Commentary on the Pentateuch, Commentary 2 · Chapter 25 – Chapter 27
CHAP. XXV. Ver. 2. That giveth it willingly]
VIrtus nolentium nulla eſt; God ſtrain's upon no man. If yee conſent and obeie, &c. If there bee a willing minde, God accepteth, &c. 2 Cor. 8.11, 12.
Si deſint vires, tamen eſt laudanda voluntas:Ovid.
Hác ego contentos auguror eſſe Deos.
Ver. 3. Gold, and ſilver, and braſs] No mention of iron: Confer 1 King. 6.7. & 8.51.
Ver. 4. And blue, and purple, and ſcarlet] i. e. Wool died with theſe colors. Heb. 9.19. To teach the Church, that both themſelvs and their actions ſhould bee waſhed and died in the bloud of Chriſt.
Ver. 5. Shittim wood] A kinde of cedar, that rotteth not.Gal. lib. 1. Antidit.
Ver. 6. Spices] As cinnamom, which in Galen's time was verie rare, and hard to bee found but in Prince's ſtore-houſes.
Ver. 8. That I may dwell amongſt them] But will God in verie deed dwell with men upon earth? 2 Chron. 6.18.What can hee do more to make them happie? As hee in Plutarch ſaid of the Scythians, that although they had no muſick nor vines amongſt them, yet (as a better thing) they had Gods: and as the Philoſopher having little elſ in his houſ, yet could ſaie of it, foreign, Here bee Gods: ſo may everie good man boaſt of his houſ, and of his heart, Heb. 3.6.2 Cor. 6.16. Gen. 28.17.This is the habitation of the moſt High. As for the publick aſſemblie of Saints, This is the houſ of God, this is the gate of Heaven.
Ver. 10. An Ark] Cheſt, or Cabinet, wherein to keep the two Tables of the Law; ſignifying thereby that Chriſt is the end of the Law, covering the imperfection of our works.
Ver. 11. A crown of gold] To ſet forth the Majeſtie of Chriſt's kingdom, or the eternitie of his Deïtie; which, as a crown, or circle, had neither begining nor end.
Ver. 14. That the Ark may bee born with them] The Ark was tranſportative, till ſettled in Solomon's Temple: ſo till wee com to heaven ſhall wee bee in a continual motion:
Ver. 15. The ſtaves ſhall bee, &c.] That they might not touch it, for reverence ſake, it beeing a viſible ſign of God himſelf amongſt them.
Ver. 16. The Teſtimonie] Thoſe tables of the Teſtimonie. Exod. 31.18. That teſtified what God required of them; and would bee a teſtimonie againſt them, if diſobedient. Deut. 31.26.
Ver. 17. A MercieMercy-ſeat] Heb. A Covering, or coffering up of men's ſins, the appeaſing of an angrie God. (Confer Gen. 38.20.) By Chriſt who is our propitiation or MercieMercy-ſeat. Rom 3.25.1 John 2.2. [Two cubits and a half, &c.] Juſt ſo big everie waie as the Ark. Verſ 10. Get into Covenant with God (ſaith one) for as the MercieMercy-ſeat was no larger then the Ark, ſo neither is the grace of God then the Covenant. And as the Ark and MercieMercy-ſeat were not aſunder; ſo God is near to all that call upon him in truth.
Ver. 18. And thou ſhalt make two Cherubims] Golden winged images, made by God's ſpecial appointment, and ſet out of ſight: Hence then is no warrant for the uſe of images in Churches. Theſe here were to repreſent the holie Angels attendent upon God, looking intently into the myſterie of Chriſt, as the Cherubims did into the Propitiatorie. 1 Pet. 1.12. and joined to the ſocietie of Saints.
Ver. 19. Even of the MercieMercy-ſeat] Of the matter of it: to ſhew that the verie Angels have their eſtabliſhment in, and by Chriſt: and that, if they need mereie, how much more do wee? Angels alſo are under Chriſt as a head of Government, of Influence, of Confirmation, though not of Redemption.
Ver. 20. Toward the MercieMercy-ſeat ſhall the faces, &c.] Angels in the Syriack are called foreign of the face; becauſ they look ever on the face of God, waiting his commands.
Ver. 21. Above upon the Ark] The Ark covering the Law within it, the MercieMercy-ſeat upon it, and over them two Cherubims covering one another, did typifie Chriſt covering the curſes of the Law, in whom is the ground of all MercieMercy; which things the Angels deſire to prie into, as into the pattern of God's deep wiſdoms.
Ver. 22. From between the two Cherubims] which covered the place from whence the Lord ſpake, to reſtrain curioſitie.
Ver. 23. Of Shittim wood] Which corrupteth not. Iſa. 41.19. Chriſt's bodie could not putrefie in the grave.
Ver. 24. Pure gold] Pointing to the glorie of Chriſt's Deïtie, and the Majeſtie of his Kingdom.
Ver. 25. A golden crown] To hide the joints, and for ornament. Chriſt alſo is ſaid to have manie crowns. Rev. 19.12.
Ver. 30. Shew-bread] See the Note on Mat. 12.4.
Ver. 31. And thou ſhalt make a candleſtick] called the candleſtick of light. Exod. 35.14. A Type of Chriſt, who is foreign light eſſential, and giveth light to everie man that cometh into the world. John 1.9. See the Note there.
Ver. 37. Seven lamps] Signifying the manifold graces and diverſitie of gifts in the Church. Zech. 4.2.
Ver. 38. And the tongs] All of gold; betokening the puritie of Doctrine and Diſcipline in the Church.
CHAP. XXVI. Ver. 1. Thou ſhalt make the Tabernacle]
AType of Chriſt who dwelt among us, full of Graces and Truth. John 1.14.2. Of the Church built by Chriſt. 1 Cor. 3.9.3. Of everie true Chriſtian. Epheſ. 2.10.
Ver. …. Shall bee coupled together] Theſe curtains were coupled with loops, ſo ſhould Chriſtians by love. My dove is but one: the daughters ſaw her and bleſſed her. Cant. 6.9. See Epheſ. 2.21, 22. & 4.16.
Ver. 6. With the taches] So is the unitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Epheſ. 4.3. [Shall bee one Tabernacle] See thoſe manie Ones. Epheſ. 4.3, 4, 5. with the Notes there.
Ver. 7. Of goat's-half] The Tabernacle was goat's hair without, and gold within. God hid his Son under the Carpenter's ſon: The King's daughter is all glorious within. Pſalm 45.13. And all her ſons are Princes in all lands. Verſ 16. Howbeit they muſt bee content to paſs to heaven as Chriſt their Head did, as concealed men. Therefore the world know's us not, becauſ it knew not him. John 3.1. Our life is hid with Chriſt, Col. 3.4. as the life of flowers in winter is hid in the root.
Ver. 14. A covering for the tent] Shadowing out God's protecting his people. Iſa. 4.6. and 25.4. Pſalm 27.5. as theſe ram's-skins covered the Ark from the violence of winde and weather.
Ver. 31. With Cherubims] To note the ſpecial preſence and attendence of the holie Angels in the aſſemblies of the Saints. Luke 1.11. John 1.51.
Ver. 36. An hanging for the door] This ſhadowed him that ſaid of himſelf, I am the door. The Cerimonial Law was the Jews Goſpel, for it was Chriſt in figure; and to him it led them.
CHAP. XXVII. Ver. 1. Five cubits long]
SOlomon's Altar was four times as big as this: to teach, that as our peace and proſperitie is more then others, ſo ſhould our ſervice in a due proportion.
Ver. 2. Horns of it] To binde the beaſts unto that were to bee ſlain in ſacrifice. Pſalm 118.27. And to ſignifie the power of Chriſt's Prieſt-hood. Hab. 3.4. [Thou ſhalt over-laie it with braſs] The braſs kept the wood, ſo did the Deïtie of Chriſt keep his humanitie from beeing conſumed by the fire of God's wrath, wherein it was roſted.
Ver. 3. His ſhovels and his baſins.] Theſe ſeveral inſtruments figured the Miniſterie of the word, ſaie ſom; the ſundrie callings that Chriſt hath in his Church, ſaie others, for her edification.
Ver. 4. A. grate] which ſerved for an hearth, and repreſented Chriſt, bearing the fire of his Father's diſpleaſure.
Ver. 7. And the ſtaves ſhall bee] As ever readie to remove. Here wee have no aſſured ſettlement.
Ver. 9. The court of the Tabernacle] This outer court ſignified the viſible Church; where hypocrites alſo com to the external worſhips. Doeg may ſet his foot as far as David.
Ver. 10. And the twentie pillars] In alluſion whereunto, the Church is called the pillar and ſtaie of truth. 1 Tim. 3.15.
Ver. 20. Pure oil olive] Signifying the pretious gifts and graces of the Spirit in godlie Miniſters, whoſe lips muſt both preſerv knowledg, and preſent it to the people.