 |  |
The chapter also reveals the secret of this willing offering:--
"All things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee."
"All this store that we have prepared to build Thee an house for Thine holy name
cometh of Thine hand, and is all Thine own" (I Chron. 29: 14, 16).
These material things, such as silver and gold, were but the evident types of unseen
realities that pertain to God. David's ascription of praise (I Chron. 29: 11-13),
punctuated by 14 "ands" (including "now" of verse 13, and so making 15 items), may be
compared with the "pattern of things in the heavens" given in Exod. 25: 3-7:--
The fifteen patterns.
The things themselves.
(Exod. 25: 3-7).
(I Chron. 29: 11-13).
1.
Greatness.
1.
Gold.
2.
Power.
2.
Silver.
3.
Glory.
3.
Brass.
4.
Victory.
4.
Blue.
5.
Majesty.
5.
Purple.
6.
All in H. and E. is Thine.
6.
Scarlet.
7.
Kingdom and headship.
7.
Linen.
8.
Riches and honour.
8.
Goats' hair.
9.
Reign over all.
9.
Rams' skins.
10.
Power.
10.
Badgers' skins.
11.
Might.
11.
Shittim wood.
12.
To make great.
12.
Oil.
13.
To give strength.
13.
Spices.
14.
Thanks.
14.
Onyx stones.
15.
Praise.
15.
Stones (various).
We do not intend to teach by these parallels that (1) gold represents greatness, or
(8) goats' hair represents riches and honour. All we intend is to emphasize the spiritual
value of these typical materials, and to take advantage of that characteristic of inspiration
where even words are weighed and numbered. The same element of symbolism is
discernible in the gifts brought by the wise men to the infant Christ "born Kings of the
Jews", viz., "gold and frankincense and myrrh" (Matt. 2: 11).
The fifteen items enumerated in Exod. 25: 3-7 retain the special number (5) that
pervades the tabernacle. The outer court was 100 cubits wide, covering an area of
5,000 square cubits. The 60 pillars of this court multiply the tabernacle number (5) by
the number of tribes (12). The pillars that held the curtains were 5 cubits apart and
5 cubits high; the whole of the outer curtain was divided into squares of 25 cubits. We
will not pursue this further, but as we come to individual details we shall find five (5)
dominating the whole structure. We are distinctly told in Psa. 105: that the offerings
made by Israel for the tabernacle were brought from Egypt at the Exodus:--
"He brought them forth also with silver and gold" (Psa. 105: 37).
"They asked of the Egyptians jewels of silver and jewels of gold, and raiment"
(Exod. 12: 35).
This was provided for in the covenant made with Abraham:--