THE SANCTUARY by M. C. W.

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Feb 17, 1890

THE SANCTUARY.

By M. C. W.

IN our last we showed that the sacrifices of the past dispensations, if properly offered, were offered by faith in a Saviour to come. They were the gospel ordinances for that time. They were simple at first, adapted to the times and necessities of the situation, the father, or patriarch, of the tribe acting as priest.

When we reach the Levitical dispensation, the same offerings are continued, only more elaborate, adapted to the nation as well as to the family and individual. The Lord called Israel out of Egypt under the promises made to the fathers. These promises embraced the coming of Christ in the flesh, not only through that particular nation, but through one particular tribe, and finally through one family of that tribe. It became necessary, therefore, that this people should be kept together as a nation, that the promises, and those things which centered in and were connected with these promises, the law and the truth of God, should be preserved till the Messiah came. Additional promises were given from time to time, predictions were made concerning the time and place of his birth, and a record of these must be preserved, in order that the divine mission of Christ could be fully proved to the world.

All this made a national existence of Israel necessary. These records must be kept, the genealogy of the tribes and families of Israel must be kept, especially of that tribe through which Christ was to come. God chose one tribe as his, namely, Levi; therefore the genealogy of the Levites must be preserved. All this, of course, would have been entirely impracticable if they had mixed among surrounding nations. To preserve these records and genealogies, and truths of law and gospel, God made a covenant with this people. Ex. 19:3-8; 24:3-8.

No changes were made in the character of the gospel ordinances of the patriarchal dispensation; the same beasts were offered in sacrifice as previously, but the rites were more elaborate, the ceremonies were multiplied, necessitating laws and ordinances to regulate the priesthood and sacrifices. A central place was established for the worship of God and the offerings of the people. In later times, the center of this worship was the temple at Jerusalem, but to accommodate the circumstances of Israel during their wanderings in the wilderness, and until they were settled in the promised land, the sanctuary was built. This was the one to which the writer of Hebrews refers in chapter 9: "Verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary." Verse 1. We do not understand by this that this sanctuary and these ordinances were a part of that covenant, for they were not; but the sanctuary was one which was adapted to the conditions existing under that covenant.

The meaning of the word "sanctuary" is "a sacred or holy place." Its use is shown in the instructions which God gave concerning its building. These instructions are principally found in Ex. 25-30, 35-40, the first six chapters giving the directions for building the sanctuary and making the furniture, the last six the record of how the directions were complied with.

The object of the sanctuary is shown in part in the instructions given by God to Moses in the first year after Israel came out of Egypt. After saying that all who would give "willingly with his heart" should bring gold, silver, brass, precious stones, blue, purple, and fine linen, skins, spices, and oil, God said, "And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them." Ex. 25:8. Here God's glory was to remain till driven away by the persistent sinning of Israel. Here their worship was to center.

The object of the building shows its sacred character. It was not, therefore, left to man's fancy as to how it should be built, or how large; God gave explicit instructions concerning this matter, even to show the pattern after which it was to be made, and to endow special ones with sufficient wisdom to carry out directions. Ex. 25:9, 40; Acts 7:44; Ex. 31:7-11. These instructions were not to be disregarded under penalty of death.

The size of the building was thirty cubits (45 feet) long, ten cubits (15 feet) wide, and ten cubits high. It was made of upright boards of acacia wood, overlaid with gold, set in sockets of silver, making it look like a building of gold. Over these walls was spread a surpassingly beautiful fabric or curtain of fine-twined linen, wrought with all manner of cunning needle-work and figures of angels. This formed a ceiling of great loveliness. Over this building was erected a tent, or a tent roof, covered with a curtain of goat's hair, red ram-skins, and seal, or porpoise, skins. See Ex. 26:9; 36:14-19. It was divided into two parts,—the first, or holy place, and the second, or most holy place. The first, or holy place, according to the proportion in the temple, occupied two-thirds of the building, and the most holy place one-third, the latter apartment being in the form of a perfect cube of ten cubits, or fifteen feet. The entrance to the first apartment was toward the east, differing in this respect from the ancient sun-worship, and the forms of to-day derived from that. The priest ministered in the sanctuary with his back to the entrance, hence his face to the west.

The furniture of the holy place was, on the right, or north side, of the holy place, the table of shew bread; on the left was the seven-branched candlestick, beaten out of solid gold; directly in front of the door, and before the second veil, which separated between the two apartments, was the altar of incense. Within the veil in the most holy place was the ark of the covenant, overlaid with gold, within which were the tables of stone, containing God's holy law. Over this ark was the mercy-seat, whereon were two cherubim, between which abode the holy Shekinah, the visible manifestation of God. Sin is the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4), and before the mercy-seat the atoning blood was sprinkled, and favor was extended to the penitent. Around this sacred ark all the service of Israel centered.

Surrounding this sanctuary, in proximity thereto, encamped the Levites and priests, the latter encamping before the entrance. Encamped about the priests in perfect order were the twelve tribes under the four standards of Judah, Reuben, Dan, and Ephraim. Thus were the tents pitched when Baalam exclaimed by inspiration, "How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!"

The services of the sanctuary were performed by Aaron and his sons, assisted by the Levites, brethren of the same tribe. None could usurp their place, under penalty of death. The daily offering for the service of God consisted of two lambs of the first year, one lamb in the morning, and one at evening. With each lamb was offered flour, oil, and wine. Ex. 29:38-42. For individual sins various offerings were prescribed. See the first six chapters of Leviticus. It may be briefly described thus: When a man sinned he brought a clean beast without blemish to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. He then placed his hand upon the head of the beast, thus confessing his sins, transferring them in figure to the head of the beast, and accepting that beast as his substitute; he then took a knife and shed the blood of this innocent victim, thus acknowledging that he himself was worthy of death. The priest takes the blood, in which is represented the life (Lev. 17:11), and carries it into the holy place, and sprinkles it before the altar of incense, and places some of it upon the horns of the altar. The sin of the individual who made the offering is thus transferred to the sanctuary in figure. In some cases the blood was not taken into the sanctuary, in which case the flesh was eaten in the holy place, and the sins transferred in this way.

This manner of work went on day after day for every day in the year, except the last, namely, the tenth day of the seventh month, or the day of atonement. On this day the priest offered a bullock for himself, that he might stand free before God. The offering for the people was as follows:—

Two goats were brought to the door of the tabernacle, upon which lots were cast, one lot for the Lord, and the other for Azazel, translated "scape-goat," in Lev. 16:5-10. The Lord's goat was slain, its blood brought into the most holy place, and sprinkled before the mercy-seat. The sins of the people were confessed in the presence of God. The priest, taking them upon himself, comes out to the door of the tabernacle and confesses over the head of the scape-goat all the iniquities, sins, and uncleannesses of the children of Israel, and sends the goat away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness, laden with sins, where he disappears forever.

This was a very solemn day. Every soul must come before God with humility of heart, confess his sins with fasting and prayer, or that last offering would avail nothing. Only the confessed sins could be put away. Every soul that did not afflict himself was cut off from among the people of God. Lev. 16:29-31; 23:27-29. It will be seen from these passages that the work of this day was really a judgment work of most solemn importance.

This round of service was performed year by year continually, while Israel was faithful to God. Heb. 9:1-7. But this service was all typical. Sin was real, the people real, but the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sin. Heb. 10:4. They expressed faith in the Redeemer to come, in the Availing Sacrifice. They were the gospel ordinances of the Levitical dispensation. The anti-type of this we will consider in our next.