Sockets Of Silver

by G. Prasher. | Category: The Tabernacle | Apr 1959

The sockets which formed the foundation of the LORD'S house were made of silver obtained from the atonement money. When the children of Israel were numbered every one that passed over unto them that were numbered gave half a shekel of silver after the shekel of the sanctuary. From every man twenty years old and upward this was required. The rich were not to give more, and the poor were not to give less than the half shekel. This atonement money from the children of Israel was appointed for the service of the tent of meeting, and became a memorial for the people before the LORD, to make atonement for their souls. Compare Exodus 26.19-25; 36.20-34.

Many imperfect teachings have been associated with the interpretation of the silver sockets, and before we proceed to deal with the interpretation, according to our understanding, we must make some preliminary remarks as to the teaching of silver in other connexions. We wish to emphasize later that what these silver sockets set forth has to do with the service of a redeemed people, but confusion exists when the redemption from sin is not differentiated from redemption to service. Therefore we would first desire to make some remarks concerning redemption in its elementary aspect.

The Lord Jesus died to redeem us from the pit, as we read in Job 33.24, "Then He is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a Ransom (kopher)." This is He "who gave Himself a Ransom for all; the testimony to be borne in its own times" (1 Timothy 2.6). The word for Ransom here is antilutron, and means a corresponding price for all. Of men, both high and low, rich and poor together, it is written, "They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom (kopher) for him; (for the redemption of their soul is costly, and must be let alone for ever)" (Psalm 49. 6-8). Of Christ, however, we read that He gave the price required for redemption, and it is thus that He is now the Saviour of men, and, blessed be God, He is both able and willing to save.

We linger over the costliness of this great redemption. It has been expressed like this : take all the wealth of all the millionaires, their millions could not buy redemption; take all the wealth of all the world, even this must fail to make the purchase; but there is One whose riches are unsearchable (Ephesians 3.8), lo, He has come. Surely His riches will suffice to pay the ransom in demand! Ah, no, even His unsearchable riches could not meet the need, and, wonderful to relate, "Christ Jesus ... gave Himself a Ransom for all." His precious blood had to flow.

Richer blood has flowed from nobler veins,

To purge the soul from guilt, and cleanse the reddest stains."

If we could estimate the worth of Christ then we might place an estimate on His work, but this can never be done. His worth no heart can conceive, no tongue can tell.

We now proceed to deal with the special significance of the silver sockets. What we have said above applies to all the redeemed in Christ, but we must clearly realize that not all the redeemed have reached the same spiritual condition of exercise in service. Those who gave the half shekel were already in possession of the freedom associated with redemption from Egypt, but now they have the matter brought before them in relation to the house of God. We cannot emphasize too much the fact that the silver sockets have to do with the house of God.

The Hebrew word Kopher, with its Greek equivalent lutron, means a covering, to pay quittance, a ransom. Without this silver half shekel a plague from the LORD would have come upon them, but by its payment they were loosed from divine judgement. It was the ransom price. There is no mention of the ransom price having been paid when David numbered the people, and we judge in consequence the plague from the LORD was upon the land (2 Samuel 24). Our redemption, however, was not accomplished by such corruptible things as silver or gold, but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, even the blood of Christ (1 Peter 1.18, 19).

We should note that those to whom Peter wrote were persons who were in and of God's house, and their redemption is referred to as from your vain manner of life handed down from your fathers. It was unto that holy living which was in keeping with the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, unto which they had been elected. See 1 Peter 1. 2, 14, 15.

Here we might note the three aspects of redemption. The first is that we have already dealt with, namely, redemption from the pit. The second is, "Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a people for His own possession, zealous of good works" (Titus 2.14); with Galatians 1.3-5, "Our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us out of this present evil world (or age) according to the will of our God and Father: to whom be the glory for ever and ever." Then the third aspect of redemption is referred to in Ephesians 1.14,where we are told that the sealing of the Holy Spirit of promise is an earnest of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God's own possession, unto the praise of His glory." Thus when the Lord descends "with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God" and the dead and the living in Christ are caught up to meet Him in the air, our redemption will be consummated.

Meanwhile, let us bear in mind that the work of Christ upon the cross is intended to loose us from our former mode of living, and to bring us under the authority of the Lord, to find our guide in the word of God, as enlightened by the blessed Holy Spirit.

The Lordship of Christ is of prime importance, and we judge the Holy Spirit draws our attention to it in the sockets of silver. The Hebrew word eden, translated socket, is from the same root as adon, which means lord, master, owner. How true that we, the redeemed, are His by mighty purchase, and we should sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts! He to whom we belong expects this from us. It is His due. Thus in this word for sockets we seem to hear the Spirit's voice, "Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified" (Acts 2.86). "Ye are not your own; for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body" (1 Corinthians 6. 19, 20). Subjection to His authority is foundational in connexion with the house of God, and we should be found enjoying a daily salvation in obedience to the word of truth. As those Israelites laid hold of the silver coin and presented it before the LORD, so let us lay hold upon the work of Christ, the great Redeemer, and present Him before God in our lives.

A VALUABLE FOUNDATION

We now draw attention to the value of the silver which was in the foundation of the LORD'S dwelling. We read, "And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation was an hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary: ... And the hundred talents of silver were for casting the sockets of the sanctuary, and the sockets of the veil; an hundred sockets for the hundred talents, a talent for a socket" (Exodus 38. 25-27). The talent of silver was long ago estimated to be worth �842, and the hundred talents would represent nearly �84,220; today its value would greatly exceed this sum.

This was a high value to be in the foundation, and surely the Holy Spirit directs our hearts to muse upon the costly foundational work of Christ at the cross. The shadow takes us part way, but only God can appreciate fully what it cost to have a people together forming His house on earth, a people redeemed from all iniquity, and purified unto Himself - a people for His own possession, zealous of good works. Has not this side of truth been largely, if not entirely, lost sight of in Christendom today? Is it not so that redemption from the pit is the chief concern of the many, while Christ's death to the end " that He might also gather together into one (one thing) the children of God that are scattered abroad" is forgotten or unknown? Oh that the costliness of the redemptive work of Christ in its second aspect would impress us more! Our prayer may well be,

"Light and repentance give

Those who are unaware,

Dark error binds their feet

In Satan's subtle snare;

Unfold Thy way of unity,

Show them the one Community."

A WEIGHTY FOUNDATION

The total weight of silver used in the hundred sockets was a little over five tons, thus it was a weighty foundation in which the tenons of the boards found firmness and solidity. Had the sockets of silver been lacking the boards would have had the sands of the desert for their foundation, but God will not have His work reared on anything so unstable. Paul in 1 Corinthians 3.10, 11 makes reference to this foundation for the house. He refers to the assembly in Corinth as a temple of God, the part being of the character of the whole. "As a wise master-builder I laid a foundation." What was this foundation? He adds, "For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." Christ is the foundation, and the Chief Corner Stone (Ephesians 2.20), and " each several building, fitly framed together, groweth into a holy temple in the Lord." Thus we have the house of God and its foundation. Here are solidity and strength. Men therein may go wrong, apostasy may sweep many away, "Howbeit the firm foundation of God standeth, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His: and, Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness" (2 Timothy 2.19).

Doubtless at the time of the writing of 2nd Timothy the faith of many had been overthrown, but the firm foundation of God stood, and those who named the name of the Lord departed from unrighteousness, which involved leaving children of God who were holding wrong doctrine, and clung to the firm foundation of God. Was not this seen also in the days of the Remnant? Those who heard and heeded the call of God came up to Jerusalem, got down to the old foundations, and builded the house of God. If children of God will heed the call of God today and depart from unrighteousness they can find the firm foundation of God whereon to build. In both Corinth and Ephesus the foundation that was laid was Jesus Chnst

that wonderful Person, and His wonderful work. The foundation was weighty and it was firm.

As the silver was appointed to its place in the sockets for the boards, and in the fillets and hooks and chapiters of the court there was a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD. Here was something to preserve in the memory of the LORD the relation to Himself of a redeemed people. But He had other memorials indicating their standing. Thus on the shoulders of the high priest were stones of memorial for the children of Israel, engraven on which were the names of the twelve tribes according to their birth (Exodus 28.9, 12). The LORD delights to have His people in remembrance before Him. As He looks upon His Son, who is alive in the power of an endless life, He sees His redeemed today, and He remembers us; for He has made Christ Jesus to be wisdom unto us, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption (1 Corinthians 1.80), so we may well glory in the Lord.

Let us also remember that He who makes a memorial for us in heaven has commanded us to make a memorial for Him on earth, that is, in the breaking of the bread. Precious indeed is the privilege of so doing on the first day of the week, which was the custom of the early disciples, as see Acts 20.7. We are assured that the Lord is delighted to observe His people attending to this ordinance. There are other memorials of service. In Ezra 6.1 it is said that " search was made in the house of the archives (records)." This is the same word that is translated memorial in connexion with the silver of the atonement money, and the stones of memorial. Let us consider afresh the solemn truth that our records will be examined one day, and let us ask, What will the examination reveal at the Judgement-seat? There is that which Christ is unto us, which is perfect ; but there is also that which we do in service, and it is most important that this be done as unto the Lord, and not unto men: knowing that from the Lord we shall receive the recompense of the inheritance; we serve

the Lord Christ.

G. Prasher. | Apr 1959
The Tabernacle