mh_parser/vol_split/2 - Exodus/Chapter 27.xml

<div2 id="Ex.xxviii" n="xxviii" next="Ex.xxix" prev="Ex.xxvii" progress="44.37%" title="Chapter XXVII">
<h2 id="Ex.xxviii-p0.1">E X O D U S</h2>
<h3 id="Ex.xxviii-p0.2">CHAP. XXVII.</h3>
<p class="intro" id="Ex.xxviii-p1">In this chapter directions are given, I.
Concerning the brazen altar for burnt-offerings, <scripRef id="Ex.xxviii-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:Exod.27.1-Exod.27.8" parsed="|Exod|27|1|27|8" passage="Ex 27:1-8">ver. 1-8</scripRef>. II. Concerning the court of the
tabernacle, with the hangings of it, <scripRef id="Ex.xxviii-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:Exod.27.9-Exod.27.19" parsed="|Exod|27|9|27|19" passage="Ex 27:9-19">ver. 9-19</scripRef>. III. Concerning oil for the
lamp, <scripRef id="Ex.xxviii-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:Exod.27.20-Exod.27.21" parsed="|Exod|27|20|27|21" passage="Ex 27:20,21">ver. 20, 21</scripRef>.</p>
<scripCom id="Ex.xxviii-p1.4" osisRef="Bible:Exod.27" parsed="|Exod|27|0|0|0" passage="Ex 27" type="Commentary"/>
<scripCom id="Ex.xxviii-p1.5" osisRef="Bible:Exod.27.1-Exod.27.8" parsed="|Exod|27|1|27|8" passage="Ex 27:1-8" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Exod.27.1-Exod.27.8">
<h4 id="Ex.xxviii-p1.6">The Tabernacle and Its
Furniture. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Ex.xxviii-p1.7">b. c.</span> 1491.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Ex.xxviii-p2">1 And thou shalt make an altar <i>of</i> shittim
wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be
foursquare: and the height thereof <i>shall be</i> three cubits.
  2 And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners
thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay it
with brass.   3 And thou shalt make his pans to receive his
ashes, and his shovels, and his basons, and his fleshhooks, and his
firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make <i>of</i> brass.
  4 And thou shalt make for it a grate of network <i>of</i>
brass; and upon the net shalt thou make four brasen rings in the
four corners thereof.   5 And thou shalt put it under the
compass of the altar beneath, that the net may be even to the midst
of the altar.   6 And thou shalt make staves for the altar,
staves <i>of</i> shittim wood, and overlay them with brass.  
7 And the staves shall be put into the rings, and the staves shall
be upon the two sides of the altar, to bear it.   8 Hollow
with boards shalt thou make it: as it was showed thee in the mount,
so shall they make <i>it.</i></p>
<p class="indent" id="Ex.xxviii-p3">As God intended in the tabernacle to
manifest his presence among his people, so there they were to pay
their devotions to him, not in the tabernacle itself (into that
only the priests entered as God's domestic servants), but in the
court before the tabernacle, where, as common subjects, they
attended. There an altar was ordered to be set up, to which they
must bring their sacrifices, and on which their priests must offer
them to God: and this altar was to sanctify their gifts. Here they
were to present their services to God, as from the mercy-seat he
gave his oracles to them; and thus a communion was settled between
God and Israel. Moses is here directed about, 1. The dimensions of
it; it was square, <scripRef id="Ex.xxviii-p3.1" osisRef="Bible:Exod.27.1-Exod.27.2" parsed="|Exod|27|1|27|2" passage="Ex 27:1,2"><i>v.</i>
1</scripRef>. 2. The horns of it (<scripRef id="Ex.xxviii-p3.2" osisRef="Bible:Exod.27.2" parsed="|Exod|27|2|0|0" passage="Ex 27:2"><i>v.</i> 2</scripRef>), which were for ornament and for
use; the sacrifices were <i>bound with cords to the horns of the
altar,</i> and to them malefactors fled for refuge. 3. The
materials; it was of wood overlaid with brass, <scripRef id="Ex.xxviii-p3.3" osisRef="Bible:Exod.27.1-Exod.27.2" parsed="|Exod|27|1|27|2" passage="Ex 27:1,2"><i>v.</i> 1, 2</scripRef>. 4. The appurtenances of it
(<scripRef id="Ex.xxviii-p3.4" osisRef="Bible:Exod.27.3" parsed="|Exod|27|3|0|0" passage="Ex 27:3"><i>v.</i> 3</scripRef>), which were
all of brass. 5. The grate, which was let into the hollow of the
altar, about the middle of it, in which the fire was kept, and the
sacrifice burnt; it was made of network like a sieve, and hung
hollow, that the fire might burn the better, and that the ashes
might fall through into the hollow of the altar, <scripRef id="Ex.xxviii-p3.5" osisRef="Bible:Exod.27.4-Exod.27.5" parsed="|Exod|27|4|27|5" passage="Ex 27:4,5"><i>v.</i> 4, 5</scripRef>. 6. The staves with which it
must be carried, <scripRef id="Ex.xxviii-p3.6" osisRef="Bible:Exod.27.6-Exod.27.7" parsed="|Exod|27|6|27|7" passage="Ex 27:6,7"><i>v.</i> 6,
7</scripRef>. And, <i>lastly,</i> he is referred to the pattern
shown him, <scripRef id="Ex.xxviii-p3.7" osisRef="Bible:Exod.27.8" parsed="|Exod|27|8|0|0" passage="Ex 27:8"><i>v.</i> 8</scripRef>.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ex.xxviii-p4">Now this brazen altar was a type of Christ
dying to make atonement for our sins: the wood would have been
consumed by the fire from heaven if it had not been secured by the
brass; nor could the human nature of Christ have borne the wrath of
God if it had not been supported by a divine power. Christ
sanctified himself for his church, as their altar (<scripRef id="Ex.xxviii-p4.1" osisRef="Bible:John.17.19" parsed="|John|17|19|0|0" passage="Joh 17:19">John xvii. 19</scripRef>), and by his mediation
sanctifies the daily services of his people, who have also <i>a
right to eat of this altar</i> (<scripRef id="Ex.xxviii-p4.2" osisRef="Bible:Heb.13.10" parsed="|Heb|13|10|0|0" passage="Heb 13:10">Heb.
xiii. 10</scripRef>), for they serve at it as spiritual priests. To
the horns of this altar poor sinners fly for refuge when justice
pursues them, and they are safe in virtue of the sacrifice there
offered.</p>
</div><scripCom id="Ex.xxviii-p4.3" osisRef="Bible:Exod.27.9-Exod.27.19" parsed="|Exod|27|9|27|19" passage="Ex 27:9-19" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Exod.27.9-Exod.27.19">
<p class="passage" id="Ex.xxviii-p5">9 And thou shalt make the court of the
tabernacle: for the south side southward <i>there shall be</i>
hangings for the court <i>of</i> fine twined linen of an hundred
cubits long for one side:   10 And the twenty pillars thereof
and their twenty sockets <i>shall be of</i> brass; the hooks of the
pillars and their fillets <i>shall be of</i> silver.   11 And
likewise for the north side in length <i>there shall be</i>
hangings of an hundred <i>cubits</i> long, and his twenty pillars
and their twenty sockets <i>of</i> brass; the hooks of the pillars
and their fillets <i>of</i> silver.   12 And <i>for</i> the
breadth of the court on the west side <i>shall be</i> hangings of
fifty cubits: their pillars ten, and their sockets ten.   13
And the breadth of the court on the east side eastward <i>shall
be</i> fifty cubits.   14 The hangings of one side <i>of the
gate shall be</i> fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their
sockets three.   15 And on the other side <i>shall be</i>
hangings fifteen <i>cubits:</i> their pillars three, and their
sockets three.   16 And for the gate of the court <i>shall
be</i> an hanging of twenty cubits, <i>of</i> blue, and purple, and
scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework: <i>and</i>
their pillars <i>shall be</i> four, and their sockets four.  
17 All the pillars round about the court <i>shall be</i> filleted
with silver; their hooks <i>shall be of</i> silver, and their
sockets <i>of</i> brass.   18 The length of the court <i>shall
be</i> an hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty everywhere, and
the height five cubits <i>of</i> fine twined linen, and their
sockets <i>of</i> brass.   19 All the vessels of the
tabernacle in all the service thereof, and all the pins thereof,
and all the pins of the court, <i>shall be of</i> brass.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ex.xxviii-p6">Before the tabernacle there was to be a
court or yard, enclosed with hangings of the finest linen that was
used for tents. This court, according to the common computation of
cubits, was fifty yards long, and twenty-five broad. Pillars were
set up at convenient distances, in sockets of brass, the pillars
filleted with silver, and silver tenter-hooks in them, on which the
linen hangings were fastened: the hanging which served for the gate
was finer than the rest, <scripRef id="Ex.xxviii-p6.1" osisRef="Bible:Exod.27.16" parsed="|Exod|27|16|0|0" passage="Ex 27:16"><i>v.</i>
16</scripRef>. This court was a type of the church, enclosed and
distinguished from the rest of the world, the enclosure supported
by pillars, denoting the stability of the church, hung with the
clean linen, which is said to be the <i>righteousness of
saints,</i> <scripRef id="Ex.xxviii-p6.2" osisRef="Bible:Rev.19.8" parsed="|Rev|19|8|0|0" passage="Re 19:8">Rev. xix. 8</scripRef>.
These were the courts David longed for and coveted to reside in
(<scripRef id="Ex.xxviii-p6.3" osisRef="Bible:Ps.84.2 Bible:Ps.84.10" parsed="|Ps|84|2|0|0;|Ps|84|10|0|0" passage="Ps 84:2,10">Ps. lxxxiv. 2, 10</scripRef>), and
into which the people of God entered with praise and thanksgiving
(<scripRef id="Ex.xxviii-p6.4" osisRef="Bible:Ps.100.4" parsed="|Ps|100|4|0|0" passage="Ps 100:4">Ps. c. 4</scripRef>); yet this court
would contain but a few worshippers. Thanks be to God, now, under
the gospel, the enclosure is taken down. God's will is that men
<i>pray everywhere;</i> and there is room for all that in every
place call on the name of Jesus Christ.</p>
</div><scripCom id="Ex.xxviii-p6.5" osisRef="Bible:Exod.27.20-Exod.27.21" parsed="|Exod|27|20|27|21" passage="Ex 27:20-21" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Exod.27.20-Exod.27.21">
<p class="passage" id="Ex.xxviii-p7">20 And thou shalt command the children of
Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light,
to cause the lamp to burn always.   21 In the tabernacle of
the congregation without the vail, which <i>is</i> before the
testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to
morning before the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ex.xxviii-p7.1">Lord</span>: <i>it shall
be</i> a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of
the children of Israel.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ex.xxviii-p8">We read of the candlestick in the
twenty-fifth chapter; here is an order given for the keeping of the
lamps constantly burning in it, else it was useless; in every
candlestick there should be a burning and shining light;
candlesticks without candles are as <i>wells without water</i> or
as <i>clouds without rain.</i> Now, 1. The people were to provide
the oil; from them the Lord's ministers must have their
maintenance. Or, rather, the pure oil signified the gifts and
graces of the Spirit, which are communicated to all believers from
Christ the good olive, of whose fulness we receive (<scripRef id="Ex.xxviii-p8.1" osisRef="Bible:Zech.4.11-Zech.4.12" parsed="|Zech|4|11|4|12" passage="Zec 4:11,12">Zech. iv. 11, 12</scripRef>), and without
which our light cannot shine before men. 2. The priests were to
light the lamps, and to tend them; it was part of their daily
service to <i>cause the lamp to burn always,</i> night and day;
thus it is the work of ministers, by the preaching and expounding
of the scriptures (which are as a lamp), to enlighten the church,
God's tabernacle upon the earth, and to direct the spiritual
priests in his service. This is to be <i>a statute for ever,</i>
that the lamps of the word be lighted as duly as the incense of
prayer and praise is offered.</p>
</div></div2>