The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-08-02
INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY-SCHOOL LESSON
Copyright, Davis W. clark.)

all-both persons and things. Oil was
used in the Orient upon the human body
to give IT strength and suppleness. When
the various articles of the tabernacle fur
niture each was touched with oil by the
officiating priest, 1t Is to signify that they
should be found and made efficient to the
end for which they are devised
Finally, Aaron, the priest, chief and
highest of all who are to officiate in this
lovely shrine. has his ceremonial wash
ing. amounting and vesturing.
Jehovah honored and accepted this
splendid shrine in the most remarkable
presence filled It to its outer most cur
tain wall. 1t was so full OF God for the
while that man could not enter. It il
said the glory Of the Lord filled the tab
ernacle."
The Teachers Lantern.
Lost in a maze. One may easily be so
If he dwells too much on the details and
minutiae Of this curious structure. One
can easily lose his way in the wilderness
of golden slaves and silver sockets, cur
tains blue and scarlet and ram and
badger skins. Valuable time may be fritz
tered away in estimating size and rela-
tive proportions of the courts. One can
easily convert the tabernacle into a Kew
Garden labyrinth.
The truths for which the tabernacle
stood were really few and simple. and at
the same time of incalculable value. The
Divine immanence is one. Tabernacle lit
orally means dwelling This gorgeous pa
vilion was Jehovah's home God tented
with Israel. He was beginning to teach
them by this significant object lesson.
that he was not afar of; not in the
height or depth or across the sea, but
nigh.
st. Paul speaks in a certain place Of
the rock which followed Israel In the
wilderness. One might say a whole noun
tain followed them. Not merely the rock
in Horeb sign Of refreshment. but Sinai,
itself symbol Of the Divine presence, was
with them.
.Atonement. cleansing. Divine illumin1-
ton. communion. prayer-these are tho
additional truths for which the tabernacle
and its furniture stood.
There was a tabernacle in a tabernacle.
Above the curtain walls of this portable
temple the starry pavilion of God was
stretched, and the heavens kept telling
the glory of God. and the armament
showing his handiwork.
One glory of the tabernacie-was that IT
was the peoples gift to God. God might
have made a tent for himself and have
II III camp AbEaCl WttH~
out a mans lifting a hand to help him;
but 1t pleased him to ask his people to
make 1t for him. There was co-opera-
ton. God gave the pattern: the people
built according to 1t. Their interest in it
was immeasurably Increased by that fact
Each made his own contribution. Mr..
Moody once said he was glad they were
asked to give goats hair, because he said
any boy could find a tuft of goats hair
in the thicket and bring that. Rich and
poor could cooperate, each giving accord
ing to what he had.
Absolute originality and uniqueness are
not claimed for the tabernacle. Moses
| saw the plan of 1t In the Mount, but he
| may also have seen the plan of It in
| Egypt. No hopeless conflict in that. In
point Of fact there Is resemblance be-
| tween the plan Of the tabernacle and
many ancient temples. They also have
their series of courts and holy of HOLES.
| Church buildings are to be suited to the
conditions Of the people Tabernacle in
the wilderness temple in Jerusalem. log
meeting house in the woods, cathedral for
the city-each Is acceptable to God.
Moses implicitly awaited Gods COM
mand in reference to the time and order
of erecting the tabernacle.
1t has been well said that the Epistle
to the Hebrews Is the Holy Ghosts COM
mentry on the tabernacle tnd its SER
| vices.