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CHAPTER XI.

THE TABERNACLE SET UP. CEREMONIES

APPOINTED.

THE Lord commanded Moses to prepare other two tables, and go up again into the mount: and he did so, and remained there a second time forty days and forty nights: and God proclaimed to Moses His holy name. "And

the Lord descended in a cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD."

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"And the Lord passed by before him, and pro"claimed, The LORD, The LORD GOD, merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and "that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting "the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, "and upon the children's children, unto the third "and to the fourth generation."

These words ought never to be forgotten. We learn from them how merciful and how good God is to those who love Him, and seek to obey His commands; but the impenitent and careless sinner, who goes on in a course of wickedness, and never thinks of GOD, nor seeks to please Him, GOD will surely punish.

"Having received the remainder of the laws,

and particular directions for building the Tabernacle, Moses descended the mount.

"And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come nigh him. And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him; and Moses talked with them, And afterwards all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with them in Mount Sinai. And till Moses had done speaking with them. he put a vail on his face. But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off until he came out."*

Moses now commanded the people to bring offerings of gold, silver, jewels, embroidered stuffs, skins, spices, oil, and whatever else was required for the building of the Tabernacle. The people cheerfully obeyed; and so much was offered that Moses was obliged to forbid their bringing more. The best workmen in the different arts were then chosen, and every one had a portion of the great work assigned him. Some cut down the acacia trees, and made ready the boards of shittim wood for the Tabernacle;

In the paintings of many ancient masters, Moses is represented with rays of light like horns; a mistake originating in the mistranslation in the Latin Vulgate edition of the Bible, (the only one, probably, which they knew), of the passage, "the skin of Moses' face shone,"-the Hebrew word signifying to irradiate from, or, to have rays shooting from the head like horns.-See Notes to the Pictorial Bible,

others were employed in carving the ornaments, and making the various utensils to be used in the sacrifices: the women embroidered the curtains, and made the vestments for the priests, many of which were of the choicest and most delicate needle-work; all were employed, and nothing could have exceeded the cheerful activity of the

scene.

The Tabernacle* (see Plate) stood near the end of an oblong square enclosure, formed by brazen pillars with silver capitals and fillets, having curtains of fine twined linen between. These curtains were suspended on silver cords, fastened to the pillars, and were of net work, in order that the people standing outside, might see the priests offering the sacrifices within the court. The entrance was on the east side, facing the Tabernacle. The curtain over the entrance was different from those which formed the sides, and was richly embroidered in blue, purple, and scarlet, and wrought with needle-work. Four pillars formed the entrance, on each side of which were three pillars more, which completed the east end. Twenty pillars formed the north side, twenty pillars the south side, and ten the west end.

The Tabernaclet (see Plate) which stood within

It is generally supposed that the Tabernacle stood near the farther end of the Court, so as to allow a large open space in front, where the sacrifices were offered; but its exact situation within the Court is not mentioned.

The length of the Tabernacle was 52 feet; breadth and height, 17 feet.

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