HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Chap. xxv., vers. 23-30; chap. xx.xvii., vers. 10-16.-The table of shew-breaa. Between the ark of the testimony and the table of the shew-bread we see this great correspondence-that they were of the same material of shittim wood and h~ the Ta adornment of gold. But along with this correspondence there was a great difference, m that the ark of the testimony stood within the veil, while the table of shew-bread stood without. • 'l'he ark of the testimony had the mercy seat above it, while the table of the shew-bread had the Jiahted candlestick over against it. There must be some significance in having the ta°ble on the people's side of the veil ~ther ~h~ G~'s side ; a.nd may it not be that the table with its bread and the candlestick with its hght were meant to set forth God's providential support and illumination of all _his people? The shew-bread was not so much a.n offering presented to God 3:-S somethin~ placed on the table by his co=and, regularly a.nd unfailingly, to symbolise the unfa1hng regular_1ty with which he supplies his people in their ordinary wants. The daily meat offering with its fine flour was the representation of the ~abour of the people : and so we may take the shew-bread as representing that blesswg of God without which the_ most diligent toil in sowing a.nd watering avail nothing. The God of the ~hew-bread 1s the God in whom we live a.nd ruove and have our being; we cannot do without hJID for the neoessities and comforts of natural life. Were he to cease the o:perations of his i=ni=rir- llOVUH-II. lt TTTF. TIOOR OF EXOnl~R.
in nnture, it. would l'oOOn be seen how ut.t.erly fruitlesR is all our working ju,t by itself. A great and efficient providing power cannot be denied by whatsoever name we chooRe to call him. ,vould we know him and more of him than we can ever know in nature- we mu~t think of what lies within the veil. He gives us the things belonging to the outer holy place, the bread and the light, the natural strength and the natural wisdom, in order that we may come to know him in his ~piritusl demsnds and his ability to satisfy the deepest demands of our hearts. The God who gives that bread to bis people, of which the shew-bread W88 an ever renewed f;Bmple, gives it that we whose lives are continued by the bread may spend them to his glory. God feeds 118 that wo may be in aU th i"9E hu servants, and not in anything our own masters.-Y,
EXPOSITION. Tm: GOLJlEN CANDl,EIITJCX (ven. 31-40). le.bra, that all the branches were in the same Though the holy of holies was slwsys dark, plane. unless when lighted by the glory of God Ver. 33.-Three bowl.I ma.de like unto almond■, Cups shaped like almond blossoms (eh. xl. 34, 35), the holy plsce, in which seem to be intended. Each branch had three ma.ny of the priests' functions were to be per- of these in succession, then a pomegranate &Dd formed, wss to be always kept light. In the a lily-flower. The lily probo.bly repr~sented day-time sufficient light entered from the the Egyptian lotus, or water-lily. In the porch in front ; but, as evening drew on, some other branch. Rather," on anotl,er branch." There were six branches, not two only. The artificial illumination was required. In con- ornamentation of two ill described; then we nection with thi5 object, the golden candle- are told that the remainder were similar. stick, or rather lamp-stand, wu designed, Ver. 3!.-In the osncllelliok: i.e., in the "·hich, together with its appurtenances, is central shaft or stem, which is viewed as" the described in the remainder of the chapter. candlestick " par ezcellence. Here were to be twelve ornaments, the series of cup, po1negra.- , er. Sl. - .6. andlestiok. The golden nate, and lily being repeated four times, once in candlestick is figured upon the Arch of Titns, connection with each pair of branches, and a and appears by that representation to have fourth time a.t the summit. consisted of an upright shsft, from which Ver. 35.-A lmop under two branohea of three curved branches were carried out on the same. The branches were to quit the either side, all of them in the ll8.llle plane. It stem at the point of junction between the st.ands there on an octagonal pedestal, in two pomegranate (knop) and the lily. stages, ornamented with figares of birds and Ver. 36.-All it. Rather, "a.II of it." sea-monsters. Thill pedestal ill, however, &hall be one beaten work. Compare ver. 31 · clearly Roman work, and no part of the Ver. 37.-The nven lamps. The lamps original. Of bN.ten work. Not caBt, but are not described.. They appearby the repre- fashioned by the hand, like the cherubim sentation on the Arch of Titus to ha.ve been (ver. 18). Kia abaft. Bather, "its base" hemispherical bowls on a stand, which fitted (literally "fiaB.k "). Kia bra.nahea. Our ver- into the lily-blossom wherewith ea.eh of the sion folloWII the Septuagint ; but the Hebrew seven branches terminsted. They 1hall lighi noun is in the singnla.r number, and seems to the lamps. The lamps were· lighted every designate the npright stem, or shaft. The evening at sunset (eh. x.xvii. 21 ; xx.x. 8 ; •· branches are not mentioned till ver. 32, Lev. :x.xiv. 3, etc.), and burnt till morning, where the ll8.llle noun is nsed in the plnral. when the High Priest extinguished them and Ria bowls, hill lmopa, and hill 1low11r11. Bather, " dressed " them ( eh. xxx:. 7). That they' •· its cups, its pomegranates, and its lilies." may give light over a.gainat it. The candle- The " cuµs" are afterwards likened to almond stick w1111 pla.ced on the southern side of the flowers ( ver. 33) ; they formed the :first orn&- holy plsce, pa.rallel to the wall, the sev~o. 1uent on each branch ; ..hove them was a lamps forming a row. The light wss conse- representation of the pomegranate frnit; above quently shed strongly on the opposite, or this a lily bl06SOID. The lily-blossomB sop- northern wall, where the ta.hie of shew-bread ported the lamps, which were separate (ver. stood. :-Ii). The remainder were of one piece with the Ver. 38.-The tongB thereof. Tongs or candlestick. pincers were required for trimming the wicks Ver. 32.~i.z branoh• The repres&nta- of the lamps. Compare I Kings vii 49 ; tion on the Arch of Titus exact.ly agrees with 2 Chr. iv. 21. SnuB-d.iahea were also needed I.hit; description. It was a peculiarity of the for the reception of the fragments removed • c.undlestic-.k," 1111 compared with other cande- from the wickB by the tollgs 'Snuffers," rrr; XXV. :n -40.] TIIR noor~ or r.xnr>t:~.