The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1926-09-09
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON

SUNDAY SCHOOL SSON
Prepared Especially For The Repub-
leans Readers by Rev. u. S.
Wright, DID.
SUNDAY. SEPTEMBER IL, 1926.
GIFTS FOR THE TABERNACLE.
Exodus 35:4-36:7
Honor Jehovah with thy substance,
and with the first-fruits of all thine
increase 3:9.
THE DREAM CHURCH.
"a glorious church, without spot or
wrinkle or any such thing, but holy
and without blemish." Such was
Pulls dream of the church of his
hove. It is a perfectly wonderful
dream but it yet waits fulfillment
since most of ours are wrinkled
enough to be placed on the bargain
counter by the society they are meant
to serve. John dreamed also in that
wonderful Revelation in which 1t ap-
pears as bride adorned for her hus-
band More beautiful still must have
been that dream that thralled the
mind of our Lord and made the cross
= Joy that He might bring it into be-
ing. Ezekiel dreamed Temple that
was never built and this old taberna-
Gle is another dream born out of the
passion of a mans soul to represent
Gods mind to men. Was it part OF
The wilderness march? That is a
uuestion for the scholars to settle and
as long as they are divided ordinary
men may choose that which serves
their own souls best. But the beauti-
fal dream that lies beside the story OF
the trysting tent cared for by Joshua
holds within it the pictured outlines
al Gods wish for His people.
There is symmetry, unity and holl-
ness in every part of it. 1t is formed
by placing two squares against each
other. Drawing diagonals across
zach of them at the center of one is
the place for the Ark of the Coven-
ant, in the very middle of a smaller
square which, as it is built up into a
room, the Holy of Holes becomes a
cube Continuing the sides of this
smaller square which outlines our
Tabernacle to the edge of the large
square in which it is placed we get
the Holy Place, just twice the length
4f the inner shrine. At the center of
Ehe other large square where its
diagonals meet is located the Great
Altar. Between it and the Tabernacle
rs the LAYER and within the Holy
Place are the altar of incense set
against the curtain, the ever-burning,
seven branehed candle-stick on the
left and the table of holy bread,
twelve loaves, is at the right. And
all the contents of both squares ara
separated from the common world by
a curtain outside of which the wor-
shippers must remain. 1t is picture
Of the God of Israel. Perfect SYM
metry is there for righteousness.
Justice, truth, knowledge, love are all
IN their fullness and completeness.
There is perfect unity for it is zone
Lord" and no one may approach His
holiness which makes Him separate
from sinners. There is nothing like
1t In all other history. 1t is dream
OF Diety represented in the worship of
the people in such fashion that they
grow acquainted with God thru its
presentation.
THE WAY OF ITS ACCOMPLISH
MENT-GIFTS.
We are as eager as Israel to build
the church of our dream and of our
Lords. How did they accomplish
their task? For if we can find out
their way it will throw light upon
our own work. The story tells how
Moses gave them the vision of what
was to be and told them the things
that would be needed in building it.
And Immediately they began the
offering that was so complete that
they had to be stopped from bringing.
That sounds good bit like dream
Ea the workers in many of the church
es of today. True, the gifts of last
year were 648 million dollars, or the
average of about $500 for every per-
son IN the United States, twice that
for the actual group contributing,
and it is a wonderful estimate of the
hold the church has upon the heart
OF America for "money talks" And
m1nch of it has been kissed by sacri-
flee and baptized with tears. 1t is
an holy offering from the heart of
our Christian life. And there is no
other way of building the dream
church than thru gifts that enable US
10 carry out the plans of our Lord for
al the life of our land in giving the
people an understanding of what God
as like thru what is seen in His
church. To give carelessly, on the
mere basis of some appeal that rous-
es the emotions, is to belittle the in
Tellipence of Christians and tn render