Vera. 8-38.-Exactitude in obedience. Kalisch observes on this passage, that, " though even literal repetitions of the same occurrence, or the same comma.od, are noi; unusual in the Biblical style, yet the lengthened and accurate reiteration" which here occurs, is unusual and must have some special meaning, He himself con;,iders tbat Ud IU.ODUH-IL THE BOOK OF J.:XODUR. [en. xxxvr. l-~B.
haf ~uflide~tly 11.ccounted for it u intended to dl'!lw attention t,o the in,,portAuce of the tl\l)('rnacle in the Moa11.ic sy~tem, and the eignific1mce, and e11peciRlly the &ymbolical ch:irarter oft.he de1<criptione (' Commentery on Exodus,' pp. 449, 450). To us it seems ~ha\ there muat have been l!Ome further reMon for the phenomenon; and we &r9 1_nchned to find it in the importance of the example 11·hich Moses here sets of ereactitwu '" ol>Pd,ence. If any one might ever be supposed entitled to depRrt from the strlcl letter of ohRervanoe, where the commands of God are concerned, it would be such an one as Mo~es, who had com·ersed 88 friend to friend with God, and h&d been twice summoned. to a conference of forty days' duration. But Moses does not seem to feel that he is ao priv1le~. The exact coi:respondency of paragraph with paragraph, venie with verae, clause with clause, word with word, seems intended to teach and enforce the lesson that \\'hat God commands is to be observed to the letter, down to its minutest point. Cer- tainly, what these five concluding chapters of Exodus especially set forth, is the extreme exactitude which Mol!e6 and those under him showed in carrying out all the directiom1 that God had given with regard to the teberna.cle. If " fifty taches" were ordered (eh. xxvi. 6), "fifty taches" were made (eh. xxxvi. 13); if "five pillars" were com- manded here ( eh. xxvi. 3i), and "four pillars" there ( ib. 32), the five and the four were constmeted and set up accordingly (eh. xxxvi. 36, 38); if this curtain was to have a pattern woven into it (eh. xxvi. 31), and that curtain was to be adorned with em- broidery (ib. 36), the embroiderer's and the weaver's art were employed upon them ns ordered (ih. xxxvi. 35, 3i). Nothing commanded was ever neglected; only in one or two cases (notably in venie SS) small additions were made, if not to the orders given, at any rate to the orders recorded. Generally, however, there was an entire effacement of 111elf, a complete restraint of private fancy and private preference. Note---1. '1.'he rarity of exact obedience; 2. The difficulty of it; 8. The scant praise which it obtains from men; 4. The certainty that it is approved in God's sight. Examples-I. The obedience of Moses as here set out; 2. The perfect obedience of Christ. " My meat is to do the will of him that sent me" (John iv. 84). "I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do" (ib. xvii. 4). Velli. ~3i.-On Tabernacle symbolism see the Homiletics on eh. xxvi. 1-11.
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Ver. 8; eh. mix. 43.-TJ,e Tabemacle made. Theso chapters recount how the tabernacle, etc., was actually made. On the several sections, see the Homiletics and Homilies on chs. :u:vi.-xxviii We have in them- I. Wou: DONE. The point to be observed here is tnat everything was done pre- cisely according to the Divine directions. The makers turned not aside, either to the right hand or to the left, from what had been commanded them. They attempted no alteration on the plans. They did not try improvements; they ndded no ornaments. This was their wiedom, and secured for their work the Divine approval. Work for Christ should be done in the same way. We cannot improve upon his Gospel We are not entitled to add to, or take from, his commands. IL W ou: INSPECTED ( eh. :u:xi.L 33---4:J). When the work was finished the makers brought it to Moses, who looked upon it o.nd pronounced that all had been done accord- ing" a;; tl1e Lord had commanded" (ver. 43). The day of inspection will come for our work alBO (1 Cor. iii 14, 16). HapJ>Y for us if the same verdict can be passed upon it! . ill Wou: BLEIIIIED. "And Moses blessed them" (ver. 43). "If any man's work abide which he has built thereupon, he nhall receive a reward" (1 Cor. iii. 14).-J. O. Veni. 8-88.-Jehovalls d,welJ,mg-pl,aoe. See homily on chap. xxvi.-J. 0. Vers. 1-38.-.77.e wo,·k fail, 11,Qt eilher for gi,fts or skill. L MoeES GOES FOBWARD DI' Fil'.l'B. • 1. He makes an immediate beginning. He might have doubted the people's liberality (so mw:h was required) or the workmen'11 sbility, IWd have waited; but it was enough that God ~ commanded the_ work, If Chrillt he.s colDDlllnded us to rear up a tabernacle for G<>d m every land nothing should ~u;y w;. He will gin offerings and men. 2. He followed the Lord's guiding. lit ell. XlliXVII, 1-2!1.} THE DOOK OF EXODUS, 3R,
called the men whom hi' h11d n1tmed 11n<l prep1trecl. Th11re mnRt be obeclience 11s well 11s faith, not c1111ing those we would choose, but hailing glMly, and honouring, th"l men whom God hlls prep11red. 3. The m11terinls are committed to them. If we are to be built into God's temple we must ohey them who h11ve the rule over us. II. THE PEOPLE HAVE TO BE RESTRAINED FROM GIVING. 1. The glory of a liheral spirit. There was no need of a second 1tppeal. Though they knew that much had been con- tributed they still gave. 2. It consecrated the work. (1) It was a. joy for the work• men to lnbour amid that generous liberality. (2) It waR II joy to Israel and th~ir ?hi_ldron ~o remember th_e story of the taberna?le. To lahourer~ in the Lord's vineyard 1t 1s a mighty consecro.t1on when hearts are yielded on every side a.nd more is thrust upon them than they can well use for the Master ; and the remembrance of such times is power and refreshing in after days. III. THE WORK PROCEEDS; THE BKII.T, AND LABOUR ll'Ail.ED NOT. First the frame- work of the to.barnacle is reared and the inner curtains made and placed; then the outer curtains, and lastly the boards, and bars, and veils are set up. The heart is first gaine<l for God, then more and more of light and power is poured upon the outer life till the whole" grows unto an holy temple in the Lord."-U.