Separation and Service Part 5

The twelve princes, the representatives of the Israel of G.o.d, brought their offerings before the altar, and would have left them there: they were all exactly alike, and the gifts might have been speedily accepted, and briefly recorded, if recorded at all. But the LORD said unto Moses, They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day,--or, literally, _one prince a day_, a sentence which is expressed twice in the Original, showing G.o.d'S regard for order and method in all things which concern His service, and that He graciously receives and remembers the offerings of each of His faithful. Accordingly all the offerings of each of the princes are here registered by the HOLY SPIRIT in G.o.d'S Book, as an encouragement to Christian liberality in all ages" (_Wordsworth_).

Does it not seem as though the Divine delight in the offering of His servants was so great that He would have His people also to dwell upon them for twelve consecutive days? And not only does He spread them over twelve days, but He spreads them over seventy-seven long verses in this long chapter; first in minute detail, according as much s.p.a.ce to the gifts of the last offerer as to those of the first, and then totalling up the aggregate amount, as though He would say, "Behold the love-gifts of my people! How many and how precious the offerings of each, and how great the value of the whole! Note, too, the persons of the offerers, and that all their gifts were for the dedication of the altar, and show their appreciation of the need for, and the blessed privilege of sacrifice!"

As we mentioned in our introductory chapter, it was through this account, read in a time of great spiritual need, that our mind was opened as never before to see G.o.d'S great heart of love. We seemed to be reminded of the delight often taken by bride and bridegroom in spreading out for inspection the love-gifts of their friends, that as many as possible may share their gratification in them. Several may have sent similar gifts; but each is set out to the best possible advantage, with the name of the giver attached. And while the intrinsic value of each is not lost sight of, it is the loving thought of which it is the expression that is most prized.

Again, we were reminded of the way in which, in our frequent absence from home and children, wifely letters have cheered and interested us, depicting with motherly tenderness the gifts the children had brought her on her birthday, or other occasion, with a fulness of detail that showed alike the pleasure of the writer and her consciousness of the enjoyment with which the account would be read. Does not the full detail of this chapter reveal, in like manner, the love and tenderness of Him whose Book it is, toward each offerer; and bring out what we may reverently call the mother-side of G.o.d'S character, Who has condescended to say, "As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you"?

THE PERSON OF THE OFFERER. verses 12-17.

_"And he that offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah:" etc._

As we read of the offerings of the twelve princes, we note that, valuable as they manifestly are, the offerer whose love prompted the gifts, is made more prominent in the inspired Record. The person of each offerer is brought before us, both as an individual, and in his relations.h.i.+p to the tribe of which he is the representative, before any enumeration is made of his gifts; and when the enumeration has been fully given, we are again reminded of the offerer himself. Could the Divine love and satisfaction be more expressively brought out?

With this thought in view, let us read between the lines of the Record:--

And he that offered his offering--for a glad free-will offering it was--on the first day was Nahshon, Nahshon the son of Amminadab, Nahshon the prince of the tribe of Judah; and his offering was one charger--a silver charger, and a weighty one; the weight thereof was a hundred and thirty shekels: one bowl, also of silver, of seventy shekels weight; not the light shekels of commerce, but the weighty shekels of the Sanctuary.

Nor were these vessels empty: both of them were full--full of flour, fine flour, and mingled with oil, destined for a meat-offering.

One spoon was the next gift, yet more precious, a spoon of solid gold, of no less than ten shekels weight. It, too, was full--full of incense.

Next were brought one young bullock, one ram, and one lamb of the first year--all for a burnt-offering. Any one of these might have been offered; Nahshon, however, brought them all, and all to be wholly consumed on the altar, for the enjoyment and satisfaction of G.o.d alone.

But Nahshon was a sinner, and the tribe he represented were sinful men; a sin-offering therefore was not neglected; and in the order of enumeration this is next mentioned, though, as we have said before, it was offered first--one kid of the goats for a sin-offering.

And, lastly, a princely offering for a sacrifice of peace-offerings; two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five lambs of the first year--sacrifices on which G.o.d feasted, as it were, together with His people, and in which the sacrificing priest, the offerer and all his friends had their full share.

And this, all this, was the offering of Nahshon, Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

Twelve times is all this detail repeated--a most emphatic evidence that G.o.d never wearies in noting the service of each one of His people. But even this is not all. In the 84th and following verses of this long chapter we read:--

"This was the dedication of the altar, in the day when it was anointed, by the princes of Israel: twelve chargers of silver, twelve silver bowls, twelve spoons of gold. Each charger of silver weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, each bowl seventy: all the silver vessels weighed two thousand and four hundred shekels, after the shekel of the Sanctuary. The golden spoons were twelve, full of incense, weighing twelve shekels apiece, after the shekel of the Sanctuary; all the gold of the spoons was a hundred and twenty shekels.

"All the oxen for the burnt-offering were twelve bullocks, the rams twelve, the lambs of the first year twelve, with their meat-offering; and the kids of the goats for sin-offering twelve. And all the oxen for the sacrifice of the peace-offerings were twenty and four bullocks, the rams sixty, the he-goats sixty, the lambs of the first year sixty.

"This"--_all this_--"was the dedication of the altar, after that it was anointed."

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ALTAR.

In this glad summing up of the great aggregate value of the offerings, we not only get a further view of the Divine complacency in the love-gifts of His people, and in the persons of the offerers, but the object of the offerings is also brought into special prominence. As the list of each prince's offerings was preceded and followed by reference to the _person_ of the offerer, so the list of totals is preceded and followed by the thought, This was the dedication of the altar in the day when it was anointed.

The importance of the brazen altar can scarcely be exaggerated. The Tabernacle contained many precious things, each typifying most important truths concerning our LORD and His ministry; the ark on which rested the Shekinah, which enshrined the tables of the law, and was covered by the mercy-seat, the table of shew-bread, the candlestick of gold, and the golden altar were all most precious; but, apart from the brazen altar, _there was no access to them for guilty man_; without shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. Hence the recognition by the princes of the importance of the altar; and hence the Divine emphasis placed upon those gifts--an emphasis wholly without parallel in the sacred Records. To the G.o.dly Israelite the brazen altar typified that which was fulfilled at the Cross, and well may we exclaim: "G.o.d forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our LORD JESUS CHRIST" (Gal. vi. 14).

Looking back over the two chapters on which we have been dwelling we see in them a marvellous revelation of Divine love--even in Mosaic times.

First, an unrestricted invitation to draw near to G.o.d; woman or man, of any tribe--whosoever will--may come and be wholly separated unto the LORD--but only in G.o.d'S way. We learn, too, that in such consecration there is no merit on which man may rest, or in which he may boast; we are at best unprofitable servants, accepted only in the BELOVED, complete only in Him. Yet such consecration gives joy to G.o.d, and opens the way to wonderful revelations of blessing; blessing which when enjoyed constrains to service, to gift, to recognition of the preciousness of the Altar, of the Cross--a service in which G.o.d Himself finds delight, and on which He never wearies to dwell.

May G.o.d make our meditations very practical; and may we "thus judge, that if ONE died for all, then were all dead; and that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them and rose again,"--or, as we may better read it, "unto Him which died and rose again for them."

Are we really thus living? G.o.d knows: eternity will show: what answer does conscience give now? What conclusions do our brothers, sisters, children, friends draw from our lives? Our true self-denial, self-emptying, and giving for CHRIST'S cause practically show _our_ real estimate of the value of the Cross of CHRIST, our real love for the CHRIST who was crucified for us.

THE END.