Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to:
Exodus
Book: Exodus
Chapter: 39
Overview:
The priests' garments.
(1-31) The
Tabernacle completed.
(32-43)
1-31 The priests' garments were rich and splendid. The
Church
in its infancy was thus taught
By shadows of good things to
come; but the substance is
Christ, and the
Grace of the
Gospel.
Christ is our great High
Priest. When he undertook the work of
our
Redemption, he
Put On the clothes of service, he arrayed
himself with the
Gifts and graces of the
Spirit, girded himself
with resolution to go through the undertaking, took charge of
all
God's spiritual
Israel, laid them near his
Heart, engraved
them
On the palms of his hands, and presented them to his
Father. And he crowned himself with
Holiness to the
Lord,
consecrating his whole undertaking to the honour of his
Father's
Holiness. True believers are spiritual priests. The
Clean Linen
with which all their clothes of service must be made, is the
Righteousness of saints, Re 19:8.
32-43 The
Tabernacle was a
Type or emblem of
Jesus Christ. As
the Most High dwelt visibly within the
Sanctuary, even
On the
Ark,
So did he reside in the human nature and
Tabernacle of his
dear Son; in
Christ dwelt all the
Fulness of the
Godhead bodily,
Col 2:9. The
Tabernacle was a symbol of every real
Christian.
In the soul of every true follower of the
Saviour the
Father
dwells, the object of his
Worship, and the author of his
blessings. The
Tabernacle also typified the
Church of the
Redeemer. The meanest and the mightiest are alike dear to the
Father's
Love, freely exercised through
Faith in
Christ. The
Tabernacle was a
Type and emblem of the heavenly
Temple, Re
21:3. What, then, will be the splendour of His appearance, when
the
Cloud shall be withdrawn, and his
Faithful worshippers shall
see him as he is!