <I>as the
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Lord commanded Moses,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ex+39:5,7,21,26,29,31"><I>v.</I> 5, 7, 21, 26, 29, 31</A>.
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The like is not in any of the foregoing accounts, as if in these, more
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than any other of the appurtenances of the tabernacle, they had a
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particular regard to the divine appointment, both for warrant and for
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direction. It is an intimation to all the Lord's ministers to make the
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word of God their rule in all their ministrations, and to act in
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observance of and obedience to the command of God.
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3. That these garments, in conformity to the rest of the furniture of
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the tabernacle, were very rich and splendid; the church in its infancy
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was thus taught, thus pleased, with the rudiments of this world; but
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now under the gospel, which is the ministration of the Spirit, to
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affect and impose such pompous habits as the church of Rome does, under
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pretence of decency and instruction, is to betray <I>the liberty
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wherewith Christ has made us free,</I> and to entangle the church again
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in the bondage of those carnal ordinances which were imposed only till
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the time of reformation.
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4. That they were all shadows of good things to come, but the substance
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is Christ, and the grace of the gospel; when therefore the substance
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has come, it is a jest to be fond of the shadow.
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(1.) Christ is our great high-priest; when he undertook the work of our
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redemption, he put on the clothes of service--he arrayed himself with
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the gifts and graces of the Spirit, which he received not by
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measure--girded himself with the curious girdle of resolution, to go
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through with his undertaking--charged himself with the curious girdle of
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resolution, to go through with his undertaking--charged himself with all
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God's spiritual Israel, bore them on his shoulders, carried them in his
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bosom, laid them near his heart, engraved them on the palms of his
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hands, and presented them in the breast-plate of judgment unto his
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Father. And (lastly) he crowned himself with <I>holiness to the
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Lord,</I> consecrating his whole undertaking to the honour of his
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Father's holiness: now consider how great this man is.
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(2.) True believers are spiritual priests. The clean linen with which
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all their clothes of service must be made is <I>the righteousness of
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saints</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+19:8">Rev. xix. 8</A>),
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and <I>Holiness to the Lord</I> must be so written upon their foreheads
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that all who converse with them may see, and say, that they bear the
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image of God's holiness, and are devoted to the praise of it.</P>
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<A NAME="Ex39_32"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_33"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_34"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_35"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_36"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_37"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_38"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_39"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_40"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_41"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_42"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ex39_43"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec2"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>The Tabernacle Completed.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 1491.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>32 Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the
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congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according
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to all that the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> commanded Moses, so did they.
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33 And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and
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all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and his
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pillars, and his sockets,
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34 And the covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the covering
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of badgers' skins, and the vail of the covering,
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35 The ark of the testimony, and the staves thereof, and the
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mercy seat,
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36 The table, <I>and</I> all the vessels thereof, and the showbread,
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37 The pure candlestick, <I>with</I> the lamps thereof, <I>even with</I>
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the lamps to be set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and
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the oil for light,
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38 And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet
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incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door,
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39 The brazen altar, and his grate of brass, his staves, and
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all his vessels, the laver and his foot,
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40 The hangings of the court, his pillars, and his sockets, and
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the hanging for the court gate, his cords, and his pins, and all
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the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the
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congregation,
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41 The cloths of service to do service in the holy <I>place,</I> and
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the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons' garments,
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to minister in the priest's office.
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42 According to all that the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> commanded Moses, so the
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children of Israel made all the work.
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43 And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had
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done it as the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> had commanded, even so had they done it: and
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Moses blessed them.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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Observe here,
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I. The builders of the tabernacle made very good despatch. It was not
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much more than five months from the beginning to the finishing of it.
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Though there was a great deal of fine work about it, such as is usually
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the work of time, embroidering and engraving, not only in gold, but in
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precious stones, yet they went through with it in a little time.
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Church-work is usually slow work, but they made quick work of this, and
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yet did it with the greatest exactness imaginable. For,
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1. Many hands were employed, all unanimous, and not striving with each
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other. This expedited the business, and made it easy.
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2. The workmen were taught of God, and so were kept from making
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blunders, which would have retarded them.
|
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|
|
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3. The people were hearty and zealous in the work, and impatient till
|
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it was finished. God had prepared their hearts, and then <I>the thing
|
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|
was done suddenly,</I>
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|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+29:36">2 Chron. xxix. 36</A>.
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|
Resolution and industry, and a cheerful application of mind, will, by
|
||
|
the grace of God, bring a great deal of good work to pass in a little
|
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|
time, in less than one would expect.</P>
|
||
|
|
||
|
<P>
|
||
|
|
||
|
II. They punctually observed their orders, and did not in the least
|
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|
vary from them. They did it <I>according to all that the Lord commanded
|
||
|
Moses,</I>
|
||
|
|
||
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ex+39:32,42"><I>v.</I> 32, 42</A>.
|
||
|
|
||
|
Note, God's work must be done, in every thing, according to his own
|
||
|
will. His institutions neither need nor admit men's inventions to make
|
||
|
them either more beautiful or more likely to answer the intention of
|
||
|
them. <I>Add thou not unto his words.</I> God is pleased with willing
|
||
|
worship, but not with will-worship.</P>
|
||
|
|
||
|
<P>
|
||
|
|
||
|
III. They brought all their work to Moses, and submitted it to his
|
||
|
inspection and censure,
|
||
|
|
||
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ex+39:33"><I>v.</I> 33</A>.
|
||
|
|
||
|
He knew what he had ordered them to make; and now the particulars were
|
||
|
called over, and all produced, that Moses might see both that they had
|
||
|
made all, omitting nothing, and that they had made all according to the
|
||
|
instructions given them, and that, if they had made a mistake in any
|
||
|
thing, it might be forthwith rectified. Thus they showed respect to
|
||
|
Moses, who was set over them in the Lord; not objecting that Moses did
|
||
|
not understand such work, and therefore that there was no reason for
|
||
|
submitting it to his judgment. No, that God who gave them so much
|
||
|
knowledge as to do the work gave them also so much humility as to be
|
||
|
willing to have it examined and compared with the model. Moses was in
|
||
|
authority, and they would pay a deference to his place. <I>The spirit
|
||
|
of the prophets is subject to the prophets.</I> And besides, though
|
||
|
they knew how to do the work better than Moses, Moses had a better and
|
||
|
more exact idea of the model than they had, and therefore they could
|
||
|
not be well pleased with their own work, unless they had his
|
||
|
approbation. Thus in all the services of religion we should <I>labour
|
||
|
to be accepted of the Lord.</I></P>
|
||
|
|
||
|
<P>
|
||
|
|
||
|
IV. Moses, upon search, found all done according to the rule,
|
||
|
|
||
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ex+39:43"><I>v.</I> 43</A>.
|
||
|
|
||
|
Moses, both for their satisfaction and for his own, did look upon all
|
||
|
the work, piece by piece, and behold they had done it according to the
|
||
|
pattern shown him, for the same Being that showed him the pattern
|
||
|
guided their hand in the work. All the copies of God's grace exactly
|
||
|
agree with the original of his counsels: what God works in us, and by
|
||
|
us, is the fulfilling of the good pleasure of his own goodness; and
|
||
|
when the mystery of God shall be finished, and all his performances
|
||
|
come to be compared with his purposes, it will appear that behold all
|
||
|
is done according to the counsel of his own will, not one iota or
|
||
|
tittle of which shall fall to the ground, or be varied from.</P>
|
||
|
|
||
|
<P>
|
||
|
|
||
|
V. Moses blessed them.
|
||
|
|
||
|
1. He commended them, and signified his approbation of all they had
|
||
|
done. He did not find fault where there was none, as some do, who think
|
||
|
they disparage their own judgment if they do not find something amiss
|
||
|
in the best and most accomplished performance. In all this work it is
|
||
|
probable there might have been found here and there a stitch amiss, and
|
||
|
a stroke awry, which would have served for an over-curious and
|
||
|
censorious critic to animadvert upon; but Moses was too candid to
|
||
|
notice small faults where there were no great ones. Note, All governors
|
||
|
must be a praise to those that do well, as well as a terror to
|
||
|
evil-doers. Why should any take a pride in being hard to be pleased?
|
||
|
|
||
|
2. He not only praised them, but prayed for them. He blessed them as
|
||
|
one having authority, for the less is blessed of the better. We read
|
||
|
not of any wages that Moses paid them for their work, but this blessing
|
||
|
he gave them. For, though ordinarily the labourer be worthy of his
|
||
|
hire, yet in this case,
|
||
|
|
||
|
1. They wrought for themselves. The honour and comfort of God's
|
||
|
tabernacle among them would be recompence enough. <I>If thou be wise,
|
||
|
thou shalt be wise for thyself.</I>
|
||
|
|
||
|
2. They had their meat from heaven on free-cost, for themselves and
|
||
|
their families, and their raiment waxed not old upon them; so that they
|
||
|
neither needed wages nor had reason to expect any. <I>Freely you have
|
||
|
received, freely give.</I> The obligations we lie under, both in duty
|
||
|
and interest, to serve God, should be sufficient to quicken us to our
|
||
|
work, though we had not a reward in prospect. But,
|
||
|
|
||
|
3. This blessing, in the name of the Lord, was wages enough for all
|
||
|
their work. Those whom God employs he will bless, and those whom he
|
||
|
blesses are blessed indeed. The blessing he commands is <I>life for
|
||
|
evermore.</I></P>
|
||
|
|
||
|
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