Chapter 11
The Law and the Tabernacle
Exodus 15:27 to Exodus 36
  Jehovah appeared many times to Israel in a special manner. Whenever they did wrong, murmured, or rebelled, He would manifest Himself in a cloud. It might be signaled to them by plagues, or fiery serpents, or it might be a voice that filled them with fear and wonder.
  Exodus 15:27 They camped by twelve springs of Elim, and the hand of God had been upon them. They had murmured at Marah because of the badness of the water, but nothing had been said of the lackness of bread. They had evidently been bountifully supplied on leaving Egypt. They must have anticipated a wilderness journey. This supply had now come to an end. The discovery of the condition of the three million was soon known. One neighbor going to borrow from another, would be met by the assurance that the other was as poor as he was in the matter. In this way the terribleness of their condition would be borne upon them in a stupefying effect. Death then seemed inevitable.

The Giving of the Manna
  To go forward would make that fate certain. To retreat was equally impossible. They would perish before they could retrace their steps and gain the borders of Egypt. They had reached the point of no return; they were in wits-end corner!
  "And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the children of Israel said unto them, would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt when we sat by the flesh pots and did eat our full, for you have brought us forth into this wilderness to kill the whole assemble with hunger" (Exodus 16:23).
  Now, here was a case in which this people could easily have sought help from God. Had He not in every manner proved Himself true to the Covenant? The failure of bread supply was alarming, but He who had miraculously delivered them from Egypt, led them through the Red Sea, led them by a cloud, made the bitter waters sweet, could easily provide bread.
  What a different story we would have had, and what joy it would have brought to the Covenant heart of almighty God, had they come to Him for this need, in assurance that He who had entered a blood-covenant relationship would meet every need. Instead, they pulled away from God. They broke out in rebellious murmuring.
  They had been shamefully deceived - so they assumed. They had been led away from Egypt, a land of peace and plenty, and they were now entrapped in this terrible wilderness that young and old might die. However, their rebellion could not make God almighty deny Himself. He heard their murmuring, their unbelief.
  Then God gave to them the promise that He would supply them with bread and meat, that they might know that He was their covenant God (Exodus 16:4-12). Exodus 16:13-36 gives us the sending of the bread and meat and the instructions for gathering it. For forty years, He, their covenant God, fed them in this miraculous way.

Reason for the Law
  As we study the history of Israel, we hold in mind the fact that they are God's covenant people.
  Exodus 19:1-8 In the third month of their journey they came into the wilderness of Sinai. The time has come when the covenant God is going to give them the law. Keeping in mind the fact that these people had not received the life of God. They are spiritually dead, and a law must be given to them that will govern every phase of their life.
  Before the law is given, Moses is called to the mount. There God reviews to Moses His faithfulness to the Covenant. Now Israel must make known whether or not they will obey Him as their covenant God.
  In this three months of wilderness travel is all types of circumstances, they have learned His faithfulness to His part in the Covenant. In Exodus 19:8 Israel promises to obey.
  Exodus 19:9-25 gives us the manifestation of God to His people. We notice that this manifestation of Himself was again on the level of their physical senses. They could see the smoke and fire, and hear the blast of the trumpet, which waxed loud. They were unable to approach the mount because of their fallen state, their spiritual death.
  The law that was given, is the law of the covenant. When the Abrahamic covenant was fulfilled, a covenant of law was initiated; it too would be fulfilled insofar as our heavenly Father was concerned.
  There are three divisions that come from this law: the commandments expressing the righteous will of God (Exodus 20:1-27), the judgments governing the social life of Israel (Exodus 24:12-31), and the ordinances governing the religious life (Exodus 24:12-31).

Giving of the Law
  There was a threefold giving of the law. It was given first orally, recorded in Exodus 20:1-17. This was given with no provision for the priesthood, and sacrifices, and was accompanied by the judgments (Exodus 21:1-23).
  Relating to the relationship of Hebrew with Hebrew, were added directions for three annual feast (Exodus 23:14-19), and instructions for the conquest of Canaan (Exodus 23:30-33). These words Moses gave to the people (Exodus 24:3-8).
  Next Moses was called up to receive the tables of stone (Exodus 24:12-18). Moses in the mount receives the gracious instructions concerning the Tabernacle, Priesthood, and Sacrifices (Exodus chapters 25-31).
  Meantime the people, led by Aaron, break the first commandment (Exodus 32). Moses breaks the tables written with the finger of God (Exodus 31:18, Exodus 32:16-19).
  Third, the second tables were made by Moses, and law again written by the hand of Jehovah (Exodus 34:1, 28, 29).
  Study the following scriptures: Romans 3:21-27, Romans 6:14-15, Galatians 2:16, Galatians 3:10-14, Galatians 3:16-18, Galatians 3:24-26, Galatians 4:21-31, Hebrews 10:11-17.

The Reason for the Tabernacle
  Exodus 25:8 God desired to dwell with His covenant people. He could not dwell in their hearts, because the price of redemption had not yet been paid, and eternal life was not yet man's possession. Therefore, His presence must be manifested to their physical senses. Their worship of God must also be on the same level. There must be a physical dwelling place in which He will dwell and where they shall meet Him through a physical Priesthood.
  For the building of the tabernacle He asked of them a freewill offering (Exodus 25:2). Their hearts must be willing to have His presence among them (Exodus 25:9). The tabernacle was to be exactly as God revealed it to Moses. From the time that man had died spiritually, God has been working toward his redemption. Now this tabernacle was to be a type of Christ and the Redemption He wrought for man. Therefore, every detail must be according to His exact pattern.
  First let us notice something that is very suggestive. We saw as we studied creation that God gave the account to us in less than two chapters, and yet the instructions for making the tabernacle, take up eleven chapters. We would think that the work of creation was far more important, than the building of the tabernacle, but mighty though the work of creation was, it was simply as it were, the erection of a stage upon which was to be wrought a far mightier work, the work of redemption in Christ.
  As in a theater, the actor is more than the stage, so that one who performed that mighty work is infinitely more glorious than the stage on which He performed it.

The Tabernacle as It Stood Among the Israelite Tribes
  The Tabernacle proper was toward the western end of the court. It was fifty-two feet long, seventeen and one half feet high, and seventeen and one half feet wide.
  It was divided into two compartments. The larger of the two was called the Holy Place, the smaller the Most Holy Place. The larger, or the Holy Place, housed the golden altar, the golden lampstand, and the golden table. In the smaller, or the Holiest, there was the Ark and its Mercy Seat with overshadowing Cherubims.
  When the tabernacle had been erected, the only covering visible was the outer covering of badger skins, with a width of goats' hair curtain above the door. The first set of curtains were fine twined linen: blue, purple, white, and scarlet. Over these were the goats' hair curtain. Then on top of these were the ram skins dyed red, and over all was a covering of badger skins.
  While the tabernacle was at rest, the cloud, symbol of the Divine presence, rested on the rear of the tabernacle, and was like a vast umbrella overshadowing the camp.
  This cloud was always with them. When they were to journey it arose from the top of the tabernacle, going in the direction that God wanted them to travel. When they came to their camping ground, the cloud stopped. In this way it guided them, showing them the directions, just how far they should go, and when they should camp.
  The court was formed of sixty pillars of shittem wood supporting the linen curtain wall. The tabernacle was a comparatively small building. It was designed to be a place where God could dwell and meet Israel, in the person of their High Priest. It was not an auditorium, as such a place for the assembling of God's people would be now.

The Curtain and Covering of the Tabernacle
  In studying the coverings and curtains, we begin on the outside. As we view the tabernacle from the outside, there is nothing interesting in its appearance. It was a long box-like building without graceful lines or curves, as it to accentuate its lack of attractiveness. The badger skins, the ram's skins dyed red, and the goats' hair coverings were on the outside, while the beautiful curtains were underneath. But, if we go inside, what a wonderful change is there!
  On either side the golden covered boards glint in the light of the seven-branched lamp stand. Over our heads is the ceiling formed by the curtains. Before us is the veil, behind us is the door with all the mingled tints of the rainbow. Then there is the golden altar of incense filling the Holy Place with its aroma. The golden table with twelve loaves of shewbread which also emit a fragrant odor.
  In these coverings, we see a picture of Christ in His two different aspects. If we look at the outside of the tabernacle it has no form nor comeliness (Isaiah 53:1-3) the curtains of goat's hair covering the beauty of the tabernacle (Exodus 26:7-14).
  Isaiah 53:2 Christ had no form or comeliness to the natural man. There was no beauty about Him that man should desire Him. He had nothing in common with man. The goat's hair is typical of the severity of His separation from men. To the natural eye, there was reserve and severity with Him. It was not within their compass -- the compass of men to understand and enjoy Him (John 4:44; Matthew 16:17).
  He was a root out of a dry ground. The beauty of Christ was hidden. Only an inner few knew Him, and so the blue, the purple, the scarlet, and the linen were seen only by the Priesthood. The badger skin is typical of His Holy vigilance, in which Christ guarded against the approach of everything hostile to the purpose of God. Ezekiel 16:10 reads, "I shod thy feet with badger skins!" It would suggest separation from evil, sandals protect the feet from the earth, keep them separate from it. Christ took up His place in the Father's will, and all the forces of men and devils in earth and hell could not overcome or hinder His doing the Father's will.
  The inner curtains were in two sets, five in each set. They were held together by fifty taches of gold, which fastened into fifty loops of blue, forming as we read one tabernacle. The loops of blue and the fifty taches of gold, were typical of His heavenly grace and Divine energy which enabled Christ to perfectly meet the claims of God and man.
  These curtains were all of one measure. The blue ethereal in color, marks the heavenly character of Christ. Although He was a very man, He also was a very God. He walked in the consciousness and dignity of His divine mission. He never once forgot, who He was, or where He was going. The purple is typical of His Royalty.
  He was King of the Jews. He was received into heaven as a conqueror (Psalm 2; Philippians 2:9-11).
  The scarlet represents His death. A true scarlet color can only be produced by death. His incarnation, the union of God and man, was not sufficient for our redemption. He must on the cross be made all that man was. By His death, He brought to naught him that had the power of death, and delivered man from his reign (Hebrew 2:14-15).
  The fine twined linen is typical of His spotless purity as a man. There are great depths of spiritual truths in the humanity of Christ. In order for Him to meet the claims of justice, and the needs of man, it was necessary that He be absolutely human, and yet at the same time, as a man, and tempted in every point as we are, and still please the Father as a perfect Son. It was necessary for Christ to walk as the first Adam should have walked.


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