251 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me a heave-offering: of every one whose heart prompteth him, ye shall take my heave-offering. 3 And this is the heave-offering that ye shall take of them: gold, and silver, and copper, 4 and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and byssus, and goats' [hair], 5 and rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins; and acacia-wood; 6 oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil, and for the incense of fragrant drugs; 7 onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate. 8 And they shall make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. 9 According to all that I shall shew thee, the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the utensils thereof, even so shall ye make [it].
10 And they shall make an ark of acacia-wood; two cubits and a half the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. 11 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold: inside and outside shalt thou overlay it; and shalt make upon it a border of gold round about. 12 And cast four rings of gold for it, and put [them] at the four corners thereof, that two rings may be upon the one side thereof and two rings upon the other side thereof. 13 And make staves of acacia-wood and overlay them with gold. 14 And put the staves into the rings upon the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them. 15 The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not come out from it. 16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony that I shall give thee. 17 And thou shalt make a mercy-seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. 18 And thou shalt make two cherubim of gold; [of] beaten work shalt thou make them, at the two ends of the mercy-seat. 19 And make one cherub at the end of the one side, and one cherub at the end of the other side; out of the mercy-seat shall ye make the cherubim at the two ends thereof. 20 And the cherubim shall stretch out [their] wings over it, covering over with their wings the mercy-seat, and their faces opposite to one another: toward the mercy-seat shall the faces of the cherubim be [turned]. 21 And thou shalt put the mercy-seat above on the ark, and shalt put in the ark the testimony that I shall give thee. 22 And there will I meet with thee, and will speak with thee from above the mercy-seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, everything that I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.
23 And thou shalt make a table of acacia-wood, two cubits the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. 24 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make upon it a border of gold round about. 25 And thou shalt make for it a margin of a handbreadth round about, and shalt make a border of gold for the margin thereof round about. 26 And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings at the four corners that are on the four feet thereof. 27 Close to the margin shall the rings be, as receptacles of the staves to carry the table. 28 And thou shalt make the staves of acacia-wood, and overlay them with gold; and the table shall be carried upon them. 29 And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and cups thereof, and goblets thereof, and bowls thereof, with which to pour out: of pure gold shalt thou make them. 30 And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me continually.
31 And thou shalt make a lamp-stand of pure gold; [of] beaten work shall the lamp-stand be made: its base and its shaft, its cups, its knobs, and its flowers shall be of the same. 32 And six branches shall come out of the sides thereof—three branches of the lamp-stand out of one side thereof, and three branches of the lamp-stand out of the other side thereof; 33 three cups shaped like almonds in the one branch, a knob and a flower: and three cups shaped like almonds in the other branch, a knob and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the lamp-stand. 34 And in the lamp-stand four cups shaped like almonds, its knobs and its flowers; 35 and a knob under two branches of it, and [again] a knob under two branches of it, and [again] a knob under two branches of it, for the six branches that proceed out of the lamp-stand. 36 Their knobs and their branches shall be of itself—all of one beaten work of pure gold. 37 And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof, and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may shine out before it; 38 and the snuffers thereof, and the snuff-trays thereof, of pure gold. 39 Of a talent of pure gold shall they make it, with all these utensils. 40 And see that thou make [them] according to their pattern, which hath been shewn to thee in the mountain.
261 And thou shalt make the tabernacle [with] ten curtains of twined byssus, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubim of artistic work shalt thou make them. 2 The length of one curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits—one measure for all the curtains. 3 Five of the curtains shall be coupled one to another, and [the other] five curtains coupled one to another. 4 And thou shalt make loops of blue on the edge of the one curtain at the end of the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make [them] in the edge of the outermost curtain in the other coupling. 5 Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make at the end of the curtain in the other coupling: the loops shall be opposite to one another. 6 And thou shalt make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains together with the clasps, that the tabernacle may be one [whole].
7 And thou shalt make curtains of goats' [hair] for a tent over the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make them. 8 The length of one curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits—one measure for the eleven curtains. 9 And thou shalt couple five of the curtains by themselves, and six of the curtains by themselves, and shalt double the sixth curtain in the front of the tent. 10 And thou shalt make fifty loops on the edge of the outermost curtain of the coupling, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain in the other coupling. 11 And thou shalt make fifty clasps of copper, and put the clasps into the loops, and couple the tent, that it may be one [whole]. 12 And that which remaineth hanging over of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remaineth, shall hang over the rear of the tabernacle. 13 And the cubit on the one side, and the cubit on the other side of that which remaineth in the length of the curtains of the tent, shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and on that side, to cover it. 14 And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering of badgers' skins over [that].
15 And the boards for the tabernacle thou shalt make of acacia-wood, standing up; 16 ten cubits the length of the board, and a cubit and a half the breadth of one board. 17 One board shall have two tenons, connected one with the other: thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the tabernacle. 18 And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards on the south side southward. 19 And thou shalt make forty bases of silver under the twenty boards; two bases under one board for its two tenons, and two bases under another board for its two tenons. 20 And for the other side of the tabernacle on the north side there shall be twenty boards. 21 And their forty bases of silver; two bases under one board, and two bases under another board. 22 And for the rear of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards. 23 And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle at the rear; 24 and they shall be joined beneath, and together shall be united at the top thereof to one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners. 25 And there shall be eight boards, and their bases, of silver, sixteen bases; two bases under one board, and two bases under another board. 26 And thou shalt make bars of acacia-wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, 27 and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle at the rear westward; 28 and the middle bar in the midst of the boards reaching from one end to the other. 29 And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make [of] gold their rings, the receptacles of the bars, and shalt overlay the bars with gold. 30 And thou shalt set up the tabernacle according to its fashion, as hath been shewn thee on the mountain.
31 And thou shalt make a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined byssus; of artistic work shall it be made, with cherubim. 32 And thou shalt attach it to four pillars of acacia-wood overlaid with gold, their hooks of gold; they shall be on four bases of silver. 33 And thou shalt bring the veil under the clasps, and bring in thither, inside the veil, the ark of the testimony; and the curtain shall make a division to you between the holy [place] and the holiest of all. 34 And thou shalt put the mercy-seat on the ark of the testimony in the holiest of all. 35 And thou shalt set the table outside the veil, and the lamp-stand opposite to the table on the side of the tabernacle southward; and thou shalt put the table on the north side. 36 And thou shalt make for the entrance of the tent a curtain of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined byssus, of embroidery. 37 And thou shalt make for the curtain five pillars of acacia[-wood], and overlay them with gold; their hooks shall be of gold; and thou shalt cast five bases of copper for them.
17 And Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples with [him] apart in the way, and said to them, 18 Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man will be delivered up to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; 19 and they will deliver him up to the nations to mock and to scourge and to crucify, and the third day he shall rise again.
20 Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee, with her sons, doing homage, and asking something of him. 21 And he said to her, What wilt thou? She says to him, Speak [the word] that these my two sons may sit, one on thy right hand and one on thy left in thy kingdom. 22 And Jesus answering said, Ye know not what ye ask. Can ye drink the cup which I am about to drink? They say to him, We are able. 23 [And] he says to them, Ye shall drink indeed my cup, but to sit on my right hand and on [my] left, is not mine to give, but to those for whom it is prepared of my Father. 24 And the ten, having heard [of it], were indignant about the two brothers. 25 But Jesus having called them to [him], said, Ye know that the rulers of the nations exercise lordship over them, and the great exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be thus amongst you, but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your servant; 27 and whosoever will be first among you, let him be your bondman; 28 as indeed the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.
29 And as they went out from Jericho a great crowd followed him. 30 And lo, two blind men, sitting by the wayside, having heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out saying, Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David. 31 But the crowd rebuked them, that they might be silent. But they cried out the more, saying, Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David. 32 And Jesus, having stopped, called them and said, What will ye that I shall do to you? 33 They say to him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. 34 And Jesus, moved with compassion, touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes had sight restored to them, and they followed 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.
