under the taoh811. II the " t.&ehcs " of ver r. 1r.ribed in eh. xxv. 31-39. It wu to b4 or en~u of ,·er. 11. a.re intended and" und~r ,; ph1.ced over agabut the table, and conse- i~ to h,• htlrnu strictly e.s" immediately under," quently on the south side ( eh. xl. !U). the ,ni,l,kan mn.st have been divided by the \'ell mto two equal, or very noarly equal parts; Ver11. 36, 37.-The mtranoe lo UM tent. eud the tabernacle must in an important par- Ver. 36.-Thou ■halt ma.a a hanirlns, A ticular have completelv differed from the curtain which could draw up and down, 11eema temple. In the temple the holy place wu to be intended. When let down, it probably twice the lenglh of the holy of holies (1 Kings covered the entire eastern aide, or front of the v1. 16, 17). It is po11sible that "under "may tabernacle. When r&ised, it allowed the eye be used vaguely, or that the " t.aehes " of this to penetrate into the haly place. verse are the " boob ~ of ver. S2. Tll.at thou Ver. 37 . .....five pillan. The central pillar ma:,wt bring in. Rather," And thou aha.It waa, no doubt, as Mr. Fergusson long ago bring in." The clause is directive. Tile mo■t pointed out, one of two tent-poles, which sup- holy. Literallv, "the holv of halies "--the ported between them a ridge-pole, over which inner chamber; that within the veil, which were thrown the coveriilgll that formed tho constituted the advtum, or innermost recess of roof of the tent Its height was probably the tabernacle. The ark and the meroy-88e.t fifteen cubits, so as to give a due slope to tbe were the special furniture of this inner sanc- roof. The two pillars ilearest to the central tuary. Totheee isaddedle.ter(ch. xxir..1-10) one probably measured ten cubits, and stood the altar of incense. in line with the two walls of the mi8hk4n. Ver. 35. -Tl.e table here is, of eolll99, " the The outer pair would then have a height of table of &hew-bread " described in the pre- five cubits, and support the two extremities of ceding chapter (vlll'li. 23.......SO), immediately the goats' hair covering. Their hooks. The after the merov-sea.t. It was to be set " with- hooks whereby the " b.a.ngi.ng " was attached out the veil,~ in the holy place or outer to the pillan. Compare ver. 32. Sookete of chamber. agaiDSt the north wall. The OQdle- bl'lllll-i.e., af bronze. These were probably mak is the seven-branched Ia.mp-st.11.Dd de- let into the groQ.lld, like the other sockets.
HOMILETICS. Vers. 1--37.-The symbolism qf the tabernacle structure. I. That the HOLY OF HOLIES t:i"pified heaven itself is declared in the Epistle to the Hehrews (eh. ix. 7-12). 1n it were the forms of cherubim, representing the angelic chuir, and between them ,vas the ma.uifestation of the presence of God h.imilelf. It was cut off from the rest of the sanc- tuary by the veil, which none was to lift save the High Priest once a year: "the Hol.v Gho,it thw; signifying, that the we.y into the holiest of all "-i.e., into heaven-" was not made Inallifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing" ( ib. ver. 8). Il. THE VEIL thus typified and represented the separation between man and God-the awful barrier which shuts out from the Divine presence all, even the holiest, unless they have with them the blood of expiation, " that spea.keth better things than that of Abel." The veil was covered with cherubic forms, reminding men of those watchers at the gate of Eden, who with "a flaming sword that turned every way, kept the way of the tree of life" (Gen. iii. 24). Men saw in the thick curtain that hid the holiest from view, that heaven was shut to them, unless a "new and living way" could be found, whereby they might enter. They had impressed upon them the awful holine~~ and inaccessibility of the ::iupreme Being, a.nd their own unworthiness to approach him. They learnt that God had hidden himself from them, until some "better time," when the veil would be rent, and in and through their true High Priest, and through faith in his blood, they might" have boldness to enter into the holiest." Ill. The tabernacle outside the veil-THE HOLY PLACE, as it was called-represented the church militant. Here was perpetWLl worship offered to the God behind the veil. Hither were all who had received the holy anointing, and so been made " priests to God" (Rev. i. 6) privileged to enter. Here was a perpetual thank-offering presented to God in the shew-bread that lay always upon the table. Here was illumination from the seven- fuld lamp which typified the Holy Spirit (see above on "the symbolism of the caodlestick "). The pi.are was "all glorious within" (Ps. xlv. 13)-on the we.lla "clothing of wrought gcld,"-11.bove, a canopy of "fine twined linen, and blue and purple and scarlet, with cherubim of cwming work" interwoven into it-a.t either cuC: a curtain of nearly similar materials. Those who looked oo the tabernaclo from CII. XXVI. l-:J7.] TIIR BOOK OF EXODUS. 2fi5