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The primary purpose of the tabernacle.
In Exod. 25: 8, immediately following the enumeration of the materials necessary
for the building of the tabernacle, God gives the primary purpose of its construction, "Let
them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them". "The tents of Shem" were
from the days of Noah destined to be the dwelling place of God (Gen. 9: 27), and it is the
purpose of redemption and atonement to make the sons of men fit for God to dwell
among them. The climax of the book of Revelation is expressed in the words:--
"Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they
shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God" (Rev. 21: 3),
and when this takes place tears, death, sorrow, crying, and pain, the close attendants upon
sin ever since paradise was lost, shall for ever pass away. This blessed time of restoration
is expressed in the typical tabernacle of Israel.
Why a tabernacle?
A tabernacle is a tent, a dwelling place that belongs to pilgrims. It speaks of the
wilderness and its wanderings rather than the kingdom and its peace. Consequently it has
an application all down the age to all companies of the redeemed who are pressing on to
the hope laid up for them:--
"By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in
tabernacles with Isaac, and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise" (Heb. 11: 9).
Not only so, it represents the willingness of God in His grace to have no settled place
upon this earth until sin is removed, and His pilgrim people are at home in peace. Since
Gen. 3: the sabbath rest of creation has been broken by the activities of redemption.
The date upon which the tabernacle was set up is also of a typical nature, "on the first day
of the month". Moses records one other important typical event that took place upon this
same date, namely, the day when the waters were dried up from off the earth at the time
of the flood, and when Noah removed the covering of the ark (Gen. 8: 13). Both events
have restoration in view, both have an ark as the central feature (two words in the
Hebrew O.T., but one in the Greek N.T.).
Noah's ark had no cherubim, for man, lion, ox, and eagle were there in reality; the ark
of the covenant had golden cherubim. Noah's ark was covered with pitch, the first
occurrence of the Hebrew word atonement in the O.T. The mercy seat is in Hebrew
kapporeth, pitch being kopher, and to pitch, kaphar.
We are now ready to give closer attention to the detailed description given in Exodus
of the various parts of the tabernacle, and we pray that the exhibition of these rich types
may be a means of blessing not only to the young believers among our readers for whom
they are primarily intended, but to the most advanced also.