[9] And thou shalt make
the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be
hangings for the court of fine twined linen of an hundred cubits long for
one side: [10] And the twenty pillars
thereof and their twenty sockets shall be of brass; the hooks of the pillars
and their fillets shall be of silver. [11]
And likewise for the north side in length there shall be hangings of an
hundred cubits long, and his twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of
brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver. [12]
And for the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings of
fifty cubits: their pillars ten, and their sockets ten. [13]
And the breadth of the court on the east side eastward shall be fifty cubits.
[14] The hangings of one side of the gate
shall be fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.
[15] And on the other side shall be hangings
fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three. [16]
And for the gate of the court shall be an hanging of twenty cubits, of
blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework:
and their pillars shall be four, and their sockets four. [17]
All the pillars round about the court shall be filleted with silver; their
hooks shall be of silver, and their sockets of brass. [18]
The length of the court shall be an hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty
every where, and the height five cubits of fine twined linen, and their
sockets of brass. [19] All the vessels
of the tabernacle in all the service thereof, and all the pins thereof,
and all the pins of the court, shall be of brass.
Before the tabernacle there was to be a court, enclosed
with hangings of fine linen. This court, according to the common computation,
was 50 yards long, and 25 broad. Pillars were set up at convenient distances,
in sockets of brass, the pillars filleted with silver, and silver tenterhooks
in them, on which the linen hangings were fastened: the hanging which served
for the gate was finer than the rest. This court was a type of the church,
enclosed, and distinguished from the rest of the world; the inclosure supported
by pillars, noting the stability of the church hung with the clean linen,
which is said to be the righteousness of saints, Revelation 19:8. Yet this
court would contain but a few worshippers; thanks be to God, now the inclosure
is taken down; and there is room for all that in every place call on the
name of Christ.
[20] And thou shalt command
the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for
the light, to cause the lamp to burn always. [21]
In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before
the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning
before the LORD: it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations
on the behalf of the children of Israel.
We read of the candlestick in the 25th chapter; here
is order given for the keeping of the lamps constantly burning in it. The
pure oil signified the gifts and graces of the Spirit, which are communicated
to all believers from Christ the good olive, of whose fulness we receive,
Zechariah 4:11,12.The priests were to light the lamps, and to tend them;
to cause the lamp to burn always, night and day. Thus it is the work of
ministers to preach and expound the scriptures, which are as a lamp to
enlighten the church. This is to be a statute for ever, that the lamps
of the word be lighted as duly as the incense of prayer and praise is offered.
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