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205 The Tabernacle Holy Spirit take the things of Christ, and show them unto us! First let us see the God-given "pattern" of this beauti- ful table. It is given to us in Exod. 25:23-30, while the description of the :finished work is recorded in Exod. 37: 10-16. In these and related passages, listed at the beginning of this lesson, we learn that it was made of incorruptible acacia wood, called "shittim wood" in the Authorized Version of our English Bible. This durable wood was then covered over with pure gold. It was two cubits long, one cubit wide, and one and one-half cubits high. As one cubit was about eighteen inches, the table was about thirty- six inches in length, eighteen inches in breadth, and twenty-seven inches in height. Around the top there was a crown or rim of gold, evi- dently to encircle and hold securely in place the twelve loaves of shewbread, which were "continually" kept upon the table, even when Israel was on the march. Just out- side this crown of gold, there was "a border of an hand- breadth round about," doubtless to hold the sacred vessels. And on the outer edge of this border was another "golden crown" or rim "to the border thereof round about." At the four corners were rings of gold, through which the staves were placed before Israel journeyed on the march• for by these staves the table was carried. They were ;lso made of acacia wood, covered over with gold. This table like all the other sacred pieces of furniture and vessels, w;s not to be exposed to the gaze of the outside world; nor was it to be handled by any other than the consecrated priests. The Levites carried it on the wilder- ness journey, but only after it had been carefully covered, and after the staves had been put through the rings of gold. The vessels to be used at the table of shewbread were
The Tabernacle family does not look forward to the times of joyous com- munion around the table? There the head of the house partakes of the same food as do all the members of the family. Together they talk of the things that concern one another. And there they share a common joy. Our loving Lord has "prepared a table" before us. Of that table He Himself is the Head. And upon that table He Himself has provided the food which satisfies the soul; for He Himself is the "Bread of Life." He is the "Bread of God" (John 6:33 ). In Him the Father finds perfect delight; in Him He is and always was and ever will be "well pleased." And in Him we, who are members of His "household of faith," in the family of God, find our satis- faction and delight. We feed upon the same spiritual food, even the Person and work of our blessed Lord, God's Son and our Saviour. Thus the fellowship, broken by sin in the Garden of Eden, has been forever restored. Our holy God comes down to hold sweet communion with us--on the ground of the perfect redemptive work of His be- loved Son. He feeds His soul upon the perfections of His "only begotten Son." And we feed our souls upon the same perfections and immeasurable love of the holy Son of God. What fellowship! To think that we feast upon the same spiritual food as does our omnipotent God I He :finds in:finite satisfaction in Christ as man's Redeemer and Representative; and we are called to sit at His table, which He has prepared, to share His joy in Christ, to feed upon Him who is the delight of the heart of God! This is the message of the golden-covered table of shewbread, which stood on the north side of the Holy Place of the Jewish tabernacle, just opposite the golden candlestick, by which it was illumined. As we behold God's picture of it, in our lesson today, may we let the
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