The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1907-07-30
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM
MENTS FOR AUG. a BY TIE
REV. /. w. HENDERSON.

Subject: The Tabernacle, Elk. 4O:1-
IS, S4-38-GoIden Text, Elk.
4O:S4-Memory Verses, 34-30--
Commentary.
The tabernacle that Moses set IN
in the midst eof the journeying peo-
pie of Israel after the commands of
Jehovah concretely and wildly ex-
presses and exemplifies the concep-
ton of the relation between God and
Israel that was dominant at the
time. 1t may perhaps be difficult for
many to become very acutely inter-
ested in the study of the fashion OF
the tent and it's furnishings. But
that will be largely because we fail
to grasp the underlying and uni
versal religious needs and expel
rienceS of which the structure in air
its parts is an objective representa-
zion. The tabernacle represents in
outward fashion the central and con.
trolling religious fact of all the ages
that God is in the midst of His peo-
pie. 1t represents the outworking of
subjective religious experiences into
outward and material expressions.
1t symbOHzes in its furnishings
many lasting and precious spiritual
truths. We shall be foolish If we
DO not learn spiritual lessons and per-
ceive spiritual meanings and secure
spiritual instruction and comfort as
we study this Scripture. The ark, the
vail, the incense, the burnt Offering,
the oil, the conservation of the priest,
surely the mention of each should
supply us with suggestive thought.
In verse 2 in the authorized YER
81 I11 efL
Of the congregation. The revised
version properly translates these
words tent of the meeting And
the change is as suggestive as it is
corrective. Here indeed in a word
is given the reason for the taber-
nacle; here in a word is described
the use to which it was to be put
and was put by the chosen people
Of God. Meeting" Here they met
Jehovah in that peculiarly sacred
manner that was distinguishing
feature of their religious expression.
Here they met Jehovah in the hottest
and most satisfying manner. Here
they met God. 1t was indeed a place
Of meeting. A tent dedicated to
meeting from time to time with God
Himself 1t was also the place where
they gathered in the expression of
their common religious longings and
for the exercise in an especial manner
Of their spiritual inclinations.
Everything within and about the
tabernacle was to be holy. All that
went into the service of God was holy.
And it was wise that such an emphasis
should be laid. The Israelites had
long been living in the midst of a.
people whose religion was not what
it might have been. There was every
danger as we have seen in previous
lessons that they would get to have
shallow conception of religious
truth and that they would place
light valuation upon those things
that are religiously most essential to
humanity. The tabernacle simply
exemplified to them what should be
the hallowedness of their own lives
1t kept constantly before them the
value and the beauty of holiness. 1t
emphasized in no uncertain fashion
that only that which was pure
and undefiled was of highest use tc
God. 1t stood as constant rebuke
to personal or national uncleanness
and unworthinesS of mind or heart
or soul. They met the hallowed al
tar of sacrifice as they approached
the sacred precincts of the taber-
nacle. The sacrifice enforced the les
son of personal responsibility before
God and the need for personal con-
fession of sin as the primal requisite
for entrance into the presence of
God. AS with the altar of sacrifice
SO with every other bit of material
in and about the tabernacle. BY
process of association all was exem-
plary.
We note also that the priest who
was to officiate in the services of the
temple was to be washed and
anointed and sanctified And that
was a valuable regulation. The
priesthood of the surrounding ma
tions we're not always men of the
deepest spiritual experience or the
most consecrated. Judging from the
previous lessons Aaron needed the
washing and the amounting and the
sanctifying to make him properly APP
preciative of the high office to which
in Gods providence he had been
called. A clean priesthood is as
necessary to God as clean people
and a clean and holy temple.
1t is also noticeable that as soon
as Gods commands were complied
with Israel entered into a new ex-
perience of God. Verse 33 tells us
that Moses finished the work. ,"
Verse "a relates that then the cloud
covered the tent of meeting and the
glory of the Lord filled the taber-
nacle." Further comment is unnec-
essary.
All that the tabernacle was we
ought to be ourselves. All that it
symbolized we as living temples
ought to exemplify. God should find
in us the sacrifice of a clean heart
and of cpntrite spirit and should
be able out of us to construct tenn
pie holy to Himself. All that the tab
ernacle was Christ is to us. May
| Gcd give us all the vision to see
many precious and helpful truths in
the lesson for the day. For in that
which is usually considered pretty
dry reading we may discover much
that is helpful and instructive and
! suggestive. Under che guidance Of
the Spirit of God we may have un-
thought of beauties revealed to US.