OF the FATHER’S LOVE BEGOTTEN
All families have their traditions when it comes to Christmas morning, or whatever morning you happen to celebrate Christmas, and my family is no different. Although some things have changed slightly over the years since all of my siblings and I have been married, our morning is still ordered pretty much the same as it has been for as long as I can remember. Everyone gets settled and then the first thing we do is dig into our stockings. We are certain to find hand-held games of the pre-Industrial age, chocolate in all shapes and sizes, and usually, at the very bottom, a juicy orange.
I have to admit that when I was a child, the orange was not a welcome sight. I don’t ever remember actually eating the orange. My suspicion is that my parents put them in our stockings knowing that they would get to eat them since we kids usually couldn’t be bothered. Chocolate is much more interesting than oranges to most children (and many adults!), and we were no exception.
As I started thinking about this study, I became curious about some traditions of Christmas that I had never heard an explanation for, and oranges in stockings was definitely one of those traditions. The general consensus on the Internet is that it began in the 4th century courtesy of an individual who is now a rather well-known saint.
A legend is told of that saint, Nikolaos, or Nicholas, Bishop of Myra (now in modern-day Turkey), giving gold coins to the three daughters of a poor man who could not afford a proper dowry for them. Different versions of the legend exist, but one version states that Nikolaos wanted to spare the family the humiliation of having him publicly assist them, so he dropped the coins down their chimney. Conveniently, at least one of the daughters had washed her stockings that night and had hung them to dry by the fire, giving the coins a perfect place to land. The legend also states that the fire melted the coins into a ball, thus giving rise to the tradition of putting oranges in the bottom of stockings, oranges representing the ball of gold (how the fire was hot enough to melt the gold and not set the stocking on fire is another story for another time...).
Gold has become associated with Christmas in most countries. Whether due to the fact that one of the gifts of the Magi was gold, or the legend of St. Nikolaos and the gold coins, or maybe even some other reason, wherever you see Christmas decorations, you invariably see gold. Gold stars top Christmas trees, gold ornaments are hung from its branches, and gold tinsel adorns houses and offices. Along with red and green, gold is known to many people as a Christmas color.
The symbol for gold on the period table of elements is Au, from the Latin, aurum, which some sources say has come to mean “shining dawn” because of its association with gold. Malleable, extraordinarily dense, and virtually indestructible, gold is put to innumerable uses by human beings. It is beaten into transparent sheets which reflect infrared light (a very helpful thing for the visors of astronauts’ helmets), combined with other metals to create alloys, used to conduct heat and electricity, and, of course, made into jewelry.
Most people are aware that precious metals, gems, and colors have come to symbolize certain ideas and even emotions. In fact, there are dozens, perhaps hundreds, of websites dedicated to explaining the symbolism of those things. Because it is chemically unaffected by air, moisture, or most corrosive agents, gold has also come to be associated with perfection, divinity, and eternity. Couples often exchange rings of white or yellow gold when they marry as a symbol of their commitment, both the metal and the circle indicating the eternal quality of their love.
But have you ever wondered where the symbolism came from and why we have come to make these associations? No good thought, no good idea, no positive creative impulse comes solely from the human heart and mind. Not a single good thing—thoughts, ideas, associations, creativity—is without its origin in YHWH, the LORD and Creator. So if we think of gold as symbolizing perfection and eternity, we can be pretty sure of where the thought originated. It shouldn’t surprise us, then, that God uses gold in some significant ways.
After the children of Israel had been snatched out of Egypt, they came to the wilderness of Sinai, and from the mountain of Sinai, the LORD called to Moses and brought him up the mountain to receive the Teaching (Torah) (Exodus 19:1-25). The people were told what it would look like to be in covenant relationship with the LORD, but along with that, Moses was also instructed on how to build what would be known as the Tabernacle.
The Tabernacle was the place where the LORD would “come down” from heaven and meet with Moses and His people. When we hear that phrase, we often think in terms of location, but the Hebrew understanding of the word carried the connotation of station rather than location. In other words, it meant that a person of high station, such as a king, came down from his station in order to communicate with those of lower rank. We need to think of heaven not so much as being “up there” but rather as being “all around us in a dimension we cannot perceive at the present time.”
Exodus 25 – 28, as well as Exodus 30:1-5, 17-21, lay out the specifics of how the Tabernacle and all its furnishings and utensils were to be constructed. I strongly encourage you to read those chapters to get a sense of the incredible artistry that went into its design. For now, we are going to look at the materials that were used for its different elements.
Enclosure
fine, twisted linen
sockets of copper
hooks and bands of silver
Tabernacle
fine, twisted linen, blue, purple, and crimson yarns
clasps of gold for the Tabernacle
cloths of goat hair for a tent
clasps of copper for the tent
two coverings for the tent of tanned ram skins and then dolphin skins on top
planks of acacia wood, overlaid with gold
sockets of silver for the planks
rings of gold for the planks
bars of wood for the planks, overlaid with gold
curtain of fine, twisted linen, blue, purple, and crimson yarns, to hang in front of the Holy of Holies (between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies)
four posts of acacia wood for the curtain, overlaid with gold
hooks of gold for the curtain
sockets of silver for the curtain
screen for the entrance to the Tabernacle of fine, twisted linen, blue, purple, and crimson yarns
five posts of acacia wood for the screen, overlaid with gold
hooks of gold for the screen
sockets of copper for the screen
Ark of the Covenant
acacia wood covered in gold, inside and out, gold molding
rings of gold
poles of acacia wood, overlaid with gold
cover of pure gold
cherubim made of hammered gold on the cover
Table (for the Bread of the Face)
acacia wood, overlaid with pure gold, gold molding
rings of gold
poles of acacia wood, overlaid with gold
bowls, ladles, jars, jugs for libation offerings made of pure gold
Menorah
made of pure gold
tongs, fire pans made of pure gold
Altar of Sacrifice
acacia wood, overlaid with copper
pails, scrapers, basins, flesh hooks, fire pans made of copper
grating meshwork of copper, including rings of copper
poles of acacia wood, overlaid with copper
Altar for Incense
acacia wood, overlaid with pure gold, gold molding
gold rings
poles of acacia wood, overlaid with gold
Laver and Stand
made of copper
Everything that was inside the Tabernacle—the Ark of the Covenant, the Table for the Bread, the Menorah—was to be made from trees (there’s our tree theme, again) and overlaid with gold, or it was to be made of pure gold—the rings and the utensils. The Tabernacle itself was to be made with gold yarn woven throughout, and its planks and bars were to be made of wood overlaid with gold. Even the garments of the High Priest were to be woven with gold yarn, and the frontlet for the diadem was to be made of pure gold and inscribed with the words, “Holy to the LORD.” All that remained in the presence of the LORD or entered His presence, as the High Priest did on Yom Kippur, was covered in or clothed in gold. The total amount of gold that was given by the people for the construction of the Tabernacle and the garments of the High Priest was 29 talents and 730 shekels (Exodus 38:24).
Four times the LORD told Moses to make sure to construct the Tabernacle exactly as he was shown (Exodus 25:9, 40; Exodus 26:30; Exodus 27:8). Why was the LORD so insistent that everything be done exactly as He had instructed? The answer to that question is found in the book of Hebrews, specifically Hebrews 9:1-5 and Hebrews 8:1-5. All the elements of the Tabernacle, including the Tabernacle itself, were copies and shadows of heavenly realities. Israel was being given a glimpse into the very dwelling of the LORD. No small wonder that the LORD was adamant about getting the details perfect!
Incidentally, for those of you who have been trying to do the math in converting talents and shekels to ounces and pounds, let me help you out with that. According to one unit converter, one talent (3,000 shekels) is equal to approximately 75 pounds. The total weight of gold used in the construction of the Tabernacle was a little more 2,200 pounds. If you take the price of an ounce of gold in today’s market ($1,328.40), the total cost of the gold used for the Tabernacle would be $46,486,029.60. Compare that to the amount of gold used by Solomon in the construction of the Temple. 1 Chronicles 29:4, 7 states that David gave 3,000 talents of Ophir gold, and the twelve tribes gave a collective total of 5,000, totaling 8,000 talents of gold (603,184 pounds). Again, in today’s dollars that would be $12,820,314,009.60! (these were the market prices from 2012)
The beginning of the book of Numbers reiterates a lot of the same history covered in the book of Exodus, but it puts a spotlight on certain things (in the same way that Genesis 2 highlights certain aspects of Genesis 1). The Tabernacle had been completed and was set up in accordance with the LORD’s instructions. Numbers 8:1-4 includes an interesting detail concerning the menorah. Of all the instructions concerning the elements found within the Tabernacle, this was the one the LORD chose to repeat, making sure Aaron got it exactly right, and I believe Revelation 1:12-20 gives us a clue as to why that happened. Seven churches are represented by the seven gold menorahs, and seven churches are directly addressed in Revelation chapters 2 through 4. If you recall, seven is the number of totality or completeness in the Bible, so although John sees seven menorahs in his vision, the number is representative of the church as a whole. So it’s entirely possible that the single gold menorah in the Tabernacle was a symbol of the church that was to come, the family that the LORD envisioned when He first chose Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3).
And if you find that thought awesome, just wait—it gets better. More than just about any book in the Bible, Isaiah stands as a testament to the nature of the LORD. Over and over in Isaiah, the LORD asks the question, “To whom can you compare Me?” Obviously, the answer must be that He is beyond comparison. Isaiah 40:28, Isaiah 41:4, Isaiah 43:10, and Isaiah 44:6 all proclaim the glory of the One who had no beginning and has no end.
Now keep those declarations of the LORD about Himself in mind as we read Colossians 1:15-20. Paul leaves absolutely no doubt whatsoever as to who he thinks Jesus is, and he would have strong words for those who claim Jesus was simply a “good teacher” or a “religious martyr.” Although the truth hadn’t been fully grasped by those in His presence when He walked the earth, by the time Paul wrote to the church in Colossae, the Holy Spirit had revealed the stunning reality—Jesus was, indeed, the LORD, the Creator, the God of Israel clothed in flesh and tabernacling among His people.
Remember that the people of Israel were expecting their God to return to them because He had promised to do so. They were expecting Him to renew the ancient covenant and begin a new age where His sovereign rule brought true peace. They were expecting Him to deliver them once again. What they weren’t expecting was the staggering manner in which He would bring to fruition all He had promised. As world-rocking as it was to realize that the Creator of all had condescended to become one of His creation, it was almost incomprehensible that He would then die so gruesome and ignoble a death as crucifixion.
But in the same way that the menorah symbolized a heavenly reality, the sacrifice of the Pesach (Passover) lamb shadowed another heavenly reality, which we are given a brief look at in Revelation 13:8. Some translations place the phrase, “from the foundation of the world” so that it modifies the writing of names in the Book of Life, but although the Greek could be translated that way, the words of Peter seem to indicate that the phrase should modify the state of the lamb. 1 Peter 1:18-21 clearly states that Jesus was destined before the foundation of the world to give His blood as a ransom for His brothers and sisters. Before the LORD began creating, He envisioned the sacrifice and death of Jesus. He knew the cost before a single atom had been brought into being out of the immense creativity of His mind. He knew what He would suffer, both as the human, flesh and blood Son, and as the Father and Spirit having to watch the Son being torn apart. And yet He created it all, anyway, and called it VERY GOOD...knowing what was to come.
The book of Revelation comes to a close with a breathtaking tour of the holy city, Jerusalem (Revelation 21:9-24). The city itself is pure gold. When you see a gold star or gold ornaments this Christmas, let them remind you of the One who has no beginning and no end. And remember that you are destined to live in the City of Gold where the LORD Himself is the Temple and the Lamb is the Light.
Of the Father’s love begotten, ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega, He the source, the ending He,
Of the things that are, that have been,
And that future years shall see, evermore and evermore!
Jesus, to Thee with God the Father, and, O Holy Spirit, to Thee;
Hymn and chant and high thanksgiving, and unwearied praises be:
Honor, glory, and dominion,
And eternal victory, evermore and evermore!
Based on Latin poem, Corde Natus, by Aurelius Prudentius
Translated by John Mason Neale