EXPOSITION
THE OIL FOR THE LAMP. It has been observed that this paragraph is somewhat out of place. It would more appro priately, according to human ideas, have terminated Exodus 25:1-2. But "God's ways are not as man's ways, nor his thoughts as man's thoughts." It is frequently difficult—some-times impossible—for the keenest human intellect to trace the connecting links between one portion of God's word and the next. In such cases it is best not to speculate on the nature of the connection, but to content ourselves with laying to heart the lesson which each portion teaches separately.
Thou shalt command. Compare Exodus 25:6, where the general command had been given. Here certain additions are made as to the quality of the oil which was to be brought. The oil was to be pure olive oil beaten that is to say, it was to be olive oil purified from any admixture of that watery juice which the Romans called amurca; and it was to be of the kind which is obtained by mere beating or pounding in a mortar, and not by crushing in a mill. Oil of this kind, which is usually made from the unripe fruit, is reckoned much the best; it is clear and colourless, and gives a bright pure light with little smoke. To cause the lamp to burn always. It has been supposed from this expression that the lamp must have been kept constantly burning both day and night; and Josephus declares that this was actually so, at least with three out of the seven lights (Ant. Jude 1:3Jude 1:3.7, Jude 1:7). But there are several places m Scripture which state, or imply, the contrary. (See especially Exodus 30:8; and 1 Samuel 3:3.) It seems to have been the duty of the high-priest to light the lamps every evening, and to give them a sufficient supply of oil to last till daybreak, at which time "the lamp of God went out" (1 Samuel l.s.c.) The supposition that "one light at least was always burning" (Kalisch), because no daylight could penetrate into the structure through the fourfold covering, ignores the fact that light would enter through the single curtain at the entrance, as well as the probability that some portion of that curtain may generally have been looped up. If we regard the lamp as extinguished during the daytime, we must understand "always" here to mean "regularly every night."
The tabernacle of the congregation. Rather, "the tent of meeting"—the tent where God would meet the earthly ruler of the people (Exodus 25:22), and give him commands and directions—not the place of meeting for the people themselves, who might in no case go beyond the entrance to the structure. The testimony—i,e; the ark which contained the "testimony," or two tables of stone written with the finger of God. Aaron and his sons. Compare Exodus 24:1. The intention to confer the priesthood on the descendants of Aaron, first openly revealed in the next chapter (Exo 24:1 -43), is tacitly assumed from time to time in the earlier narrative. Shall order it from evening to morning. See the comment on verse 20. It is difficult to assign these words any distinct meaning unless we accept the view, that the lamp burnt during the night only. It shall be a statute for ever. This expression is not at all common. In Exodus it occurs only here and in four other places. In Leviticus it is met with some six or seven times. The portions of the law thus characterised must be regarded as of special importance. (See the homiletics on this verse.)
HOMILETICS
Oil for the lamp.
I. THE PEOPLE'S DUTY.
(1) The people were to bring the oil regularly—to attend to what may have seemed to them a little matter, but what was in God's sight of such importance that he made it "a statute for ever"—and to attend to it with such regularity that oil should never be lacking.
(2) They were to bring of their best. The oil was to be from the olive—not from the sesame plant, or the castor-oil plant, or the Raphanus olifer, or from any vegetable which furnished oil of a coarse kind. It was to be "pure," not adulterated, as oils often were in Egypt (Plin. H.N 13.1), and not mixed with the amurca, or watery juice of the olive, which made it unfit for burning. Next, it was to be "beaten oil"—oil made with extra trouble by careful pounding with the hand, instead of rough mechanical crushing in mills.
II. THE PRIESTS' DUTY. The priests were perpetually to trim and tend the lamps. Daily, at even, they were to light them; daily, in the morning, they were to extinguish them, if any were still alight; to trim the wicks; to cleanse the bowls which held the oil; and to replenish them with a proper supply. They were to lake every care that a pure light was constantly maintained night after night, so that the house of God should never be dark, or even obscure, but be ever ready for worship, ever illumined, ever prepared for any visitation of its Lord, who might come at the third, or the sixth, or the ninth, or the twelfth hour. It does not appear that there were any night services in the tabernacle; but the lighted lamp was a testimony that the Church continued ever on the watch, strove ever to be "the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14)—like the wise virgins, "kept its lamp burning." And this is the duty of ministers at all times. The Christian ministry must take care that the light of the Church shines pure and bright continually—that nothing dims it—that it glows ever as a beacon light, a guide and a help amid the storms and tempests of the world. If the people do not bring a due supply of oil—i.e; of loving, faithful service—the Church must suffer, its light be dimmed. If the people do their duty, and the ministers fail, if they are careless, or slothful, or self-seeking, or worldly, or wanting in faith, the result is the same—the flame flickers; the light sinks and threatens to go out; gross darkness settles down upon the people. A Church in this condition must expect to have its candlestick removed, unless it repents, and bestirs itself, and turns to God, and "does the first works" (Revelation 2:5), and "strengthens the things that remain and are ready to die" (Revelation 3:2).
III. THE TRUE LIGHT. After all, let ministers and people be as faithful as they will, let them "keep their lamps burning," and cause "their light to shine before men" ever so brightly, still they are not, they will never be, "the true light." Christ is "the true light"—"the light that shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not"—"the light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" (John 1:4-43). In him are hid "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge"—nothing needful for man to know but he has taught it—nothing expedient for man to see but he has revealed it. "His word is a lantern unto our feet, and a light unto our paths." He is both an outward and an inward light. His gospel illumines the world without—penetrates its dark places, exposes its unholy doings, throws a flood of light upon the past, makes plain to us the ways of God with man. And his Spirit illumines the soul within, quickens and guides the conscience, makes our own way plain before our face, "enables with perpetual light the dulness of our blinded sight." He is the only true "light of the world"—the light which will endure throughout all time—the one Teacher who cannot deceive-the one Guide who cannot lead astray! And he is the light of the world to come. "In him is the well of life; and in his light shall we see light" (Psalms 26:9). The "holy city, New Jerusalem," has therefore "no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it," because "the glory of God cloth lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof."
HOMILIES BY J. ORR
The brazen altar and court of the tabernacle.
From the sanctuary, we pass in this chapter to the outer court, the principal object in which was the brazen altar, or altar of burnt offering.
I. THE BRAZEN ALTAR (Exodus 27:1-2).
1. Form of the altar. The altar was a foursquare case of shittim wood, five cubits long and five broad, made with four horns, and overlaid with plates of bronze. Round it, at some distance from the ground, was apparently a ledge, on which the priests stood when engaged with the sacrifices. We must suppose that the central part was filled with earth, or with the unhewn stones commanded in Exodus 20:24, Exodus 20:25. The "grate of network" of Exodus 20:4, seems to us to have supported the ledge, or compass of Exodus 20:5. Some take a different view of it.
2. Its horns. These are rightly understood as the points in which the force or virtue of the altar concentrated itself.
3. Its uses. It was—
(1) the place to which the people brought their offerings to God;
(2) the place at which reconciliation was made for sin;
(3) the place on which the parts of the sacrifices which belonged to God were consumed by fire.
Here, at the altar, were the victims slain; around the altar the atoning blood was poured or sprinkled; in the case of the sin offering, the blood was smeared upon the horns: with live coals from the altar did the priest replenish his censer when he went in to burn incense before the Lord. On this altar was laid the daily burnt-offering, together with the "sacrifices of righteousness,'' "the burnt-offering, and whole burnt-offering" (Psalms 51:19), by which the people expressed their consecration to God. Here were consumed the fat and choice parts of the peace-offerings, etc.
4. Its typical significance.
(1) The altar, as the place of atonement, reminded the worshipper of sin, and of his need of cleansing from sin's guilt. In this way, it pointed forward to Christ, in whom the whole ritual of sacrifice reaches its consummation.
(2) As the altar of burnt-offering, it taught the duty of unconditional and entire surrender to the will of God. This offering up of the whole being to God in inward consecration underlies the special acts of consecration symbolised in the shew-bread, in the lighted candlestick, and in the ascent of incense from the golden altar.
(3) As God's altar, it was a witness to the Divine readiness to pardon; yet a testimony to the stern truth that without shedding of blood there is no remission (Hebrews 9:22).
II. THE COURT OF THE TABERNACLE (Exodus 20:9-2). On the general construction of the court, see the exposition. We have to view it as a spacious enclosure of a hundred cubits by fifty, its sides formed by linen hangings, five cubits in height, and supported by pillars of brass (bronze) five cubits apart, to which the hangings were attached by hooks and fillets of silver. The brazen altar stood in the forepart of the court; the tabernacle towards the rear. Between the brazen altar and the tabernacle was the laver. The design of this court was to furnish the people, who were precluded from entering the sanctuary, with a place in which they might still, though at some distance, personally appear before Jehovah. The court conferred a privilege, yet taught a lesson. The fact that he could approach no further than its precincts painfully reminded the Israelite that, as yet, the work of atonement was incomplete—that he still stood, because of his unholiness, at a great distance from God. In the gospel of Christ, these barriers are all done away with.—J.O.
The burning lamp.
God's care for his sanctuary descends even to so small a matter as the replenishing and trimming of its lamps, Note—
1. The end of the ordinance. God desires that the light obtained from the lamps in his sanctuary be—
(1) pure,
(2) bright,
(3) constant.
The best light possible. Such should be the light of the Christian life.
2. The means to this end.
(1) The lamps were to be fed with the best and purest oil. The Holy Spirit.
(2) The lamps were to be duly trimmed and ordered. Watchfulness, care. The light needs to be attended to.—J.O.
HOMILIES BY D. YOUNG
The oil for the lamp.
A special commandment was given that the oil should be pure and rich:—
I. THAT THERE MIGHT BE A DUE CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE LIGHT AND THE GLORY OF THE CANDLESTICK. The candlestick was composed of the most precious of all metals, and it had been fashioned by the hands of an artist Divinely chosen and inspired. Great, therefore, would have been the incongruity, if any but the steadiest and most brilliant light had shone forth from this candlestick. Indeed the provision of the very best material might seem to have been self-suggested and to require no commandment at all, did we not know how forgetful, how inconsiderate human nature is. Man needs to be kept up to the mark by sharp and frequent admonitions; else he will keep the best for himself, and let anything be put forward for such a mere formality as too often he reckons the service of God to be. Still it surely would not require much thought to perceive how disgraceful a dim light would be in connection with such a glorious fabric as the candlestick presented. But there is a more glorious fabric far than this candlestick, if we only consider each human life that comes into this world; if we only consider the riches and strength that are in each one of us by natural constitution. There is something very glorious about the natural life of man, in spite of its depravity, its miseries and its mortality; and God has given us the opportunity of still further glorifying our natural life in this world by offering to make us supports such as may aid in sustaining and diffusing the light he would shed abroad amongst men. When God puts his gospel into the charge of human beings he calls attention to the peculiar glory and eminence of our nature. The more faithful his servants have been to the gospel charge put into their hands, the more they have revealed how vile a thing humanity is. God wishes us in all our connection with him to be worthy of our humanity, and to keep ever in our thoughts the gulf that divides us from even the highest of the brutes. Man is never more truly human, never more fully an exponent of the peculiarities of his nature than when he is doing his best to reveal the saving light of God to men. The Christian, no matter what he may lack in such endowments as the world values, is the best kind of man; and the better Christian he becomes, the higher he stands in that best kind wherein he is already numbered.
II. THAT THERE MIGHT BE A DUE CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE LIGHT AND THE GLORY OF THE MOST HOLY PLACE. From between the cherubim within the veil God shone forth when it was so required with a glory and impressiveness which no light of human invention could rival. But outside the veil the seven-branched candlestick was ever to be lighted in the night-time to symbolise the glorious illumination which came from Jehovah himself. How important, therefore, that the light should be the very best which man could afford l Nowhere in all the tents of Israel was there to be a brighter light than that which shone in the holy place. A symbol was needed of such light, instruction and wisdom, as are not to be found in the most sagacious and experienced of men, advising simply upon the grounds of human sagacity and experience. When we look at a Christian we must be able to look at one whose light, while it does not fail in a certain sense to glorify himself, glorifies still more his Father who is in heaven. Every Christian is meant to live so as to arrest the attention of men, and make them ask whence comes the power to inspire him with such remarkable motives and make him the agent of such remarkable effects. Whereas the humiliating confession is to be made that most Christian lives are lived on such a low level that one is led to ask "Is this all?" We read of remarkable manifestations and approaches of the Divine in the way of an incarnate Son of God, a resurrection of the dead, a descent into the Church of a life-giving and transforming Spirit, so that all believers may become new creatures in Christ Jesus; and then, when we look at these professed new creatures, and see how much remains unchanged, inveterate as ever, we ask "Is this all the product of Christ's appearance on the earthly scene?" It is a dreadful reproach that we should let our inconsistency and infirmity be made an excuse for unbelievers to mock at God. We ought to be so under Divine influences, as to combine in one the bright candlestick and the pure, rich oil; and then from us there might shine forth in a pure inviting radiance, a light such as would guide, and cheer while it guided, many a wanderer to God.—Y.