Monday Meditation
June 13, 2016
From the desk of A.J. Higgins
The Gate
“And the gate for the court shall be an hanging of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen … pillars four … sockets four..” Exodus 27:16
“I am the Door, by Me if any man enter in … ” John 10:9
Surrounding the entire tabernacle and court was a white linen hanging of fine twined linen. It barred the way to the altar. There was no entry on the north, south, or west sides. Notice several things about the gate:
The Solitary Entrance
There was only one entrance; only one way to approach God. The white linen hangings barred everyone but the 20-cubit wide door welcomed everyone. Anyone wishing to get to the altar had to come through the gate. No back door or side door approaches were allowed. God dictated that there was only one means of approach. Though the way was limited, there was a way provided.
The Significance of the Size
While God limited the approach, He made it exceedingly wide and available. Twenty cubits would have been 40% of the width of the front hangings of fifty cubits. Imagine a home which had a door which occupied 40% of the front. It would certainly tell you something about the people within. It would express their desire for visitors and a warm welcome to those who came.
Likewise, the wideness of the gate revealed God’s desire to make the way to the altar approachable for all. Note that the length was 20 cubits. Remember that the altar was five cubits by five cubits. Thus its total measurement was 20 cubits. The width of the gate corresponded to the perimeter of the altar. The welcome of the gate equaled the availability of the altar.
God has made Christ available and accessible to all. No one who approaches and looks for acceptance will discover a lack of provision to meet their need. The gate and the altar are of the “same dimensions.”
So great is the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, that no one who seeks salvation need despair. The “altar” is big enough for everyone.
The Singular Beauty
There was a beauty that would draw the eye to the gate. Anyone looking for a way to the altar would instinctively notice its prominence and beauty. The gate was of blue, purple, and scarlet; and all was on a background of fine twined linen. The Man from heaven, as seen in the blue, has come. “I am come” (John 10:10) reminds us that He came from heaven to redeem. He left the realms of glory to become a Man, with a view to a cross. The purple tells us that He came as king to His nation. John 10 presents Him as Shepherd; but in Israel, her kings were viewed as Shepherds. He is the royal Man, but the rejected Man.
But the scarlet reminds us that the Man from heaven came to give His life (John 10:11). To be the “gate” or the “door,” it was not sufficient that He come from heaven and dwell among us; not sufficient that He present His credentials as the Shepherd-King. He must die. This Man from heaven, this Shepherd-King must actually become a worm and a no-man, that He might add the scarlet thread and make the gate available to us all.
The Salvation Provided
On entering through the gate, the first thing that would strike the eye and meet the gaze was the altar; you could not possibly miss it. The gate and the altar were inseparably linked together. So likewise, all who enter the door are guaranteed this salvation. “I give unto them (My sheep), eternal life and they shall never perish” (John 10:28).
Consider:
1. We have looked at the gate in light of John 10, can you find other chapters in John which highlight individual pieces of furniture in the Tabernacle? The table, the lampstand, the laver, etc.
2. In light of the John 10, what would the “fine twined linen” speak of and why was it so necessary?
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