Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-10-06
FfoH, the Hew York Observer.
INTERNATIONAL LESSONS.
Fourth Quarter.
Br zEv. BEsar :. oaouT, D. D.
OCTOBER 0.
Lesson 2.-The Tabernacle.

the Congregation and tho gloty Of the Lord aed the
| Taberuaclsr-Ex. 20: -.
Central Truth God delights 10 dwell
in the midst OF his ransomed people.
So enthusiastic were the people in
their gifts and work that the elaborate
preparations for the tabernacle were
soon completed. In less than six
months all its parts were finished. IL
was now ready TO be set up, and in this
lesson we have the divine directions
for doing this, and for consecrating It's
priests.
The very first question likely TO occur
TO either teacher or scholar relates to
the purpose Of the tabernacle. What
was IL forf IL was intended 10 be Gods
dwelling place among his ransomed
people; his earthly house or home his
royal residence and palace of beauty /;
the place where he would show himself
in his holiness and love. He would be
seen of them not on his side Of mercy
only, for that was only part of his
character. He would be known as holy
also, being TO be approached by sin.
ners indeed, but only through atone.
ment for their sin. OF such God the
tabernacle was TO be the earthly home.
Let them make me sanctuary, that
may dwell among them" III will set
my tabernacle among you, and my soul
shall not abhor you; and | will walk
among you, and will be your God, and
ye shall be my people" II was called
the tabernacle of the congregation"
or "tent OF meeting" not, OF course,
such q meeting place as one OF our sane
tuaries, but a place at which. and not
within which, God would meet with
Israel. Only the priests could enter
the holy place, and only the high priest
the holiest place OF all. Within the
tabernacle God received his people only
through their anointed represen tAtives.
IL IL hardly needful that We should
here say much Of the structure itself.
Approaching it on the eastern side,
one comes to q space, seventy five feet
broad and one hundred and fifty long,
enclosed by costly hsngings. Passing
within, we are in the outer court. The
tabernacle il now q little distance be.
fore US, a structure forty FIVE feet by
| fifteen, and the holy OF holies, fifteen
feet square. Thus there are three parts
the outer court, into which the peo.
pie may enter; the holy place, entered
only by their representatives the priests;
and the holy OF holies, secret place
where Gods face is the only light, and
into which only the high priest once q
year may come alone. In the outer
court is this brazen altar and the lAver;
in the hC!y place, the table with the
shew bread, the golden candlesiick, and
the altar OF incense and in the holy Of
/ hn uNb nN hA
mounted by the mercy seat, above which
rise, with outspreAd wings, and bending
toward the centre. the two cherubim.
| Now, the most interesting question in
all the lesson relates TO the meaning Of
all this. To this question IL is easy to
give a general answer. As a whole, IL
symboliEed the majesty. purity, holiness
and grace Of God. and the way of &C.
cess to his face and favor. As a type,
no doubt, IL pointed to Christ and his
/ Church. But il is not 90 easy 10 speak
with confidence Of the meaning OF every
part.
Let us enter the holy Of holies. for
here our lesson takes US first. Here,
within the veil, IL the ark Of the testi.
moBy, within which are the two tables
Of the law, and upon which are the
mercy seat and the bending cherubim.
| This Is the secret chamber of God il 10
| the symbol of heaven itself. The tables
| of the law testify to his own reciitude,
and to the righteousness he ever re.
| quires OF his people. At the mercy seat,
As, once every year. the high priest en-.
ters TO sprinkle the blood of the ap.
pointed propItiAtion, God accepts the
offered atonement for the peoples sins.
Thus mercy and rectitude go together.
The former rests upon the latter. The
law can never be abrogated, and yet,
approached through the atoning blood,
God is able TO forgive mercy IL his de.
light. The cherubim may symbolic
adoring intelligences. or the waiting
messengers of Code holy and gracious
will.
The table, the 1candlestick and the
altar Of incense are in the holy place.
There are those who interpret all these
as symbolizing what passes from us TO
God, not what passes from him to us.
In this view, the shew.bread would re.
present our offerings TO God, particular.
ly the fruits Of grace produced in the
heart and life, and the candlestick
would symbolic the spiritual light,
shed abroad by the believer, and The
Church as fed by the oil of the Divine
Spirit. But, In another view, the table,
with It's loaves, signifies the heavenly
food with which God gladdens and sus-
tains his people, and points to Christ.
the Bread of Life and the candlestick
the neversiumberiog guardianship Of
God, and the divine knowledge with
which, by the Spirit, he cheers and
sancsifies HE redeemed. The incense
from the altar would signify both the
ascending progress of Gods people and
the fragrance of the believers conse.
Grated life.
The two objects In the court Of the
tabernacle we're the altar for sacrifices.
and the iayer Tor the ablutions Of the
priests. The principal sacrifices were
the sin.oifering for atonement. and The
burnt offering, which emphasized aeIf.
Il