Talbot - Christ in the Tabernacle

The Tabernacle S4 in equal mea ure the fulness of His love. Some, like John, lean upon His breast; others, like Peter before the cruci- fixion, follow Him "afar off." May God help us to walk in close and sweet fellowship with Him, that we may know ever-increasingly something of His heart of love. And, whether we do or not, it is reassuring to know that we are His, "bought with a price," the most costly of all jewels known to man. We are all upon His shoulders, and we are all upon His heart! His mighty strength and His fathomless love are forever ours! The names, "Urim and Thummim," mean "lights and perfections." Whether they were "a collective name for the stones of the breastplate," or whether they were added to the breastplate, they represent the lights and perfec- tions of the Lord Jesus, the Great High Priest, of whom Aaron was but a type. By these God made known His will to His priest in the days of old. There are comparatively few references to the Urim and the Thummim in the Word of God. (See Exod. 28:30; Lev. 8:8; Num. 27:21; Deut. 33:8; I Sam. 28:6; Ezra 2:63.) A paragraph quoted from the "Christian Workers' Commentary," by the late Reverend James M. Gray, D.D., is suggestive of the significance of these "lights and perfections," whatever outward form they may have taken in Aaron's breastplate: «They represent the light and the right that are in the high priest for the enlightenment and reconciliation of those who come unto God by him. He exercises the func- tions of teaching and sacrificing in their behalf, as the type of the Great High Priest." In this connection we need to remember that the high priest in Israel not only represented his people before a holy God; but he also gave to them oracular answers fronz, God.

55 The Tabernacle By these God spoke to His people. It seems hardly neces- sary to add just here that, in Christ, God has spoken "once for all" to a sinning world (Heb. 1: 1, 2). Why not? He is our Great High Priest! Israel lost this precious treasure because of her sins. Let us be careful not to grieve the Holy Spirit if we want to know the will of God for our daily lives. No; He will never leave us, if we are truly born again; but our sins will separate us from that perfect fellowship which God wants to hold with His own, making plain to them His "good, and acceptable, and perfect will" (Rom. 12: 2) . 6. The Mitre and the "Holy Crown." The word, "mitre," comes from a Hebrew word meaning "to wrap," or "to roll around." The high priest's headdress was a kind of turban wrapped around the head. It was made of white linen, the emblem of purity. Upon the "forefront of the mitre ... upon Aaron's forehead" was "the holy crown," "a plate of pure gold" upon "a lace of blue." En- graved upon this plate of gold were the words, "HOLI- NESS TO THE LORD." (See Exod. 28:36-38; 29:6; Lev. 8:9.) This golden crown bore witness that Aaron was the representative of God, even as the ephod and the breast- plate showed that he was the representative of Israel. It hardly need be added here that it prefigured the kingly glory of Him whose name is Holy! The Lord Jesus is the righteous King, as well as the faithful Priest! And as this beautiful headdress was worn by Aaron, even so our Lord will come one day, crowned with «many crowns" (Rev. 19:12). Aaron's robes were "for glory and for beauty." They must have been wonderfully beautiful! Yet they could never, never compare with the beauty of our Lord, whom

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