BROUGHT TO GOD (5)
BROUGHT TO GOD (5)
JT What is before us now is the tabernacle set up, the service of God inaugurated, and the priestly family. The next book begins with Jehovah calling to Moses and speaking to him out of the tent of meeting. So that, instead of speaking from the mount which could not be touched, which, according to chapter 19, caused terror, we have now come to the tabernacle, Jehovah speaking out of it and opening the way for the service of His people. In order to get a clear view of Exodus 40 we must carry with us all that has been before us in the previous meetings, particularly now as typically we have come to the heavenly system of things. The priesthood is essential, and it is thought that we might dwell at some length on the priestly family, noting that Christ’s priesthood is heavenly. If He were on earth He would not be a priest. He is viewed in Hebrews as exercising His priesthood in connection with the heavenly system; He is “Minister of the holy places and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord has pitched, and not man”(Hebrews 8:2). While Aaron is in view earlier as associated with Moses particularly as his prophet or spokesman, he is not regarded as a priest until we come to chapter 28, that is, in relation to the pattern of the tabernacle. It is clear that priesthood was needed, so Moses is told to take Aaron and his sons with him and clothe them and anoint them, constituting them priests. And what helps in relation to all this is most important, namely “the Hebrew bondman”, seen at the beginning of chapter 21, who inaugurates the great service of love; loving his master, his wife and his children he would not go out free. This underlies the priesthood. The [p. 217] great Lover typified in the bondman, becomes the great Priest. The saints of the present dispensation, typified in Aaron’s sons, complete the priestly family. Love as seen in the bondman is the great motive in this service. The habiliments described in chapter 28 denote the greatness and glory of Christ; the saints are also provided with suitable garments. Chapter 29 describes the consecration of Aaron and his sons. It is most important to lay hold of our position as priests: Christ is Priest above, and we as His family carry on the divine service here below — but as of heaven.
In chapter 40 the tabernacle is set up and anointed and Aaron and his sons are also anointed. The service is to be carried on. So, while on the one hand we are the material forming the tabernacle, on the other we belong to the heavenly priesthood. The system is heavenly and those serving in it are heavenly.
LES Would you say that the greatness and glory of what has gone before necessitates such a priesthood as is typified in Aaron?
JT Yes, “Such a high priest became us”, Hebrews 7:26. Hebrews brings especially before us the greatness of the Person who is our Priest. He having offered one sacrifice for sins set Himself down on the right hand of the throne of the greatness in the heavens. Our greatness is set out in the fact that “such a high priest became us”. What a great people we must be, God regarding us in this way!
Ques Would you suggest that experience with God in direct teaching of this kind should bring us to priestly service in connection with the heavenly side?
JT Yes, as it was at Antioch. In the end of Exodus the system is set up, but the service has hardly begun. Everything is there, and in Leviticus the drawing near is seen and there the priesthood is [p. 218] very prominent. In Exodus the position of the testimony is seen. In Antioch we have the same thing, “the assembly which was there”, Acts 13:1. But Acts 11 shows how it was effected. What is taking place in Antioch arouses exercise in the assembly at Jerusalem and they send Barnabas to Antioch, a man filled with the Holy Spirit, a “son of consolation”. And Barnabas having arrived at Antioch “rejoiced, and exhorted all with purpose of heart to abide with the Lord”. “And he went away to Tarsus to seek out Saul”(Acts 11:22,26). He finds Saul, and they labour together at Antioch a whole year. The work is not to be in unskilled hands; it is a question of skilled labour. Two such workers are specially mentioned, but the service is open for everyone who is skilled. “Every man that was wise-hearted, in whose heart God had put wisdom, every one whose heart moved him to come to the work to do it”, Exodus 36:2. Barnabas knew where Saul was. Under God, he decided Saul was the man for this work and he procured him, and they worked there “in the assembly” for a whole year. The position then is clear: it is not attached to Jerusalem; it is now Christian. It is not merely that people around called the saints Christians, it was from God. It is the name designed for the disciples of Jesus. That position is established at Antioch, and the service of God proceeded.
ANW We must allow a definite period for complete instruction before what is of God comes into evidence.
JT This is just what God asked for; He requested them to make Him a sanctuary, and here it is. “And the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of Jehovah filled the tabernacle”. God is wholly satisfied with what is provided. The Lord says, “On this rock I will build my assembly”(Matthew 16:18). The saints, as represented in Peter, are the material: the saints, as related to Christ, are also the priestly family.
[p. 219] Rem All so far has been connected with the thought, “As Jehovah had commanded Moses”.
JT Quite so. The position corresponds with Isaac and Rebecca. Some think that they are typical of Christ and the assembly in heaven, but actually the point is Christ and the assembly in testimony down here. And that is this chapter; a heavenly system and heavenly priests but taking up the position of testimony in the wilderness. Verse 34 states, “And the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of Jehovah filled the tabernacle. And Moses could not enter into the tent of meeting, for the cloud abode on it, and the glory of Jehovah filled the tabernacle”.
HGH In our chapter we have the tabernacle system inaugurated and we have the priests, Aaron and his sons, anointed. There is priestly functioning; we come into a settled order of things.
JT They are the same people that form the tabernacle who are viewed as functioning in it, but it is a family, Aaron and his sons, referring to Christ and the saints. The greatness of our heavenly position is in mind. There is breakdown recorded in Exodus 32, it would look as though all is lost, all divine thoughts defeated; the tables are shattered. But what comes out is recovery through the mediator, and not only through him, but through others who love God. The challenge goes out. Who is on the Lord’s side? And there were those who came out. Look at the history of the assembly. The breakdown has been terrible. But the Mediator has come in and taken the tent and pitched it outside. Moses pitched it outside, far off from the camp, and God came down there to Moses and spoke to him face to face. Joshua was in the tent; he departed not from it. And then God proposes to write again, upon other tables of stone, the words that were upon the first tables. He directs Moses to hew two tables of stone [p. 220] like the first. Moses is honoured. He maintains what is due to God, overcoming the breakdown. So Moses hews out the tables of stone, and God directs him to come up to Him on the mount. No man beside was to be on the mount, no cattle. And Jehovah comes down, and proclaims the name of Jehovah before Moses: “Jehovah came down in the cloud, and stood beside him there, and proclaimed the name of Jehovah. And Jehovah passed by before his face, and proclaimed, Jehovah, Jehovah God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy unto thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but by no means clearing the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation”. And a fresh covenant is made, somewhat typical of the new covenant, and the ten words written on the tables, and Moses comes down with his face shining. We do not get tabernacle material until after that. All this corresponds somewhat with the history of the assembly, a serious breakdown, and then the truth of the assembly coming in in increased freshness; the priesthood and the divine system are revived and God is free with His people as at the beginning.
HGH Whatever breakdown there is, the priesthood goes on. It is an everlasting priesthood, according to verse 15 of our chapter.
JT Quite so. There is no breakdown from God’s side. God would say to Moses, “I will make of thee a great nation”(Exodus 32:10). God will go on; He will never be overcome, but He hearkens to Moses and spares Israel through his intercession. All this brings out typically the greatness of Christ.
ANW The first two chapters of Hebrews would bring out the One who never fails, either on God’s side or on ours.
JT Yes, “the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus”, Hebrews 3:1. Hebrews has been called the book of the opened heavens, corresponding to what Stephen saw as the heavens were opened. There is no breakdown there. The Jewish system was morally discontinued in the death of Stephen, but the martyr “having fixed his eyes on heaven ... saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God”(Acts 7:55). That is the position now. The new system properly starts from that point. So the heavenly position prevails today. From the side of the saints, that position has been restored in principle, the priestly family included, and the responsibility rests upon the brethren today to carry that on to the end.
LES The ministry is authoritative, “as Jehovah had commanded Moses”.
JT That is the way it is put here. You will notice in Exodus 39:32 - 43, “All the labour of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting was ended; and the children of Israel had done it according to all that Jehovah had commanded Moses — so had they done it. And they brought the tabernacle to Moses — the tent, and all its utensils, its clasps, its boards, its bars, and its pillars, and its bases; and the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers’ skins, and the veil of separation; the ark of the testimony, and its staves, and the mercy-seat; the table, all its utensils, and the shewbread; the pure candlestick, its lamps, the lamps set in order, and all its utensils, and the oil for the light; and the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the incense of fragrant drugs; and the curtain for the entrance of the tent; the copper altar, and the copper grating that was for it, its staves and all its utensils; the laver and its stand; the hangings of the court, its pillars and its bases; and the curtain for the gate of the court, its cords, and its pegs; and all the vessels [p. 222] of service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting; the garments of service, for service in the sanctuary; the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons’ garments, to serve as priests. According to all that Jehovah had commanded Moses, so had the children of Israel done all the labour. And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it as Jehovah had commanded — so had they done it; and Moses blessed them”. It is a most impressive passage, and as having part in the recovery from the great breakdown in the history of the assembly, we must, in principle at least, provide all these items. Anything less will not do for God.
ABr At the close of chapter 40 we get the thought of Moses finishing the work. In chapter 39 it is the people. What is the distinction?
JT Well, in chapter 40 Moses is typical of the Lord. He set up the new divine system at Pentecost, and later, more completely, through Paul. At the end of Acts 2 we see how the saints contributed. There, and in the result of Paul’s work at Antioch and elsewhere, we may trace the items mentioned in Exodus 39. To Laodicea, the Lord addresses Himself as “the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God”(Revelation 3:14). He counsels her to buy from Him that she might have what she sorely needed. He indicates that He is ready to provide what we need of the features of the tabernacle so as to function as of it.
DMcD In verse 3 the ark of the testimony is placed in the tabernacle. Christ must have the prominent place.
JT That is at the direction of Jehovah. Then beginning at verse 17 we get what actually was done. “And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first of the month, that the tabernacle was set up. And Moses set up the tabernacle, and puts in its bases, and fixed its boards,
[p. 223] and put in its bars, and set up its pillars. And he spread the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent above over it; as Jehovah had commanded Moses. And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and put the staves in the ark, and put the mercy-seat above on the ark. And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and hung up the veil of separation, and covered the ark of the testimony; as Jehovah had commanded Moses”. This is the actual carrying out of the divine requirement. The tent is set up before the ark is put in its place. You must have the tabernacle first as the required dwelling-place and then the symbol of the divine presence placed there. What is before us now is what Moses did. “Moses set up the tabernacle”. Then the ark is put in its place, in the tabernacle, the testimony, meaning the tables of stone, having been put into it. The ark is covered, the veil of separation being hung up. All these great features are worked out in Christianity.
Ques I was wondering about the bringing of the material to Moses as though he has to approve of it before it is put into function. Would it involve the exercises of 1 Corinthians?
JT I think so. In the antitype the Lord authoritatively has to say to what enters the structure. This is seen in Acts in the prominence accorded the apostles as representing His authority. The same principle is seen in Paul, especially in his letter to the assembly at Corinth. It is also seen in the authoritative ministry of the revival in these last days. How much needed correction! Take the Lord’s supper, the instruction governing it had been distorted, not only in Rome, where it was made idolatrous, but in all the sects. The Lord in the power of the Spirit through His servants revived the truth as to it and the evil that had developed around it became exposed and repudiated. And more recently [p. 224] certain unscriptural things that remained attached to the precious institution have been purged out and the gain of this is manifest. The Lord has helped greatly in all this adjustment. Constant vigilance and the ministry of the Spirit are needed to keep out the result of the workings of our natural minds so that the tabernacle and all that pertains to it may function according to God.
HGH Moses puts the testimony in the ark and after that it is called the ark of the testimony.
JT All is divinely accurate. The ark refers to what God presents in testimony. It is now in its place and functioning. The mercy-seat is above it. Here the ark refers to Christ in His place, the law in His heart so the will of God is persistently enforced by Him in the assembly. Every meeting we have like this the Lord would use to reach us; something is to be adjusted. While He was here He fulfilled the law, and made it honourable. It is a great point to make the truth honourable and not to discredit it by anything we do. The first great thought is having the tabernacle set up; then the testimony is there in the ark.
ABr Antioch would have the heavenly side in mind, the link being that they were first called Christians at Antioch.
JT Yes. The disciples were now in principle separated from Judaism. They are called Christians and carry on for God under that name.
RH Would the anointing link with the name, Christians?
JT Yes. By implication the name carries the thought of “the Christ”(1 Corinthians 12:12), which alludes to the assembly as anointed for testimony: it is Christ’s body. Peter says if a believer suffer “as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but glorify God in this name”, 1 Peter 4:[p. 225] 16.
DMcD The ark was the centre of the anointed system then, so Christ is the centre of the anointed system today.
RH Would the veil of separation be involved in the recovery of the truth as to the Person of Christ?
JT The truth of the Person of Christ includes the veil of separation. “And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and hung up the veil of separation, and covered the ark of the testimony; as Jehovah had commanded Moses”. The veil is His flesh. It is that into which He came, as exposed to the human gaze. He was found in fashion as a man and took His place in the likeness of men. He was here before the eyes of men but protected. This is implied in “the mystery of piety”(1 Timothy 3:16). “God has been manifested in flesh”, and that involves the veil of separation. Christ as in abstract deity could not be seen by a creature, for God dwells “in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen, nor is able to see”.
GHy Why is the Lord’s Person alluded to in this way?
JT He is to be apprehended with reverent affection, not with the unhallowed natural mind. The priests must take down the veil and cover the ark. The Person of Christ is not treated as a mere human subject. The Lord says to His disciples, Who do men say that I am? One says John the baptist, another, Elias, another one of the prophets, just the human way of treating a most holy subject. They were regarding the Lord as a distinguished man among other distinguished men. We should never bring the Lord in as an ordinary subject of conversation. The priests only were to look at the ark.
ANW “And of whom, as according to flesh, is the Christ, who is over all. God blessed for ever”, Romans 9:[p. 226] 5.
JT The table for the shewbread was placed in the tabernacle northward. “He put the table in the tent of meeting, on the side of the tabernacle northward, outside the veil, and arranged the bread in order upon it before Jehovah”. As seen in Leviticus 24 the twelve cakes on the table represent the saints as before God administratively. They are typically the saints inside His abode in holy fragrance and order before God. Paul views the Colossians in this way: “Rejoicing and seeing your order, and the firmness of your faith in Christ”, he writes to them(Colossians 2:5).
LES In the recovery, of which we have spoken, the position was authoritative. “As Jehovah had commanded Moses” is said in this chapter.
JT Bethesda disallowed what the Lord said as to the condition at Plymouth, occasioning the division among the saints at that time. The commandment of the Lord is the test; if it is refused there is no protection for the truth.
CB The lack of these principles is the root of the trouble in our local gatherings.
JT Yes. We must regard the saints according to what they are in Christ. They are “the bread of the presence” before God. God is looking at them as in Christ. They are in the presence of God in His beauty and excellence. How lovable they are under the divine eye! When Jesus was baptised the heavens were opened and there was a voice saying, “Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I have found my delight”, not ‘all‘ my delight. The ‘all’ is left out, whereas in Psalm 16 the Lord Himself says of the saints, “In them is all my delight”. The voice from heaven at the Jordan implied that the saints would come into favour in the Beloved. The fact that He is anointed with the oil of gladness above His companions remains always. So we come in as the extension of [p. 227] Christ. The saints really are the Christ. “So also is the Christ”(1 Corinthians 12:12) — the anointed vessel. “And he put the candlestick in the tent of meeting, opposite to the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward”. The candlestick throws on the table the light of the ministry of the Spirit. The table is on the north side, there under the eye of God and the light shows up the saints as they are there. Moses lighted the lamps before Jehovah. Everything is beginning to function now. “And he put the golden altar in the tent of meeting before the veil. And he burnt on it fragrant incense; as Jehovah had commanded Moses”. Thus prayers go up in the fragrance of Christ. “And he hung up the curtain of the entrance to the tabernacle”. That is the finish of the inner part of the tabernacle. “And he put the altar of burnt-offering at the entrance to the tabernacle of the tent of meeting and offered on it the burnt-offering and the oblation; as Jehovah had commanded Moses”. So that one feature after another is functioning, all under the command and at a given time. All these things made according to the heavenly pattern enter into our service Godward. And as seen there, we are functioning.
In Hebrews the writer alludes to these things, setting them out until we come to the way in which we draw near: “Having therefore, brethren, boldness for entering into the holy of holies by the blood of Jesus, the new and living way which he has dedicated for us through the veil, that is, his flesh, and having a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart, in full assurance of faith ...”, Hebrews 10:19 - 22. That is how the truth stands. The divine system is viewed as set up and functioning, and priesthood is attached to it. The whole system is anointed, a heavenly system down here anointed to maintain its dignity and power in service and testimony.
[p. 228] So the laver comes in immediately because we are still in the wilderness and thus need it. “And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet out of it; when they went into the tent of meeting, and when they drew near to the altar, they washed; as Jehovah had commanded Moses. And he set up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the curtain of the gate of the court. And so Moses finished the work”. It is finished; and now God manifests His thorough acceptance of the sanctuary His people provided for Him. “And the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of Jehovah filled the tabernacle. And Moses could not enter into the tent of meeting, for the cloud abode on it, and the glory of Jehovah filled the tabernacle”. It seems to me that God has come in for the brethren, after the great breakdown, and revived the truth of all these things. And we are tested as to whether we are observing them: whether we are appropriating them and functioning by the Holy Spirit in service toward God according to what is presented in type here.
APr Why is the blood not mentioned in this chapter? Is it getting ready for Leviticus?
JT Quite so. Of course the burnt-offering (verse 29) involves the blood. All that was needed for Jehovah to take up His abode among His people was there. That He did come in. His glory filling the tabernacle, is the great and blessed fact witnessed here. That Moses could not enter the tent of meeting “for the cloud abode on it, and the glory of Jehovah filled the tabernacle”, demonstrates how appreciatively He appropriated the dwelling which, in response to His desire. His people had prepared for their God.