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The same element of wholehearted willingness entered into the preparation for the
Temple in David's day:
"Who then is willing to consecrate his service?"
"Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart
they offered willingly to the Lord" (I Chron. 29: 5, 9).
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).
The outer court was 100 cubits long and 50 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 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:
"And also that nation, whom they serve, will I judge, and afterward they shall come
out with great substance" (Gen. 15: 14).
It practically amounted to deferred pay, the taskmaster being compelled at the end to
disgorge the wage withheld. The same principle is seen in Isa. 60: 5, 11, 16; 61: 6.
That service and honour due to God, which sin has diverted to itself, shall by virtue of
redemption be taken from the usurper and willingly offered to the rightful Lord. The
same may be said of the various ascriptions of praise found in the book of the Revelation;
they are all so much of the Lord's due held back for a time by sin. When the day of glory
arrives:
"The kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it" (Rev. 21: 24).
"Thy people offer themselves willingly in the day of Thy power" (Psa. 110: 3 R.V.).
The first article of the Tabernacle to be specified is the ark. This we will examine
later, but first we had better obtains a general survey. The Tabernacle itself was an
oblong, 30 cubits in length, and 10 in height and breadth. This was divided by a veil into
two parts; the holy place being 20 cubits long, and the most holy, the holy of holies,
being a perfect cube of 10 cubits length, breadth and depth. These are referred to in
Heb. 9: 2, 6, 7 as the first and second tabernacle, respectively. In the first Tabernacle
stood the lampstand, the table of shewbread, and the altar of incense. In the holiest of all