A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Exodus · Chapter 34 – Chapter 40
CHAP. XXXIV.
Verſ. 1. ANd the Lord ſaid unto Moſes, Hew thee two tables of ſtone, &c.]
Though hereby God teſtified that he had received the people into his favour again, and vvas minded that all things ſhould return to their former ſtate; yet in that he prepareth not theſe tables as the firſt, this was a kind of memoriall of their ſinne, as when the ſcar remaineth after the healing of the wound. At the ſame time alſo God gave him order to make an ark alſo to keep them, untill the ark of the covenant was made, De…t. 10. 1.
Verſ. 6. And the Lord paſſed by before him, &c.]
To wit, in the manner promiſed, chap. 33, 22, 23.
And proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, &c.]
By this redoubling of the word Jehovah, Jehovah, the Lord, the Lord, Moſes is prepared preſently to compoſe himſelf with all humility and reverence to behold his glory, and to attend on God proclaiming his goodneſſe.
Ver. 9. And he ſaid, If now I have found grace in thy ſight, &c.]
Thus Moſes ſtill prayes for the people, and in this ſuit ſpent fourty dayes and fourty nights, Deut. 9. 25. for faith, the more aſſured it makes us of Gods favour, the more fervent it makes us in prayer.
For it is a ſtiff-necked people.]
And therefore have need of thy mercy and government.
Verſ. 10. For it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.]
The wonders which I ſhall work, to wit in the paſſage of the Iſraelites through the wilderneſſe, and afterward in the land of Canaan, ſhall ſtrike terrour into the hearts of the wicked, and teach all to fear before God.
Verſ. 12. Take heed to thy ſelf lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, &c.]
Firſt, becauſe God hath determined to deſtroy them for their ſins: Secondly, becauſe the land muſt not be polluted with idolatry, which God had choſen to be his dwelling place: Thirdly, becauſe by this means the people might be inſnared▪
Verſ. 17. Thou ſhalt make thee no molten gods.]
One kind of idols (by occaſio… of the molten calf) is put for all.
Verſ. 20. But the firſtling of an aſſe thou ſhalt redeem with a lambe.]
See Exod. 13. 13.
Verſ. 22. And thou ſhalt obſerve the feaſt of weeks, &c.]
See the notes concerning theſe feaſts, Exod. 23. 16.
Verſ. 25. Thou ſhalt not offer the bloud of thy ſacrifice with leaven, &c.]
See the notes upon Exod. 23. 18, 19.
Verſ. 28. And he was there with the Lord fourty dayes and fourty nights, &c.]
This ſecond ſtay of Moſes in the mount was, firſt, to try the peoples repentance, to ſee whether they would not again revolt from God; and ſecondly, to procure the more authority to Moſes, that they might look upon him when he brought the law as an angel ſent to them from heaven.
And he wrote upon the tables, &c.]
That is, the Lord. See ver. 1.
Verſ. 30. Behold the skinne of his face ſhone.]
No ſuch thing befell him before▪ when he was the firſt time upon the mount with the Lord fourty dayes and fourty nights, becauſe then the Lord had not ſhown him his glory in ſo great a degree as now he had. Nor need we wonder that Moſes wiſt not that the skinne of his face ſhone, as it is ſaid in the former verſe: for coming from the exceeding glory and brightneſſe of Gods preſence, that ſpark of ſhining brightneſſe that was in his own face was not diſcernable by him, though terrible to the Iſraelites. Now for the ſhining of Moſes face, it was doubtleſſe to ſignifie the glory of the law which he preached to them, whence is that of the Apoſtle, 2. Cor. 3. 7▪ 8. But if the ministration of death written and ingraven in ſtones was glorious, ſo that the children of Iſrael could not ſtedfaſtly behold the face of Moſes for the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away; how ſhall not the miniſtration of the ſpirit be rather glorious? But withall the people by this were taught to reverence him, even as an angel come from heaven, to look upon him as one that ſtood in Gods ſtead when he ſpake to them, and to aſſure themſelves that God had inlightned him alſo inwardly that he might teach and inſtruct them.
And they were afraid to come nigh him.]
Moſes came down with vengeance before, and what might they think of this glory put upon him now, being ſtill conſcious to themſelves of the haynouſneſſe of their former rebellion? Beſides, this was to ſhew that Moſes his miniſtration was condemnation▪ 1. Cor. 3. 7, 9. becauſe it gives knowledge of ſinne, and cauſeth wrath, Rom. 4. 15. The law worketh wrath▪ for where there is no law there is no tranſgreſſion.
Verſ. 33. And till Moſes had done ſpeaking with them he put a vail on his face.]
Hereby it is evident how long the brightneſſe of Moſes face continued, not all the time of his life, but onelyonly the time of his going to and fro between the Lord and his people, that he might deliver to the people the laws and commandments he gave them in charge. All this time the ſhining of his face continued, and ſo when he came to ſpeak with the people he p…t on a vail, which ſignified, Firſt the vail of the obſcurity of the law, whereby Chriſt and the end of the law was hardly diſcerned: and ſecondly that vail of ignorance and infidelity which was ſpread upon our hearts by nature, untill it be removed by Chriſt.
Verſ. 34. But when Moſes went in before the Lord to ſpeak with him, …e took the vail off, &c.]
Signifying that when we come to ſee God in Chriſt, the vail is taken away. See 2. Cor. 3. 15. 16. Even unto this day when Moſes is read the vail is upon their heart, nevertheleſſe, when it ſhall turn to the Lord the vail ſhall be taken away.
CHAP. XXXV.
Verſ. 3. YE ſhall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the Sabbath day.]
This clauſe of the law concerning the Sabbath muſt be explained by that, chap. 16, 23. To morrow is the holy reſt of the Sabbath unto the Lord, bake that which ye will bake to day, and ſeethe that which ye will ſeethe, &c. Namely, that they muſt not kindle any fire therewith to dreſſe any meat for themſelves, or except in caſe of abſolute neceſſity: for that they might not kindle fire either to light a candle, or to warm themſelves in the extreme cold of winter, is altogether improbable.
Verſ. 22. And they came both men and women, as many as were willing-hearted, and brought brac…lets and eare-rings, &c.]
That is, not onelyonly gold and ſilver, but alſo their very ornaments, contributing theſe things as willingly now after repentance for the ſervice of the tabernacle, as before for the making of their golden calf
CHAP. XXXVI.
Verſ. 2. ANd Moſes called Bezaleel and Aholiab, &c.]
Though gifted, yet they muſt have a calling.
Verſ. 8. And every wiſe-hearted man among them that wrought the work of the tab…rnacle made ten curtains, &c.]
This is firſt made (though in the directions given, the ark, table, and candleſtick were firſt mentioned) becauſe it was to rec…ive and contain theſe holy things, which might not ſtand without their tent.
CHAP. XXXVIII.
Verſ. 8. ANd he made the laver of braſſe, and the foot of it of braſſe, of the looking-glaſſes of the women aſſembling, &c.]
For it is evident by ſeverall Writers that in ancient times they uſed looking-glaſſes made wholly of pure bright braſſe.
Verſ. 18. And the height in the breadth was five cubits, &c.]
That which is the breadth of the hanging lying is the height of it ſtanding or hanging; and therefore it is ſaid that the height in the breadth of it was five cubits.
Verſ. 21. This is the ſumme of the tabernacle, &c.]
Or counted things: that is, this is the ſumme and particulars of the tabernacle and holy things belonging to it, which were thus taken as it were in an inventory by Ithamar at the commandment of Moſes, and ſo delivered into the cuſtody of the Levites, that nothing might be loſt. This clauſe I conceive therefore may have reſpect both to the rehearſall of particulars which went before; and vvithall likevviſe to the ſumme of the gold and ſilver ſpent in making theſe things whereof Moſes ſpeaks in the words following.
Verſ. 24. Even the gold of the offering was twenty and nine talents, &c.]
Twenty nine talents and ſeven hundred and thirty ſhekels (counting the talent at an hundred and twenty pound, and five and twenty ſhekels to a pound) will make three thouſand five hundred and nine pound weight of gold, and five ſhekels, which in ſterling money (if we account a pound weight of gold to be worth but thirty pound of ſterling money) comes to above an hundred and five thouſand pound, viz. one hundred five thouſand two hundred and ſeventy pound.
Verſ. 25. And the ſilver of them that were numbred of the congregation was an hundred talents, and a thouſand ſeven hundred …hreeſcore and fifteen ſhekels, &c.]
There were numbred ſix hundred and three thouſand five hundred and fifty men (and the very ſame number we find Numb. 1. 46. of which ſee the notes there) who all paying half a ſhekel, Exod. 30. 13. the ſumme of the ſilver amounts to three hundred and one thouſand ſeven hundred ſeventy and five ſhekels of ſilver, which is as here (allowing three thouſand ſhekels to a talent) an hundred talents and a thouſand ſeven hundred ſeventy five ſhekels over; and this counting twenty five ſhekels to a pound weight amounts to twelve thouſand ſeventy one pound weight of ſilver, which at five ſhillings the ounce comes to thirty ſix thouſand two hundred and thirteen pounds in ſterling money.
Verſ. 29. And the braſſe of the …ffering was ſeventy talents, and two thouſand and foure hundred ſhekels.]
That is, (allowing three thouſand ſhekels to a talent) two hundred and twelve thouſand and foure hundre… ſhekels of braſſe, and this (counting twenty five ſhekels to a pound weight) amounts to eight thouſand foure hundred ninetie ſix pound weight of braſſe, whereby it is evident that there was not ſo much braſſe as ſilver, and therefore ſurely the pillars were made of wood, and onelyonly covered over with braſſe. See chap. 27. ver. 9.
CHAP. XXXIX.
Verſ. 1. ANd of the blew and purple and ſcarlet they made clothes of ſervice, &c.]
See chap. 31. 10.
Verſ. 43. And Moſes bleſſed them.]
That is, he not onelyonly commended both the people and workmen, and prayed God to bleſſe them, but alſo as Gods publick miniſter he pronounced a bleſſing on them from the Lord.
CHAP. XL▪
Verſ. 9. ANd thou ſhalt take the anoynting …yl, and anoynt the tabernacle, &c.]
The performance of this ſee in Levit. 8. 10.
Verſ. 10. And thou ſhalt anoynt the altar, &c.]
And ſprinkle thereof upon the altar ſeven times. See Levit. 8. 11.
Verſ. 15. For their anoynting ſhall ſurely be an everlasting priesthood, &c.]
So that their children after them ſhall not need to be anoynted, but ſhall execut… the office by reaſon of this unction of their fathers; onelyonly the high prieſts were anoynted in the generations following.
Verſ. 17. And it came to paſſe in the first monethmonth, &c.]
They went out of Egypt the fifteenth of the firſt monethmonth, and now the next year upon the firſt day of the monethmonth the tabernacle is erected, ſo that there wanted now but fifteen dayes of a full yeare ſince they left Egypt.
Verſ. 27. And he burnt ſweet incenſe thereon, &c.]
As ſupplying at preſent the prieſts office.