and onyx stones and gemstones to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece. Sermons I. GOD REQUIRED THESE FROM THE PEOPLE. It might have been thought that in order to make this holy habitation, this tent for God travelling along with his people, God himself would have in some way supplied the material. Even as he gave Moses the stones on which the law was written (in the first instance at all events), so he might have made a sanctuary to descend in marvellous manner into the midst of Israel. But it pleased him, who we may be sure always does the wise and fitting thing, to act differently. He required the materials for this sanctuary from the people. They could not provide food for themselves - but they could provide such a dwelling-place for Jehovah as he would approve and accept. These people who had required so many interventions of God to deliver and secure them had yet been carrying with them in the midst of all their helplessness the great store of wealth indicated in this passage. It is somewhat perplexing to consider the revelation thus afforded of the Israelite condition. In their hearts these people were sinful, idolatrous, unbelieving, unstable - it is humiliating to gaze on the sad exhibition of human nature they present - and yet they had managed to surround themselves with these treasures. They were those who had been laying up treasures on earth; and so far these treasures had been of little use; for what will it profit a man to have all this store of gold and silver, and brass and fine linen, and what not, if he lack the daily bread? - all the efforts of the people, all their scraping, had ended in the bringing of these things into the wilderness where they seemed of no use. Even gold and silver would not buy bread in the wilderness. But now, behold how God can take this gold and silver and show how to make a profitable and acceptable use of it. When we begin to look regretfully on the results of our natural efforts as if those efforts had been wasted, he comes in to overrule our ignorance and folly. By his consecrating and re-arranging touch, the treasures upon earth can be transmuted into treasures in heaven. II. THE WILLINGNESS THAT MARKED THESE GIFTS. These materials, valuable as they were, yet yielded in respect of worth to an element more valuable still These rare and... . . beautiful materials, workable into such beautiful forms, could have been gotten without human intervention at all, if that had been the whole of the necessity. As not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like one of the lilies, so nothing man can make with his utmost art is so beautiful as the handiwork of God. Nor is the question altogether one as to what is beautiful to the outward eye. The value of beautiful forms is a thing only too easily exaggerated. But no one can exaggerate the beauty of a spiritual action, the beauty of a gift where the willingness and devotion of the whole heart are manifest. This tabernacle might be a very inferior structure, when measured by such principles as dictated Grecian art; but this was a thing of no consequence when compared with the higher consideration that its materials were freely brought. There was none of that extortion and slavish toil, such as we read of in connection with some of the huge fabrics of ancient civilisations. What blood and tears, what reckless expenditure of human life, for instance, in the construction of buildings like the pyramids! When we look at the great buildings - aqueducts, roads, of ancient times - we must not look at the outward appearance only. These Israelites doubtless had helped in the building of splendid structures; but the foundation of these structures was laid in oppression, and therefore on their topstone rested a destroying curse. There was nothing about all the tabernacle more beautiful than the willingness that marked the gift of the materials. There was no specific demand on any particular person. Let everyone consider for himself whether he will give, and how much. A free-will offering of the inferior brass would be of ever so much more value than an extorted one of gold or silver, or precious stones. III. THE MATERIALS OF THE GIFTS. Evidently such things were taken as the people had by them; but of these things the very best were taken. Being already in the possession of the people, and valued by them, they were exactly the things to test the willingness of their disposition. When God asks us to give, he asks us to give of our best. All this gold and silver symbolised what was most precious in the heart within. One is reminded of Paul's words with respect to the materials that might be laid upon the foundation given in Christ (1 Corinthians 3:12). We must not bring to God just what we do not want ourselves. The value of the gifts constituted a most searching test of willingness, and willingness was the particular quality that needed to be tested at this time. Men willing to give gold and silver, might be reasonably supposed as willing to give anything else within their power. Then there was a test also in the variety of the gifts. The man without gold and silver would not escape the responsibility of considering what he could do in the way of another gift. For the needs of the tabernacle God required a large diversity of materials; and probably there were few in Israel but could do something towards the supply if only they were so disposed. - Y.
Their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount. I. THAT NOTHING IS TOO TRIVIAL FOR GOD TO NOTICE.II. THAT WE SHOULD SPEAK TO GOD ABOUT ORDINARY WORK, EVEN IN OUR SEASONS OF HIGHEST SPIRITUAL COMMUNION. III. THAT EVEN SLIGHT DEVIATIONS FROM GOD'S DIRECTIONS ARE FORBIDDEN. IV. THAT WHAT WE ARE CALLED UPON TO DO HAS FAR MORE DEPENDING UPON IT THAN WE SUPPOSE. (A. Rowland, LL. B.) Homilist. I. THE NECESSITY OF A DELIBERATE PURPOSE IN LIFE. When an architect, or builder, or engineer, undertakes the construction of a house, the first thing he does is to get perfect his plans, and to be sure they are correct, so that he knows well what the future house, or bridge, or railway, will be like. If he went at his work in a haphazard manner, it would end in failure and disappointment. So with life.II. THIS PURPOSE OF LIFE SHOULD BE FORMED ON THE MODEL SHOWN US BY GOD. 1. The highest life is the holiest life, for it is nearest to the model set us by God. 2. The plan by which we are to mould our temporal concerns is already given us. Look at Mount Sinai for laws to obey; at the Mount of Olives for loving directions: at the Mount of Transfiguration for anticipation, hope of glory; at Mount Calvary for forgiven sin. (Homilist.) II. MOSES BROUGHT DOWN HIS PATTERN FROM THE MOUNT. There is a celestial way of doing earthly things. Earthly success is a quotation from overhead. Our ideals are from patterns in the mount. There is something in them we never put into them. Whence are our ideals? We have never seen a perfect thing. What do we mean by using the word? We must go with Moses to the mount for the answer. In nothing do men have so much faith as in their ideals, and there is nothing which it is so hard to explain. We do not make laws, but find them. We cannot enact truth any more than gravity. There may be a myth about Sinai, but it is one we were bound to invent if it never was reality. The problem of life is to make the ideal real. Once it was done in Galilee. The two meet in Jesus. (C. H. Parkhurst, D. D.). People Israelites, Moses, ShohamPlaces Mount SinaiTopics Bag, Beryls, Breastpiece, Breastplate, Breast-plate, Ephod, Gems, Mounted, Onyx, Priest's, Setting, Shoham, Stones, ValueOutline 1. What the Israelites were to offer for the building of the tabernacle10. The dimensions of the ark 17. The mercy seat, with the cherubim 23. The table of show bread, with the furniture thereof 31. The golden candlestick, with the instruments thereof Dictionary of Bible Themes Exodus 25:7 5399 luxury Library The Bread of the Presence'Thou shalt set upon the table shew-bread before Me alway.'--EXODUS xxv. 30. I suspect that to many readers the term 'shew-bread' conveys little more meaning than if the Hebrew words had been lifted over into our version. The original expression, literally rendered, is 'bread of the face'; or, as the Revised Version has it in the margin, 'presence bread,' and the meaning of that singular designation is paraphrased and explained in my text: 'Thou shalt set upon the table, bread of the presence before … Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Golden Lampstand Eighth Day. Holiness and Indwelling. April the Thirteenth Pure Gold Concerning Jonathan, one of the Sicarii, that Stirred up a Sedition in Cyrene, and was a False Accuser [Of the Innocent]. How Intent the Ruler Ought to be on Meditations in the Sacred Law. Solomon's Temple Spiritualized The Work of the Holy Spirit in Prophets and Apostles. The Kingdom Forming The Word Man's Chief End An Advance Step in the Royal Programme Exodus Links Exodus 25:7 NIVExodus 25:7 NLT Exodus 25:7 ESV Exodus 25:7 NASB Exodus 25:7 KJV Exodus 25:7 Bible Apps Exodus 25:7 Parallel Exodus 25:7 Biblia Paralela Exodus 25:7 Chinese Bible Exodus 25:7 French Bible Exodus 25:7 German Bible Exodus 25:7 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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