The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 2 — Section 244

EXPOSITION. Vers. 23-30.-THl!:TAJILE OF BREW-BREAD. be affixed to the feet, BB Josepbus telle ns that From the description of the e.rk, which con- they were. (.Ant. Jud. iii. 6, § 6.) Fi itu1 Pd the sole furniture of the mo8t holy Ver. 27.-0ver agai.Dllt the border. Rather "opposite the band" or "framing" -i.e., plare, God proceeded to describe the furniture opposite the points at which the "band" or of the holy place, or body of the tabernacle, " framing " we.e inserted into the legs. Bishop ,-·bich was to consist of throe objectll-1. A Patrick supposes that the table " was not table, called the table of sbew-bread ("bread carried up as high as the e.rk was, but hung of presence " or " bread of setting-forth "). down between the priests, on whose shoulders the staves re1;ted." Bnt it is carried upright in 2. A candelabrum, or lamp-stand; and S. An the bas-relief on the Arch of TitUB, and might altar for the offering of incense. Of these the have been as easily so carried as the ark. table seems to have been regarded as of (Sec the comment on ver. 12.) otthestave1. primary importance ; and it& description is Rather, "for staves." Staves for the table therefore made to follow immediately on that bad not yet been mentioned ; and naturally the word bas no e.rticle. of the e.rk. It wai; of e.cacie. wood, overlaid Ver. 29.-Tbe cliahea thereof. Literally" its with pure gold. and wai; of the most ordinary dishes," or rather perhaps, " its bowls" (LXX. ~h:ipe-----0blong-sque.re, i.e., with four legs, one .,.pvfJ"-•a ). They were probably the vessels in at Mch corner. The only peculie.r features of which the loaves were brought to the table. 1h~ table, besides its material, were the border, Loaves are often seen arranged in bowls in the Egyptian tomb decorations (Lepsius, Denk- or ediring, which surrounded it e.t the top, the maler, pt. ii., pls. 5, 19, 84, 129, &c.). Spoons fnunework which strengthened the legs (ver. thereof. Rather," its incense cups "-small 2:i), and the rings by which it was to be jars or pots in which the incense, offered with carried from place to place. the loaves (Lev. xxiv. 5), was to be burnt. Two such were represented in the bas-relief of Ver. 23.-Two oubit.a ahail be the length the table on the Arch of Titus. Covers thereof. etc. The table ww; to be three feet thereof and bowla thereof. Rather, "its long, one foot six inches brood, and two feet flagons and its chalices" (LXX. O"ll'oviei'cz three inches high. It ww; thus quite a small ,ccu tala801 )-vessels required for the liba- table, narrow for its length, and about two tions or "drink offerings" which e.ccompanied inches below the ordinary height. every meat-offering. To oover withal. Rather, Ver. 24.-Thou Bhalt overlay it with ptlr8 as in the margin," to pour out withal." So gold.. Again. j!ilCLing may be meant ; but a the Septuagint, V ulge.te, Syrie.c, and most of covering with thin pi.ates of j?Old is perb&ps the Targums. more probable. A orown of gold rotllld about. Ver. 30.-Tbou aha.It aet upon the table A border, or edging round the top, which shew-bre&d before me alway. Here we have would prevent anything that was placed on at once the object of the table, and its name, the table from readily fe.ll.ing off. (Compare explained. The table WBB to have set npon ver. 11.) it continnally twelve loaves, or cakes, of bread Ver. 25.-A. border of a hand-breadth. (Lev. x.x.iv. 5), which were to be renewed Bather" a band" or" framing." This seeII;lS weekly on the sabbatb-day (ibid. ver. 8), the M have been a broad fl&t bar, placed a.bout stale loaves being at the same time- cons111Ded half-way down the legs, nmting them and by the priests in the holy place. These hol.Ag them together. It was represented twelve loaves or cakes were to constitute a in the sculpture of the table which adorned continual thank-offering to God from the the Arch of Titus. (See the Speaker's Com- twelve tribes of Israel in return for the bless- "'"'ntary, vol. i. p. 363.) A golden crown to ings of life and sustenance which they re- the border-i.e., an edging at the top of the ceived from him. The bread was called bar. which could be only for om.e.ment. " bread of fe.ce," or " bread of presence," Ver. 26.-The four oornen that are on the because it was set before the " fe.ce " or four feet, is scarcely an intelligible expression. "presence" of God, which dwelt in the holy 1',!otl,, the word tre.nsl.ated "comers," mee.nB of holies. The Septuagint renders the phrase properly "ends;" and the direction seems to by '!fro• 1.,,{,.,,.o, " loaves that are face to be, that the four rings should be affixed to the face' -St. Matthew by t.p-ro, .,.,js 'll'po8•u•"'s four ·'ends" of the table; those ends, WLII1ely, "loaves of setting-forth "-whence the &hau which are "at the four feet." It is e. peri- brod.6 of Luther, and our "shew-bread," which phrasis, weaning 1.,, more than •.hat they should is a pa.r.aphre.se rather than a tre.nsl.ation Cll. XXV. '..!3-:JO]. TIIF: ROOK OF F.XODWl. ------- --•--- ------------ HOMILETICS. Vors. 23-30.-The .,ymboliAm of the lr:tble of shew-brw.rl. Refore the holy of holies within which wus the Divine Presence, dwelling in thick darkness behind the veil, wa; to be set perpetually this golden table, bearing bread and wine and frankincenBe. The bread and wine and frankincense constituted a perpetual thank-offering, offerer\ by lsra~l as a nation to the high and holy God. The ide!L w!Ls th!Lt of !L constant memorial (Lov. xxiv. 8), a continual acknowledgment of the Divine goodness on the part of the nation. 'l'he essence of the offering was the bread-we know of the wine only by im,, plication; the frankincense is distinctly mentioned (£b. ver. 7), but is altogether subordinate. Israel, grateful to God for maintaining and supporting its life, physical and spiritual, expressed its gratitude by this one and only never ceasing offering. It was intended to te!lch- I. THAT ORATI'l'UDE WAS DUE TO GoD FROM HIS PEOPLE PERPETUALLY. Men are so cold by nature, so selfi~h, so little inclined to real thankfulness, that it wa.s well they should be reminded, as they were by the shew-bread, of thankfulness being a continuous, unending duty, a duty moreover owed by all. No tribe was ever exempt, however reduced in numbers, however little esteemed, however weak and powerless. The twelve loaves were perpetually before the Lord. II. THAT GRATITUDE MUST BE SHOWN BY OFFERINGS. The best offering is that of a "pure heart;" but no ma.n of a pure heart, who possessed aught, was ever yet content to offer merely " the calves of his lips "-men instinctively give of their best to God. Bread, the staff of life-wine, that maketh glad the heart of man-frankincense, the most precious of spices, are fitting gifts to him. The offering of bread signifies the devotion of our strength-of wine, the devotion of our feelings--of frankincenS'l, the devotion of our most sublimised spiritual aspirations to the eternal. Israel, a.s a nation, perpetually offered these offerings, and thereby inculcated on each individual of the nation the duty of doing the same, separately and individually, for private, as the nation did for public, benefits. III. THAT NO OFFERING OOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO Goo, UNLESS ALL ITS SUJIROm"'l)- JNGB WERE PUJIE AND HOLY. The loaves were to be of the finest flour (Lev. xxiv. 5). The frankincense was to be "pure frankincense" (ib. ver. 7). The table wa.s to be overlaid with "pure gold" (Ex. xxvi. 24). All the utensils of the table were to be of the sa.me (ib. ver. 29). Nothing" co=on or unclean" was to come into contact with the offering, which was " the most holy unto the Lord" of all the offerings made to him (Lev. xxiv. 8). Thejurity and perfection of all the material surroundings of the offering suggested the nee of equal purity in those who offered it.