"And thou shalt make boards for the tabernacle of
shittim wood standing up" (v. 15).
REGARDING the Tabernacle as typical of Christ, these boards of shittim wood
overlaid with gold, the framework of the Tabernacle, represent Him in the
combination of the human and divine natures in His blessed Person, the
foundation truth of Christianity, "God manifest in flesh." But,
taking the Tabernacle as typical of the Church, these boards represent the
individual believers of whom the Church of God is composed.
THEIR POSITION.
Boards of shittim wood "standing up." This intimates that they had
been previously cut down. Believers were once the children of wrath, even as
others, growing wild in nature's forest; but they had been selected by divine
grace, and had been brought low by the convictions of the Spirit, and they are
here seen standing in grace (Rom. v. 2).
THE DESIGN.
This is stated in Exodus 25. 8, "Let them make Me a sanctuary; that I may
dwell among them." These boards represent believers in Christ, builded
together for a habitation of God through the Spirit (Eph. 2. 22). This is God's
ideal of the Church as a whole, according to the pattern shewn in the Mount
(Heb. 8. 5). It is also designed to be a model for believers gathered together
in Church fellowship on earth.
THE DIMENSIONS OF THE BOARDS.
"Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half
shall be the breadth of one board" (v. 16).
Taking the cubit to be nearly one foot ten inches in length, the height of each
board would be about eighteen feet three inches, and the breadth two feet nine
inches. Thus, ten cubits was the height of the Tabernacle, one third of the
height of the holy place in Solomon's Temple, which was thirty cubits, and half
the height of the most holy place there, which was twenty cubits.
Though every regenerate soul is born into the family of God, and as such has
his place in the Church of God, yet, in order to fill that place profitably in
the assembly of believers, three things are requisite - faith, hope, charity.
Faith in the atonement, hope of the glory, and love to all saints. Faith, hope,
charity, these three-depth, height, and breadth. DEPTH - down to the sockets of
silver, FAITH in redemption. HEIGHT-up to the rings of gold, HOPE of coming
glory. BREADTH - extending to the other boards on either side. "Love in
the truth" to all them that have known the truth, for the truth's sake
which dwelleth in us (2 John 1.2).
THE TENONS.
"Two tenons [hands] shall there be in one board, set in order one against
another [made parallel one to another]; thus shalt thou make for all the boards
of the Tabernacle" (v. 17).
According to their Hebrew name, they appear to represent the HANDS of faith,
laying hold of the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; and according to their
position at the bottom of the boards, they suggest the idea of the FEET of
faith, standing firm on redemption, and the redemption price.
"Set in order." So as to fit exactly into the sockets. No slackness,
no wavering, but steadfast and unmovable, stablished, strengthened, settled.
THE BOARDS ON THE SOUTH AND NORTH SIDES
"And thou shalt make the boards for the Tabernacle, twenty boards on
the south side southward. And for the second side of the Tabernacle on the
north side there shall be twenty boards" (v.18, 20).
Twenty boards, of a cubit and a half, measure thirty cubits, which would be
about fifty-five feet long. The length of the holy place and of the most holy
together, of the Temple, was sixty cubits, or double the length of the
Tabernacle.
THE SOCKETS OF SILVER.
"And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards;
two sockets under one board for his two tenons [hands], and two sockets under
another board for his two tenons" (v. 19).
"The comparison of Exodus 30. 11-16 and 38. 25-28, with 1 Peter 1. 18, 19,
will give us most clearly and beautifully the spiritual import of these sockets
of silver. Every Israelite passing among them that were numbered, whether rich
or poor, was required to give a ransom for his soul, of half a shekel, after
the shekel of the sanctuary, in value about fifteen pence. Peter explains this,
"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with such corruptible
things, as silver and gold . . . but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a
lamb without blemish and without spot."
All God’s people are numbered as a RANSOMED people; to be reckoned among
them on the ground of profession merely, is to come under judgment. This
‘is illustrated by the numbering of Israel by David, as recorded in 2
Samuel 24., where no mention is made of the redemption price having been paid.
In the instance recorded in Matt. 17. 24, the tribute required was not the
tribute to Caesar, but the half shekel of the sanctuary; the Son of Man
required no ransom for His soul. But from the abundance of the sea, the piece
of money, "the stater," value two shillings and sixpence - was
provided, double the ransom price, as Christ said to Peter, "For Me and
thee." In Exodus 38. 25-27, we read, "And the silver of them that
were numbered of the congregation was a hundred talents, and a thousand seven
hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels after the shekel of the sanctuary..
And of the hundred talents of silver were cast the sockets of the sanctuary,
and the sockets of the vail; a hundred sockets of the hundred talents, a talent
for a socket." A talent of silver is computed at £342 3s 9d; a
talent being about 114 lbs. weight.
Each board had two tenons, and under each tenon there was socket of silver,
each weighing a talent. What an idea this gives us of the security of every
believer as founded on the atoning work of Christ; securing at once a firm
foundation for the foot of faith, for it is redemption from the wrath to come;
and a firm grasp to the hand of faith in laying hold of eternal life, and hope
of everlasting glory.
THE BOARDS FOR THE WEST SIDE.
"And for the sides of the Tabernacle westward, thou shalt make six
boards. And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the Tabernacle in the
two sides. And they shall be coupled [twinned] together beneath, and they shall
be coupled together [perfected together] above the head of it unto one ring:
thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners. And they
shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two
sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board"
(v22-25).
The corner boards were coupled or twinned beneath. So believers are one in the
confidence of FAITH. Each board standing firm in the sockets of silver, and
each believer established in the faith of the gospel. The corner boards were
also coupled or perfected together to one ring above. Believers are one in the
rejoicing of HOPE. We have "ONE FAITH" and "ONE HOPE OF OUR
CALLING." Christ crucified is the foundation of our FAITH, and Christ
glorified the substance and centre of our HOPE, Christ Himself being "the
chief CORNER STONE," uniting the Jew and the Gentile in one, on earth
beneath. And He is also the HEAD STONE of the corner, uniting them together in
one in heaven above. Thus we read in Hebrews 3. 6, "Christ as a Son over
His own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the
rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end." And again, v14, "For we
have been made partakers of Christ, if we bold the beginning of our confidence
steadfast unto the end."