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the language of St. Augustine, "gives what He commands," and that the highest of all
service, to which everything else is subservient, or rather to which itstands related as
the means towards the end, is that of fellowship in prayer - the worshipfulbeholding of
God.
These directions are followed by some others strictly connected with the character of
Israel as thepeople of God. Israel is His firstborn among the nations, (Exodus 4:22,
23) and, as such, must beredeemed, like the firstborn son of a family, (Exodus 22:29;
34:20; Numbers 3:12, 13, 16) toindicate, on the one hand, that the people are really
His own property, and that the life entrusted tothem belongeth to Him and, on the
other hand, to express that, in the firstborn, all the family ishallowed to God. (Romans
11:16) This was the import of the "atonement money." (Exodus 30:11-6)
But even so, each approach to Him needed special washing - hence the laver (30:17-
21). Again,within Israel, the priests were to be the sacred representatives of the
people. As such, they, and allconnected with their service, must be anointed with a
peculiar oil, symbolical of the Holy Spirit, allcounterfeit of which was to be visited
with such punishment as reminds us of that following upon thesin against the Holy
Ghost (vers. 22-33). Lastly, the material for the highest symbolical service, thatof
incensing, is described (vers. 34-38). The whole section closes by designating the
persons whomthe Lord had raised up for doing all the work connected with the
preparation of His Sanctuary.(Exodus 31:1-11)
The institutions thus made were, in reality, the outcome and the consequences of the
covenant whichthe Lord had made with Israel. As "a sign" of this covenant between
Jehovah and the children ofIsrael, (Exodus 31:17) God now ordered anew the
observance of the Sabbath (31:12-17) - itstwofold provision of rest and of
sanctification (ver. 15) being expressive of the civil and the religiousaspects of that
covenant, and of their marvelous combination. Thus furnished with all
needfuldirections, Moses finally received, at the Hand of the Lord, the "two tables of
testimony," "writtenwith the finger of God" (ver. 18).
While these sacred transactions were taking place on the mount, a far different scene
was enactedbelow in the camp of Israel. Without attempting the foolish and wrongful
task of palliating the sin ofmaking the Golden Calf, (Exodus 32:1-6) it is fight that the
matter should be placed in its true light.The prolonged absence of Moses had
awakened peculiar fears in the people. They had seen himpass more than a month ago
into the luminous cloud that covered the mount.
"And the sight of the glory of Jehovah was like a devouring fire on the top of the
mount in the eyes ofthe children of Israel." (Exodus 24:17)
(^)