Moses here receives instructions,
I. Concerning the inner curtains of the tent or tabernacle, and the
coupling of those curtains,
Exodus 26:1-6.
II. Concerning the outer curtains which were of goats' hair, to
strengthen the former,
Exodus 26:7-13.
III. Concerning the case or cover which was to secure it from the
weather,
Exodus 26:14.
IV. Concerning the boards which were to be reared up to support the
curtains, with their bars and sockets,
Exodus 26:15-30.
V. The partition between the holy place and the most holy,
Exodus 26:31-35.
VI. The veil for the door,
Exodus 26:36,37.
These particulars, thus largely recorded, seem of little use to us now;
yet, having been of great use to Moses and Israel, and God having
thought fit to preserve down to us the remembrance of them, we ought
not to overlook them. Even the antiquity renders this account
venerable.
The Tabernacle and Its Furniture.
B. C. 1491.
1 Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains
of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with
cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them.
2 The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits,
and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and every one of the
curtains shall have one measure.
3 The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another;
and other five curtains shall be coupled one to another.
4 And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one
curtain from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt
thou make in the uttermost edge of another curtain, in the
coupling of the second.
5 Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty
loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is in the
coupling of the second; that the loops may take hold one of
another.
6 And thou shalt make fifty taches of gold, and couple the
curtains together with the taches: and it shall be one
tabernacle.
I. The house must be a tabernacle or tent, such as
soldiers now use in the camp, which was both a mean dwelling and a
movable one; and yet the ark of God had not better, till Solomon built
the temple 480 years after this,
1 Kings 6:1.
God manifested his presence among them thus in a tabernacle,
1. In compliance with their present condition in the wilderness, that
they might have him with them wherever they went. Note, God suits the
tokens of his favour, and the gifts of his grace, to his people's wants
and necessities, according as they are, accommodating his mercy to
their state, prosperous or adverse, settled or unsettled. When thou
passest through the waters, I will be with thee,
Isaiah 43:2.
2. That it might represent the state of God's church in this world, it
is a tabernacle-state,
Psalms 15:1.
We have here no continuing city; being strangers in this world,
and travellers towards a better, we shall never be fixed till we come
to heaven. Church-privileges are movable goods, from one place to
another; the gospel is not tied to any place; the candlestick is in a
tent, and may easily be taken away,
Revelation 2:5.
If we make much of the tabernacle, and improve the privilege of it,
wherever we go it will accompany us; but, if we neglect and disgrace
it, wherever we stay it will forsake us. What hath my beloved to do
in my house?
Jeremiah 11:15.
II. The curtains of the tabernacle must correspond to a divine pattern.
1. They were to be very rich, the best of the kind, fine twined
linen; and colours very pleasing, blue, and purple,
and scarlet.
2. They were to be embroidered with cherubim
(Exodus 26:1),
to intimate that the angels of God pitch their tents round about
the church,
Psalms 34:7.
As there were cherubim over the mercy-seat, so there were round the
tabernacle; for we find the angels compassing, not only the throne, but
the elders; see
Revelation 5:11.
3. There were to be two hangings, five breadths in each, sewed
together, and the two hangings coupled together with golden clasps, or
tacks, so that it might be all one tabernacle,
Exodus 26:6.
Thus the churches of Christ and the saints, though they are many, are
yet one, being fitly joined together in holy love, and by the
unity of the Spirit, so growing into one holy temple in
the Lord,
Ephesians 2:21,22,4:16.
This tabernacle was very strait and narrow; but, at the preaching of
the gospel, the church is bidden to enlarge the place of her
tent, and to stretch forth her curtains,
Isaiah 54:2.
7 And thou shalt make curtains of goats' hair to be a
covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make.
8 The length of one curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the
breadth of one curtain four cubits: and the eleven curtains
shall be all of one measure.
9 And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six
curtains by themselves, and shalt double the sixth curtain in the
forefront of the tabernacle.
10 And thou shalt make fifty loops on the edge of the one
curtain that is outmost in the coupling, and fifty loops in the
edge of the curtain which coupleth the second.
11 And thou shalt make fifty taches of brass, and put the
taches into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may
be one.
12 And the remnant that remaineth of the curtains of the tent,
the half curtain that remaineth, shall hang over the backside of
the tabernacle.
13 And a cubit on the one side, and a cubit on the other side
of that which remaineth in the length of the curtains of the
tent, it shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side
and on that side, to cover it.
14 And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams' skins
dyed red, and a covering above of badgers' skins.
Moses is here ordered to make a double covering for the tabernacle,
that it might not rain in, and that the beauty of those fine curtains
might not be damaged.
1. There was to be a covering of hair camlet curtains, which were
somewhat larger every way than the inner curtains, because they were to
enclose them, and probably were stretched out at some little distance
from them,
Exodus 26:7,
&c. These were coupled together with brass clasps. The stuff being less
valuable, the tacks were so; but the brass tacks would answer the
intention as effectually as the golden ones. The bonds of unity may be
as strong between curtains of goats' hair as between those of purple
and scarlet.
2. Over this there was to be another covering, and that a double one
(Exodus 26:14),
one of rams' skins dyed red, probably dressed with the wool on;
another of badgers' skins, so we translate it, but it should
rather seem to have been some strong sort of leather (but very fine),
for we read of the best sort of shoes being made of it,
Ezekiel 16:10.
Now observe here,
(1.) That the outside of the tabernacle was coarse and rough, the
beauty of it was in the inner curtains. Those in whom God dwells must
labour to be better than they seem to be. Hypocrites put the best side
outwards, like whited sepulchres; but the king's daughter is
all glorious within
(Psalms 45:13);
in the eye of the world black as the tents of Kedar, but, in the eye of
God, comely as the curtains of Solomon,
Song of Solomon 1:5.
Let our adorning be that of the hidden man of the heart, which God
values,
1 Peter 3:4.
(2.) That where God places his glory he will create a defence upon it;
even upon the habitations of the righteous there shall be a covert,
Isaiah 6:5,6.
The protection of Providence shall always be upon the beauty of
holiness. God's tent will be a pavilion,
Psalms 27:5.
15 And thou shalt make boards for the tabernacle of shittim
wood standing up.
16 Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and
a half shall be the breadth of one board.
17 Two tenons shall there be in one board, set in order one
against another: thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the
tabernacle.
18 And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty
boards on the south side southward.
19 And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty
boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two
sockets under another board for his two tenons.
20 And for the second side of the tabernacle on the north side
there shall be twenty boards:
21 And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one
board, and two sockets under another board.
22 And for the sides of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make
six boards.
23 And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the
tabernacle in the two sides.
24 And they shall be coupled together beneath, and they shall
be coupled together above the head of it unto one ring: thus
shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners.
25 And they shall be eight boards, and their sockets of
silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board, and two
sockets under another board.
26 And thou shalt make bars of shittim wood; five for the
boards of the one side of the tabernacle,
27 And five bars for the boards of the other side of the
tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the
tabernacle, for the two sides westward.
28 And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach
from end to end.
29 And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make their
rings of gold for places for the bars: and thou shalt overlay
the bars with gold.
30 And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the
fashion thereof which was showed thee in the mount.
Very particular directions are here given about the boards of the
tabernacle, which were to bear up the curtains, as the stakes of a tent
which had need to be strong,
Isaiah 54:2.
These boards had tenons which fell into the mortises that were made for
them in silver bases. God took care to have every thing strong, as well
as fine, in his tabernacle. Curtains without boards would have been
shaken by every wind; but it is a good thing to have the
heart established with grace, which is as the boards to support
the curtains of profession, which otherwise will not hold out long. The
boards were coupled together with gold rings at top and bottom
(Exodus 26:24),
and kept firm with bars that ran through golden staples in every board
(Exodus 26:26),
and the boards and bars were all richly gilded,
Exodus 26:29.
Thus every thing in the tabernacle was very splendid, agreeable to that
infant state of the church, when such things were proper enough to
please children, to possess the minds of the worshippers with a
reverence of the divine glory, and to affect them with the greatness of
that prince who said, Here will I dwell; in allusion to this the
new Jerusalem is said to be of pure gold,
Revelation 21:18.
But the builders of the gospel church said, Silver and gold have we
none; and yet the glory of their building far exceeded that of the
tabernacle,
2 Corinthians 3:10,11.
How much better is wisdom than gold! No orders are given here
about the floor of the tabernacle; probably that also was boarded; for
we cannot think that within all these fine curtains they trod upon the
cold or wet ground; if it was so left, it may remind us of
Exodus 20:24,
An altar of earth shalt thou make unto me.
31 And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and
scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims
shall it be made:
32 And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood
overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four
sockets of silver.
33 And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou
mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony:
and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and
the most holy.
34 And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the
testimony in the most holy place.
35 And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the
candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle
toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side.
36 And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent,
of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen,
wrought with needlework.
37 And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of
shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks
shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for
them.
Two veils are here ordered to be made,
1. One for a partition between the holy place and the most holy, which
not only forbade any to enter, but forbade them so much as to look into
the holiest of all,
Exodus 26:31,33.
Under that dispensation, divine grace was veiled, but now we behold it
with open face,
2 Corinthians 3:18.
The apostle tells us
(Hebrews 9:8,9)
what was the meaning of this veil; it intimated that the ceremonial law
could not make the comers thereunto perfect, nor would the
observance of it bring men to heaven; the way into the holiest of
all was not made manifest while the first tabernacle was standing; life
and immortality lay concealed till they were brought to light by
the gospel, which was therefore signified by the rending of this
veil at the death of Christ,
Matthew 27:51.
We have not boldness to enter into the holiest, in all acts of
devotion, by the blood of Jesus, yet such as obliges us to a
holy reverence and a humble sense of our distance.
2. Another veil was for the outer door of the tabernacle,
Exodus 26:36,37.
Through this first veil the priests went in every day to minister in
the holy place, but not the people,
Hebrews 9:6.
This veil, which was all the defence the tabernacle had against thieves
and robbers, might easily be broken through, for it could be neither
locked nor barred, and the abundance of wealth in the tabernacle, one
would think, might be a temptation; but by leaving it thus exposed,
(1.) The priests and Levites would be so much the more obliged to keep
a strict watch upon it, and,
(2.) God would show his care of his church on earth, though it is weak
and defenceless, and continually exposed. A curtain shall be (if God
please to make it so) as strong a defence to his house as gates of
brass and bars of iron.
Matthew Henry "Verse by Verse Commentary for 'Exodus' Matthew Henry Bible Commentary".
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