251 And the Lord said to Moses, 2 Say to the children of Israel that they are to make me an offering; from every man who has the impulse in his heart take an offering for me. 3 And this is the offering you are to take from them: gold and silver and brass; 4 And blue and purple and red, and the best linen, and goats' hair; 5 And sheepskins coloured red, and leather, and hard wood; 6 Oil for the light, spices for the sweet-smelling oil, sweet perfumes for burning; 7 Beryls and stones of value to be put on the ephod and on the priest's bag. 8 And let them make me a holy place, so that I may be ever present among them. 9 Make the House and everything in it from the designs which I will give you.
10 And they are to make an ark of hard wood; two and a half cubits long, and a cubit and a half wide and high. 11 It is to be plated inside and out with the best gold, with an edge of gold all round it 12 And make four rings of gold for it, to be fixed on its four feet, two rings on one side of it and two on the other. 13 And make rods of the same wood, plating them with gold. 14 And put the rods through the rings at the sides of the ark, for lifting it. 15 The rods are to be kept in the rings, and never taken out. 16 Inside the ark you are to put the record which I will give you. 17 And you are to make a cover of the best gold, two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. 18 And at the two ends of the cover you are to make two winged ones of hammered gold, 19 One at one end and one at the other; the winged ones are to be part of the cover. 20 And their wings are to be outstretched over the cover, and the winged ones are to be opposite one another, facing the cover. 21 And put the cover over the ark, and in the ark the record which I will give you. 22 And there, between the two winged ones on the cover of the ark, I will come to you, face to face, and make clear to you all the orders I have to give you for the children of Israel.
23 And you are to make a table of the same wood, two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high, 24 Plated with the best gold, with a gold edge all round it; 25 And make a frame all round it, as wide as a man's hand, with a gold edge to the frame. 26 And make four gold rings and put them at the four angles, on the four feet of the table; 27 The rings are to be fixed under the frame to take the rods with which the table is to be lifted. 28 Make rods of the same wood, plated with gold, for lifting the table. 29 And make the table-vessels, the spoons and the cups and the basins for liquids, all of the best gold. 30 And on the table at all times you are to keep my holy bread.
31 And you are to make a support for lights, of the best gold; its base and its pillar are to be of hammered gold; its cups, its buds, and its flowers are to be made of the same metal. 32 It is to have six branches coming out from its sides; three branches from one side and three from the other. 33 Every branch having three cups made like almond flowers, every cup with a bud and a flower, on all the branches. 34 And on the pillar, four cups like almond flowers, every one with its bud and its flower: 35 And under every two branches a bud, made with the branch, for all the six branches of it. 36 The buds and the branches are to be made of the same metal; all together one complete work of hammered gold. 37 Then you are to make its seven vessels for the lights, putting them in their place so that they give light in front of it. 38 And the instruments and trays for use with it are all to be of the best gold. 39 A talent of gold will be needed for it, with all these vessels. 40 And see that you make them from the design which you saw on the mountain.
261 And you are to make a House for me, with ten curtains of the best linen, blue and purple and red, worked with designs of winged ones by a good workman. 2 Every curtain is to be twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide, all of the same measure. 3 Five curtains are to be joined together, and the other five are to be joined together. 4 And you are to put twists of blue cord on the edge of the outside curtain of the first group of five, and on the edge of the outside curtain of the second group of five; 5 Fifty twists on one curtain and fifty on the other, the twists to be opposite one another. 6 Then make fifty gold hooks, joining the curtains together by the hooks, and in this way the House will be made.
7 And you are to make curtains of goats' hair for a tent over the House, eleven curtains. 8 Every curtain is to be thirty cubits long and four cubits wide, all of the same measure. 9 Five of these curtains are to be joined together, and the other six are to be joined together, the sixth being folded over to make a hanging in front of the tent. 10 And you are to put fifty twists of cord on the edge of the outside curtain of one group, and fifty twists on the edge of the outside curtain of the other group. 11 Then make fifty brass hooks and put the hooks into the twists, joining the tent together to make it one. 12 And the folded part which is over of the curtains of the tent, the half-curtain which is folded back, will be hanging down over the back of the House. 13 And the cubit which is over of the ten curtains at the sides will be hanging over the two sides of the House as a cover. 14 And then you are to make a cover for the tent, of sheepskins coloured red, and a cover of leather over that.
15 And you are to make upright boards of hard wood for the House. 16 Every board is to be ten cubits high and a cubit and a half wide. 17 Every board is to be joined to the one nearest to it by two tongues, and so for every board in the House. 18 These are the boards needed for the house; twenty boards for the south side, 19 With forty silver bases under the twenty boards, two bases under every board to take its tongues. 20 And twenty boards for the second side of the house on the north, 21 With their forty silver bases, two under every board. 22 And six boards for the back of the House on the west, 23 With two boards for the angles of the House at the back. 24 The two are to be joined together at the base and at the top to one ring, forming the two angles. 25 So there are to be eight boards, with their sixteen silver bases, two bases under every board. 26 And make rods of the same wood, five for the boards on the one side, 27 And five for the boards on the other side of the House, and five for the west side of the House at the back. 28 And the middle rod is to go through the rings of all the boards from end to end. 29 And the boards are to be plated with gold, having gold rings for the rods to go through: and the rods are to be plated with gold. 30 And you are to make the House from the design which you saw on the mountain.
31 And you are to make a veil of the best linen, blue and purple and red, worked with designs of winged ones by a good workman: 32 Hanging it by gold hooks from four pillars of wood, plated with gold and fixed in silver bases. 33 And you are to put up the veil under the hooks, and put inside it the ark of the law: the veil is to be a division between the holy place and the most holy. 34 You are to put the cover on the ark of the law, inside the most holy place. 35 And outside the veil you are to put the table, and the support for the lights opposite the table on the south side of the House; and the table is to be on the north side. 36 And you are to make a curtain for the doorway of the Tent, of the best linen with needlework of blue and purple and red. 37 And make five pillars for the curtain, of hard wood plated with gold; their hooks are to be of gold and their bases of brass
17 And when Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples on one side, and said to them, 18 See, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be given into the hands of the chief priests and scribes; and they will give orders for him to be put to death, 19 And will give him up to the Gentiles to be made sport of and to be whipped and to be put to death on the cross: and the third day he will come back again from the dead.
20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, giving him worship and making a request of him. 21 And he said to her, What is your desire? She says to him, Let my two sons be seated, the one at your right hand, and the other at your left, in your kingdom. 22 But Jesus made answer and said, You have no idea what you are requesting. Are you able to take of the cup which I am about to take? 23 They say to him, We are able. He says to them, Truly, you will take of my cup: but to be seated at my right hand and at my left is not for me to give, but it is for those for whom my Father has made it ready. 24 And when it came to the ears of the ten, they were angry with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus said to them, You see that the rulers of the Gentiles are lords over them, and their great ones have authority over them. 26 Let it not be so among you: but if anyone has a desire to become great among you, let him be your servant; 27 And whoever has a desire to be first among you, let him take the lowest place: 28 Even as the Son of man did not come to have servants, but to be a servant, and to give his life for the salvation of men.
29 And when they were going out from Jericho, a great number went after him. 30 And two blind men seated by the wayside, when they had the news that Jesus was going by, gave a loud cry, saying, Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us. 31 And the people gave them orders to be quiet; but they went on crying even louder, Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us. 32 And Jesus, stopping, sent for them, and said, What would you have me do to you? 33 They say to him, Lord, that our eyes may be open. 34 And Jesus, being moved with pity, put his fingers on their eyes: and straight away they were able to see, and went after him.
(Read Matthew 20:17-19)
Christ is more particular here in foretelling his sufferings than before. And here, as before, he adds the mention of his resurrection and his glory, to that of his death and sufferings, to encourage his disciples, and comfort them. A believing view of our once crucified and now glorified Redeemer, is good to humble a proud, self-justifying disposition. When we consider the need of the humiliation and sufferings of the Son of God, in order to the salvation of perishing sinners, surely we must be aware of the freeness and richness of Divine grace in our salvation.
(Read Matthew 20:20-28)
The sons of Zebedee abused what Christ said to comfort the disciples. Some cannot have comforts but they turn them to a wrong purpose. Pride is a sin that most easily besets us; it is sinful ambition to outdo others in pomp and grandeur. To put down the vanity and ambition of their request, Christ leads them to the thoughts of their sufferings. It is a bitter cup that is to be drunk of; a cup of trembling, but not the cup of the wicked. It is but a cup, it is but a draught, bitter perhaps, but soon emptied; it is a cup in the hand of a Father, Philippians 1:29. But they knew not what Christ's cup was, nor what his baptism. Those are commonly most confident, who are least acquainted with the cross. Nothing makes more mischief among brethren, than desire of greatness. And we never find Christ's disciples quarrelling, but something of this was at the bottom of it. That man who labours most diligently, and suffers most patiently, seeking to do good to his brethren, and to promote the salvation of souls, most resembles Christ, and will be most honoured by him to all eternity. Our Lord speaks of his death in the terms applied to the sacrifices of old. It is a sacrifice for the sins of men, and is that true and substantial sacrifice, which those of the law faintly and imperfectly represented. It was a ransom for many, enough for all, working upon many; and, if for many, then the poor trembling soul may say, Why not for me?
(Read Matthew 20:29-34)
It is good for those under the same trial, or infirmity of body or mind, to join in prayer to God for relief, that they may quicken and encourage one another. There is mercy enough in Christ for all that ask. They were earnest in prayer. They cried out as men in earnest. Cold desires beg denials. They were humble in prayer, casting themselves upon, and referring themselves cheerfully to, the Mediator's mercy. They showed faith in prayer, by the title they gave to Christ. Surely it was by the Holy Ghost that they called Jesus, Lord. They persevered in prayer. When they were in pursuit of such mercy, it was no time for timidity or hesitation: they cried earnestly. Christ encouraged them. The wants and burdens of the body we are soon sensible of, and can readily relate. Oh that we did as feelingly complain of our spiritual maladies, especially our spiritual blindness! Many are spiritually blind, yet say they see. Jesus cured these blind men; and when they had received sight, they followed him. None follow Christ blindly. He first by his grace opens men's eyes, and so draws their hearts after him. These miracles are our call to Jesus; may we hear it, and make it our daily prayer to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
