THE FREE GIFTS FOR THE TABERNACLE.

"And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.

"And they came, every one e whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the Lord's offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.

"And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the Lord.

And every man, with whom was found Blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers' skins, brought them, of de nos bluor

Every one that did offer

Lord's offering: and every man,fering of silver and brass, brought the for any work of the service, brought it

with whom was found shittim wood

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And all the women that were wise, hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen. 97807411

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"And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats' hair 1560 panoig of dope blunde And the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate; 11

"And spice, and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense, onlargojnon, vivo. J 191 102

The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring, for all manner of work, which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses. Exod. xxxv. 20†29.61bne w zi C

THE people of Israel responded to the words of the Lord, delivered to them by Moses; and the willing heart was, as it were, stamped upon each gift brought by them for the construction of the tabernacle.

The

bondage under which law placed them, was for a little while broken through or set aside, by this appeal of the Lord to their hearts. For the tabernacle was a type of Christ, God's free gift, and therefore those who contributed towards it, must show some faint token of the same liberal spirit. The word "willing" is sometimes translated. "free,", 2nd Chron. xxix. 31.; Psa. li. 12. "Liberal," Isa. xxxii. 5, 8. Also "nobles,"

Numb. xxi. 18.; Psa. lxxxiii. II. And "princes" Ist Sam. ii. 8, etc. Princely liberality was thus for a little moment exhibited by that people, of whom the Lord afterwards complains. "Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense. Thou hast bought ne no sweet et cane with money, neither h hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities. Isa. xliii.

23, 24.

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It would seem as if the beauty of the type, the costly gift of God to which it pointed, had suddenly opened their churlish hearts. Alas soon to close again, and ultimately to reject the very gift itself, which God in the fulness of His love offered to them.. ve to

What a truth this tells us, respecting the way in which we should seek to please God! A servile spirit ill befits one who has tasted of His grace. A cover grace.c covetous heart is especially an abomination to Him who has not spared His own Son. Let us only contemplate more deeply, more truly, the vastness of His gift to us.

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Let us learn a little more and more of the heart of God as shewn in His wondrous love in the gift of Christ, and we shall acquire a more princely character-more true be more ready to yield ourselves, all we are, and all we have, a willing offering in His' s'service.

ourse of spirit; and we shall

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These willing-hearted ones came, both men women, and brought first, their gold; Bracelets, earrings, rings and tablets, all jewels of Gold." Their personal ornaments were thus freely given up, as an heave-offering unto Jehovah. And in this women as well as men participated; the weak as well as the dinige bredil strong.

In this respect there is similarity between the gold used in the tabernacle, and the brass employed for the

Laver. The brazen mirrors of the women assembling at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation were given up by them, for the laver and his foot. Exod. xxxviii. 8. They preferred to look upon a vessel full of cleansing water, instead of contemplating their own beauty in the mirror. Just so a sinner touched by the grace of God ceases to seek comfort or self-congratulation from his own comeliness; and gladly turns away to the death of Christ, which

the laver of regener corruption, and cleanses him

turns his into

from the filth of the flesh.

In

like

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891182, ale na wuld tror b manner these Israelitish men and women preferred the contemplation of the dwelling-place of God, to personal adornings. They gave up their jewels of gold (which if worn by themselves would goldize have attracted the gaze of others to their own persons,) in order that all eyes and hearts might be set upon the tabernacle of the Most High.

Are

Are we seeking our adornments from Christ? we gathering glory, comeliness and beauty by gazing upon Him? Have we the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit of priceless value in the sight of God; because so eminently displayed in His blessed Son?

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After specifying that both men and women brought their jewels of gold it is added, "and every man that offered, an offering of gold unto the Lord." The words "that offered an offering," are peculiar. It is literally every man that waved a wave-offering to Jehovah. The gold is again called a wave-offering. Exod. xxxviii. 24. Thus we have the two words used in this chapter No with reference to the free will offerings of the children of Israel, "wave-offering," and "heave-offering." Two portions of "the peace sacrifice," were respectively waved and heayed, "the waye breast," and "the heave shoulder." The action of waving before the Lord that which was presented to Him seems to denote the passing it to and fro before His eyes, so that He may scrutinise every part. Whilst the heaving an

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offering would represent lifting it off the earth in separation to Jehovah.

Every man in this instance waved a wave-offering of gold to the Lord, distinct it may be from the jewels also presented. In this action he called attention to the preciousness and purity of the mass of fine gold which he offered. It was the first material presented. It may be because it is the precious metal which in type represents the divine glory of the Lord Jesus, as the Son of God.

We find next, blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goats' hair, red skins of rams, and badgers skins brought by men. Here all the materials are classed together, which were used for the curtains, hangings, and coverings of the tabernacle. And it is especially said, that "every man" who possessed such, brought it. Every manifestation of the Lord Jesus is precious to God, and is an object for our faith to rest upon, and to be occupied with. A man in Christ, will have the word of God richly abiding in him; his ways will partake of the impress of Christ; and he will be strong in the grace of the Lord, and in the power of His might. Such an one will be acquainted with all the beauteous displays of God and man, which the Lord hath made manifest. Perhaps those who have advanced a little. further than others in the life of faith, have found the Gospels to be both the richest, and deepest study for their hearts; and by far the most difficult part of Scripture. For without note or comment, they simply pourtray Christ, and leave us to gather, or extract the truth and the blessing from them.

The silver and the brass are next linked together as a "heave-offering."

The brass is in Exod. xxxv. 29, called also a wave-offering.

The silver was derived altogether from the atonementmoney. This has already been treated of. It is perhaps here connected with the brass, because there were

"

sockets made of both metals.

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The foundations of the tabernacle and court, were the result of general contributions from the whole company of God's people. The "shittim wood "was also contributed by every one who happened to have it: and the expression is added for any work of the service." This wood was used to form the whole framework of the tabernacle, and the greater part of the holy vessels. The Lord Jesus as "the Son of Man," has accomplished God's counsels in redemption. He has been lifted up on the cross. He has been raised to the right hand of the Throne of glory. His great work of service" has all been accomplished through His having partaken of fleshbrand blood. This truth of His having come in the flesh, is an essential part of the faith of every believer.919w lustel to comsa odt aɔidw no amsp

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Every wise hearted woman spun with her hands the blue and purple, the scarlet and fine linen." Here the word "woman" in Hebrew is in the singular number.to The same word which Adam spoke. Gen. ii. 23, when he said, this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my fleshishe shall be called woman, (isha) because she was taken out of man, (ish)doid vab

These beautiful colours were handled and spun by each woman. May there not be in this a type of the church, the woman, who delights to trace the beauties of ther Lord, and to handle by faith the word of life, which describes His loveliness and the perfections of His character, bliad libw bob to round toured b

"And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats hair." Here the women are spoken of collectively in the plural, and they had a heart stirred in wisdom to spin goats' hair. One heart led them to this one work. If it be as before suggested that the goats' hair for the curtains was derived from the sin-offerings of the people, or had an allusion to them; then we can understand the wisdom of earth which led the women to this work.