Commentary on Genesis and Exodus, Chapter 39
CHAP. XXXIX.
1. The Method and Argument.
IN this chapter: 1. A rehearsall is made of the vestures and garments of the Priests which were made by the work-men, as, 1. The Ephod, with the things thereunto belonging, vers. 8. 2. The brest-plate, with the parts and ornament, vers. 22. 3. Then the robe of the Ephod with the bels, vers. 27. 4. Then the coats, miter, bonets, girdles, vers. 30. 5. Lastly the golden plate, vers. 30.
2. Then it is shewed how all these things were exhibited to Moses, which the work-men had made, vers. 42. and how Moses approved them, vers. 43.
2. The divers readings.
For the differences in the translation, the Reader likewise must have recourse here to the 29. chapter, wherewith this chapter agreeth both in order, and in the verie words.
3. The questions discussed.
COncerning the several garments which were made for the high Priest and for the inferior Priests, the description, forme, and fashion of them, with the mysticall signification, because they are handled …efore at large, chap. 28. thither I referre the studious Reader. Some questions here follow out of the second part of this chapter.
QUEST. I. At what time the worke of the Tabernacle began, and when it was finished.
Vers. 32. THus was all the worke of the Tabernacle, &c. finished. 1. It is evident that the Tabernacle was all finished, and made an end of in the first yeare of Israels departure out of Egypt, because it was set up in the first day of the first monethmonth of the second yeare, chap. 40.17. all the worke then was dispatched before it could be set up. 2. The time also may by conjecture be gathered, when this work began, which was at Moses second comming downe from the mount, in the end of the fifth monethmonth, which was July, or in the beginning of the sixth monethmonth, namely, August. As further may bee shewed thus: in the beginning of the third monethmonth, about the fourth day of the monethmonth, was the Law delivered in mount Sinai, after that Moses was twice fortie dayes with the Lord, which make above two moneths and an halfe, and some dayes Moses spent among the people before his second going up, when he caused the golden Calfe to be broken in peeces, and burned, and removed his Tabernacle without the host, and caused the people to put off their best raiment, and to shew their sorrow: so that all this could not bee done with Moses staying twice with the Lord in the mount, in lesse than three moneths: namely, the third, fourth, and fifth. Then as soone as Moses was come downe with the second tables, he called all the people together, and charged them with all which the Lord had commanded him; and then immediately they began to worke upon the Tabernacle. To this effect Tostat. qu. 3.
3. So that the whole time which was spent in the making of the Tabernacle, was the space of seven moneths, as Tostatus thinketh: they began in the beginning of the sixth monethmonth, and finished in the end of the twelfth. But Vatablus holdeth that Moses came downe from the mount the second time, about the tenth day of Tisri, which answereth to our September, and then in the Autumne he thinketh the Tabernacle began to be made. And this seemeth to be the more probable, for Tostatus to bring Moses second comming downe to the end of the fifth, or the beginning of the sixth monethmonth, maketh but two or three dayes betweene Moses first comming downe, which was, as hee thinketh, about the seventeenth day of the fourth monethmonth, namely June, and his going up, which hee ghesseth to have beene upon the eighteenth day, and then he stayed fortie dayes more to the end of July, or the beginning of August the sixth monethmonth.
But all that which is rehearsed to have beene done in the one and thirtieth Chapter, which came betweene his first comming downe, and his second going up, as the peoples mourning in putting away their best apparrell, the removing of the Tabernacle by Moses without the host, his usuall conference with God in that Tabernacle: all these things could not be done in the space of two or three dayes, lesse cannot be well allowed than halfe a monethmonth: so that it was in all likelihood toward the end of the sixth, or beginning of the seventh monethmonth, when Moses came downe; and as soone as he came downe, he began the worke of the Tabernacle.
4. The place also is evident, where the Tabernacle was made and set up, which was while they encamped about mount Sinai, where they lay almost a whole yeare: for thither they came in the beginning of the third monethmonth, in the first yeare, and departed thence on the twentieth day of the second monethmonth, in the second yeare, Numb. 10.11.
5. They then are deceived, which thinke the Tabernacle to have beene made before Moses second going up unto the Lord: of which opinion are Rupertus and Calvin: for it is not like, if it had beene finished so long before, that Moses would have deferred the setting of it up six or seven moneths. See more hereof, quest. 12. chap. 33. with other reasons there alleaged against their opinion.
QUEST. II. Why they brought their worke to Moses.
Vers. 33. AFterward they brought the Tabernacle to Moses. 1. Because fuit quasi sequester, &c. he was as a Mediator between God and his people. And therefore it was fit, that as he had received the commandement from God, and given them direction, so hee should have the approbation of the worke, Simler. 2. Beside, the people had chosen him themselves to goe between the Lord and them, and therefore hee was meet to bee an Arbiter and Judge in these things. 3. And the people in offering their worke to the judgement and approbation of Moses, therein shew their obedience to Gods commandement, and their faithfull diligence, in performing all things as the Lord had commanded them.
QUEST. III. How Moses is said to have blessed them.
Vers. 43. ANd Moses blessed them. 1. Tostatus referreth this not unto the persons that wrought in the Tabernacle, and brought these things but unto the things themselves, which hee blessed, that is, as it were consecrated and applyed unto the service of God, quest. 3. But the consecration of these things followeth afterward. When hee had set up the Tabernacle, then Moses anointed and sanctified it, Numb. 7.1. Neither is it like that Moses seeing that they had done everie thing as the Lord commanded, would dismisse the people without a publike commendation of them, and an approbation of their wo…ke.
2. Vatablus understandeth that Moses blessed the people, yet he thus expoundeth it, laudavit eos, he praised and commended them: but to blesse is more than to praise or commend. 3. Gallasius … pro gratiarum actione, for Moses giving thankes unto God: as holy men used to give God the praise when they had finished any great worke. But here is more signified than thanksgiving unto God: for Moses blessed them. 4. Osiander taketh it for Moses prayer, whereby hee craved of God to bestow upon them both spirituall and temporall blessings. 5. Simlerus so understandeth it, that Moses hereby declared unto them, Deum eorum observantiam gratam habere, &c. that God accepted of their service. 6. But as Calvin well noteth, whom Marbachius followeth: non fuit simplex precatio, sed mercedis promissio, it was not simply a prayer, but also a promise of reward. Moses assured them hereby, that God would re…compence their faithfull service. So also Pelargus.
4. Places of Doctrine.
1. Doct. No will-worship is acceptable unto God.
Vers. 1. THey made the holy garments for Aaron, as the Lord commanded. This clause Simlerus noteth to be repeated seven times; Pelargus, nine severall times in this chapter: which sheweth that the work-men did not swerve a jot from that direction, which Moses gave them from the Lord: whereby all Gods servants are admonished, ut se contineant intra limites verbi Dei, &c. that they containe themselves within the limits of Gods word, and bring nothing into the service of God of their owne invention, Simler. For this the Apostle calleth foreign, will-worship, or voluntarie religion, Col. 2.23.
2. Doct. Of the union of the divine and humane nature of Christ, and the abundant graces conferred upon his humanitie.
ALL the holy garments for Aaron. Aaron was herein a type of our blessed Saviour, and these goodly and beautifull raiments did shadow forth those heavenly graces, which were powred upon Christ beyond measure, in whom the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth bodily, Coloss. 2.9. by which uniting of the divine and humane nature, Christ as man was endued with plentifull and abundant grace. Here then two things are briefly to be explaned, the union of these two natures of Christ in one person, and the communication of these graces.
Concerning this blessed union: 1. The humane nature of Christ assumed not the divine, but the divine assumed and tooke unto it the humane nature: the divine nature of Christ was a person subsisting of it selfe from all beginning in the union of the blessed Trinitie: the humane had no subsistence of it selfe, before it was so assumed, but as soone as it began to be, it was assumed into the unitie of the person of the Son of God: so that this humane nature consisting of body and soule, which Christ assumed, became the peculiar body and soule of the Sonne of God, as the Apostle saith, that God purchased the Church with his owne bloud, Acts 20.28. 2. But in this uniting of these two natures of Christ, wee must take heed of two errours: 1. That by uniting them we imagine not either any of the natures to be absorpt or abolished, or that there is a confusion of natures, as in the commixtion of water & honey, neither of them retaining the same name or nature, or that out of these two natures, a third commeth forth compounded of them both, as in the commixtion of the elements. 2. Neither is this uniting to be too much extenuated: as to thinke the union to consist only in assistance, as the Angell stood by Peter, Act. 12. or onelyonly in a certaine conjunction, as when two divers metals are put together: But they are so united, as that the properties of both natures remaine, and yet there is but one foreign, one person subsisting of them both: like as the body and soule are united together, and the fire and red hot iron.
Concerning the communication of graces: 1. The divine nature received not any increase of grace, as it can have no imminution, being in it selfe most perfect and unchangeable. But the humane was perfited by this union, and received increase of gifts.
2. The graces communicated are either created and finite, or uncreated and infinite: the created and finite graces, as wisdome, knowledge, holinesse and the rest, are not in Christ, as he is man, the essentiall properties of the Deitie, but effects only thereof infused into Christs humane nature, being finite and created, as the humanitie it selfe was. 3. Yet they are given unto Christ without any limitation and measure, as in the Saints they are limited and given by measure. 4. These graces were not all at once in the highest perfection appearing in Christ, in the dayes of his flesh, but they received increase, because of the infirmities of the humane nature, which he assumed: as it is said, Luke 2.52. that Iesus increased in wisdome. But after Christ was glorified, they then shined in Christ in the greatest perfection.
Beside these finite and created gifts, there are other which are not finite, neither can bee referred to the first sort: as the universall dominion over all creatures, the power of remitting sinnes, of judging the world, adoration, vivification, infinite glorie: 1. These being peculiar to the divine nature, yet by vertue of this union are communicated even unto the man Christ, who is made heire of all things, and Judge of the world, and whose flesh giveth life.
2. But these divine gifts are not formally and essentially in the humane nature, nor as the first gifts, for this were to make the two natures equall, and to confound their properties.
3. Yet is it more than a verball communicating: for as Nazianzene saith, Talis est communicatio, qualis est uni… ; Such is the communication, as is the union. As the one is reall, though not essentiall, so is the other: like as in iron made red hot with fire, neither hath the iron lost its former qualities of coldnesse, blacknesse, which returne unto it againe; and yet it giveth light, heateth and burneth, not by any essentiall physicall qualitie infused into it, but by the reall union and conjunction of the fire: so the Godhead shineth, and worketh really in the humane nature of Christ.
4. The divine nature then of Christ worketh not now by it selfe alone, as before his incarnation, sed cum ea & per eam, &c. but with it, and by it, it exerciseth and sheweth it selfe. So the humane nature of Christ, est vivifica, omniscia, omnipotens, quickeneth, knoweth all things, is omnipotent, not formally and essentially by it selfe, foreign, in it owne being, as the Godhead doth, but foreign, in having the divine nature inseperably united unto it, by the vertue whereof it doth all these things, even as the hot iron burneth and heateth by the vertue of the fire which is in it.
5. As before was shewed, that the gifts and graces conferred upon the humane nature of Christ, did not appeare in their perfection all at once: so this communion of these divine properties, did not wholly shew it selfe in the dayes of Christs flesh: for though the Godhead was united to the humanitie in the verie first conception, yet cohibuit operationem suam, it did somewhat restraine the operation thereof, because of the worke of our redemption: Divina natura in Christo quievit, ut humana mori posset; The divine nature did rest in Christ, that the humane might die.
6. But Christ after his ascension, is said to sit at the right hand of God, neither in respect of the divine nature, which was never absent from thence, nor yet as though his humane nature did not sit there before, seeing in the verie conception the humane nature was united to the divine: but because then the power and kingdome of Christ was made manifest to all the world, which before lay hid in him: the divine nature, plene operante, working now fully by the humane, & humana virtute illius omnia administrante, and the humane by vertue thereof administring all things. To this purpose Marbach.
But in this his declaration which I have abridged, somewhat must be qualified: for there is in Christ betweene his divine and humane nature, a communication reall and personall; the graces created and finite, are really communicated to Christs humanitie, as his wisdome, knowledge, holinesse: but the gifts which are infinite and peculiar unto God, as to be omnipotent, omnipresent, knowing all things, are imparted only personally: as the man Christ is omnipotent, omnipresent, and knoweth all things, but not the manhood of Christ: for our blessed Saviour himselfe saith, that the Sonne himselfe, (that is, in his humanitie) knoweth not of the day and houre of his comming to judgement, Mark. 13.32 And this further is to be considered, that the manhood communicateth not any propertie to the Godhead in Christ really, for the divine nature receiveth nothing, but giveth all, but onelyonly personally, and as we say, in concret…, not in abstract…, as Marie is called the mother of God Christ, not of his Godhead: and God suffered for us, but not the Godhead; but the Deitie of Christ communicateth to his humanitie, both really and personally.
5. Places of controversie.
1. Controv. Of the apish imitation of the priestly garments among the Heathen.
Vers. 1. THey made the holy garments of Aaron. Gallasius heere noteth the superstitions of the Gentiles, which imitated in their idolatrous services, the glorious apparell of Aaron. As Numa King of the Romans, who raigned there 800. yeares after the giving of the Law, prescribed the like apparell to his Priests, as a pictured and wrought coat, with a plate of brasse, which the Priest did weare upon his breast, and a stately bonnet with a high top upon his head: which things either were received by imitation from the Hebrewes, or invented by Satan, to adulterate the rites and ceremonies instituted by God.
2. Controv. Of popish priestly apparell.
SImlerus by occasion of this place, sheweth the superstition of the Romanists in their priestly apparell: as Aaron had an Ephod, a robe, a linen coat, a bonet: so their Priests have an albe, a stoale, a delmatike, and their Bishops forked miters beside, and the Pope a triple crowne, imitating, yea rather exceeding Aarons coronet which was but a golden plate set upon his miter. And whereas all these were types and shadowes of the glorious priesthood of Christ: they, as though Christ were not yet come, doe retaine this typicall priestly apparell still: and as not contented that God hath given unto his Church, the true and perfect high Priest Christ Iesus, they set up one in his place to be his Vicar here in earth, and universall Bishop over the whole Church. Thus they rob Christ of his honour, deriving that unto themselves, which was fulfilled in Christ: converting the substance of Christs glorious priesthood, to a vaine earthly pompe, Simler.
Simlerus in the same place toucheth two other questions. 1. Whether Ministers are to be distinguished by any apparell, in their civill and ordinarie conversation. 2. Whether any peculiar kind of vesture is to be used in divine service.
3. Controv. Whether Ministers may be prescribed a fashion of civill apparell.
VPonUpon the first question he determineth thus. 1. That in it selfe the garment is an indifferent thing: and that as the Apostle saith, The kingdome of God is not meat and drinke, Rom. 14.17. so neither doth it consist in apparell. 2. The Priests under the Law were onelyonly prescribed, what apparell they should weare in their Ministerie, not in their civill conversation. 3. So that it is not necessarie that Ministers should be discerned by their habit, but that it is indifferent in it selfe, for them to weare what kind of apparell they thinke good, so that these two inconveniences be avoided, that they neither exceed in the matter or fashion of their apparell, otherwise than becommeth the gravitie of their persons, and holines of their profession: nor yet place any superstition in their habit, as the Monkes and Friers did. 4. But where the Magistrate prescribeth an oder of apparell for comelinesse sake, because Christian religion taketh not away humane policies: omnino Magistratui parendum erit, the Magistrate must alto…ther be obeyed. 5. Yea if such a forme of garment be commanded by the Magistrate, as was used in … being appointed only for a civill use, not for any religion, resistance is not to be made: for … all such things polluted, because they were used in poperie: and some things though used in poperie, yet were not by them invented. 6. But the chiefe care of the Magistrate ought to be, that Ministers be discerned from the people, non pileo, sed pietate, not by their cap, but by their pietie and integritie of life.
4. Controv. Whether a peculiar forme of Church garment should be prescribed and used.
COncerning the other question, whether a peculiar forme of garment should be prescribed for the publike Ministerie: first, none of any sound judgement, thinke any such thing to be necessarie: for the garment of it selfe is an indifferent thing, and the example of the Priests, which had their garments appointed them, doth not bind Ministers now under the Gospell: there are then two principall opinions herein.
1. Some thinke that no peculiar garment ought at all to be prescribed for the publike Ministerie: because this was a legall observation, and the priestly garments were types of Christ, the bodie being then come, the types and figures should cease; and to keepe some of the legall ceremonies, should bind us unto all.
2. These were the inventions of Antichrist, therefore to be rejected.
3. The outward glorie of the vestiments, doth affect the eye of the beholders, and so hindreth their meditation.
Some affirme the contrarie, that where the Magistrate commandeth a set forme of vesture for the Church, he is to be obeyed. 1. Because of themselves garments are indifferent, and therefore such things must be borne with, lest other things more necessarie bee hindered.
2. This kind of Ecclesiasticall vesture must not simplie be condemned; for this were to judge some reformed Churches, which doe use them.
3. The Apostles for peace sake did suffer some ceremonies to remaine, therefore some thing must be yeelded unto, that the course of the Gospell be not hindered.
And to the former reasons they make this answer. 1. That some things were used among the Jewes, which still are retained, as the paying of tithes, neither are such things kept now as types and ceremonies, but as they have a profitable and seemely use: neither doth it follow, that if some things then used under the Law be now admitted, all the rest should.
2. Neither are all things instituted in poperie held to be impious: many things consecrated to idolatrie among the Heathen, were converted by the Christians to good uses.
3. If vestures be of themselves not impious, but indifferent; they whose minds are therby withdrawne are in fault themselves, the thing is not to be blamed.
So Simlerus resolution is this: he approveth rather their sentence, which would not have such things revived in the Church, sed Apostolicam simplicitatem retinendam dicunt, but hold rather the Apostolike simplicitie to be retained. But if the Magistrate do urge such things, then he would have it done with these limitations: 1. That it be ad commoditatem & concordiam Ecclesiae, for the commoditie and concord of the Church. 2. Vt spectetur decorum, that it be decent and comely. 3. That the minds of the weake bee not offended with such things. 4. That it may be granted to the Ministers, to instruct the people concerning such things. 5. That speciall care be had, ne superstitio obtrudatur Ecclesiae, that superstition be not brought into the Church. 6. That chiefely the true comelines of the Church bee respected, which consisteth not in serico & auro, sed adificatione, in silke and gold, but in edifying. To this purpose, Simlerus.
6. Morall observations.
1. Observ. The praise of God to be sought, not of men.
Vers. 33. THey brought the Tabernacle to Moses. As these workmen endevoured to approve their worke unto Moses, so we should most of all seeke to have the approbation of Christ. Some propound unto themselves vaine glorie, as the Pharisies in giving almes; some profit, as Iudas: but we should seeke the praise and approbation of God, Simler. As the Apostle saith, Hee that praiseth himselfe is not allowed, but hee whom God praiseth, 2. Corinth. 10.18.
2. Observ. God approveth cheerfull obedience in his service.
Vers. 42. ACcording to every point that the Lord had commanded, &c. so the children of Israel made, &c. The singular obedience of the workmen of the Tabernacle, may bee shame unto Christians, that are so negligent in Gods service, Simler. We should say with the Prophet David, One thing have I desired of the Lord, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life, Psal. 27.4.
3. Observ. They which take from the Church are accursed.
Vers. 43. MOses blessed them. As well the workmen, as those that offered. If such be blessed which brought unto the Tabernacle, then they which doe not onelyonly bring nothing, but take away from the Church, such things as have been bestowed thereon, are accursed, Marbach. As Achan was that stole the wedge of gold, which should have gone to the Lords treasurie, Iosh. 6.19.