JEWISH CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS.
By F. C. Gilbert
The Sanctuary and Its Services.—Continued.
WE now come to the covering of the rams’ skins dyed red. Neither white nor blue were suitable for the color of this cover; only red being becoming. And why?—Because it was the one best adapted to denote the intense suffering of the Messiah. And, as we think of the ram, how forcibly we are reminded of the experience of Abraham in the offering up of Isaac. It was, no doubt, the intention of God to teach Abraham something of the suffering which both the Father and the Son would endure in the salvation of the race, that he called upon the patriarch to make this sacrifice. Yea, even more; it was that all heaven might better understand what the Lord’s purpose was concerning the children of men. See “Patriarchs and Prophets,” p. 155. And when the Lord saw the firmness of faith in Abraham, and stayed the patriarch’s hand from shedding the blood, he sent him a ram caught in the thicket, to be offered in Isaac’s stead. “The ram offered in the place of Isaac represented the Son of God, who was to be sacrificed in our stead.” See “Patriarchs and Prophets,” p. 154, par. 2. The prophet Isaiah also portrays beautifully the phase of his life denoted by this covering: “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me.” Isa. 63: 1–3. Ah, suffering Saviour! One who can well say: “I was tempted in all points like yourself; therefore I can succor and sympathize with you. Are you sick and in pain? I carried your sickness, and bore your pains. Are you in trouble and distress? I have been in many troubles, and my distress has been great. Are you forsaken and despised by your friends? My friends all forsook me, and I was despised and rejected by men. Yes, I have suffered for you in every way, that I might have the privilege of suffering with you.” Truly, what a blessed Saviour we have! one who is a help in every time of need. “For we have not an high priest which can not be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” We, then, can come boldly to the throne of his grace, and with the utmost confidence find in him the grace and mercy needed for each trial and trouble. And he had no one to give him any sympathy when he needed it most. Just once in his experience, when he needed the consolation of his disciples, he found them taking rest in sleep. No human aid; no earthly friendship. Child of heaven, this Saviour fully understands you under every circumstance, tho all friends of earth may not; and we can ever find the sympathy and consolation in him, which others can not render. How the hearts of the people anciently must have been touched as they understood something of the nature of the Saviour’s work for them as manifested in type! “The solemn service of the sanctuary typified the grand truths that were to be revealed through successive generations.” “Through type and promise, God preached the Gospel unto Abraham.” See “Patriarchs and Prophets,” pp. 367, 154. I wonder not that Moses suffered affliction with the people of God rather than to endure the pleasures of sin for a season. He had the Gospel; he knew Christ; to him all these things were a reality; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. Ever-merciful and unchanging God! Blessed art thou! The fourth and last covering, the one on the extreme outward, was of badger skins. Methinks I can almost now hear some one speak of the unattractiveness of such a spread on so beautiful a tent, especially the most prominent one visible to the naked eye. The Lord well understood that people would just think that way; and so we have him declare to us, that “He was without form and comeliness.” His face was marred more than the sons of men. There was nothing attractive about him that we should desire him, when we did behold his person. The world never understood him, when here in person, or in the person of his followers. They have been regarded as the scum and offscouring of the world; “despised and rejected.” The world has always cared for the outward pomp and splendor only; anything that appeared attractive on the surface, was satisfactory. But the “Lamb of God” came not to allure or attract the attention of the carnal heart in its natural state, but to draw those who longed for the glories and beauties of the higher and the inner life, to thrust aside the external show and bombast, and seek for that spiritual beauty which adorns and beautifies the soul. Well, then, did the Lord picture the outward appearance of the tabernacle! The Lord seeth not as man seeth; man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. The humble, devoted Christian, whose outward adornment in the eyes of the world is as foolishness, is carrying out the beautiful figure that the Pattern designed should be in the construction of the sacred tabernacle; while to His eye the coverings within are most beautiful, as they are hidden from the world, and visible alone to God. The same kinds of covers which were made for the sanctuary were also used for the different parts of the tent. Thus when the ark was carried from place to place, it was covered by badgers’ skins, and a blue covering. The candlestick was covered with the same. The showbread, or bread of the presence, was covered with blue, scarlet, and badgers’ skins. And the rest of the instruments were also protected by the same. Thus the Lord designed to ever keep before the minds of his people the work of the Messiah, and his salvation for them.