Have you ever studied the amazing silver sockets of redemption found in the Wilderness Tabernacle?
Welcome to our ongoing chronological bible study called COME AS A CHILD. Today begins Lesson 156. It is all about redemption. Most of the bible references are taken from Exodus Chapter 26. We are considering the amazing silver sockets that are used to anchor the wilderness tabernacle.
Previously we discussed how God instructed Moses to make bars of acacia wood that were overlayed in gold to form the tabernacle structure. Click here if you wish to review that lesson: https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/httpwp-mep8woph-if/
All of these golden bars together formed board sections that were anchored in place by silver sockets. Two silver sockets were placed at each end of all the golden boards and the boards were intricately placed inside them for security. These silver sockets formed the bases for all of the tabernacle’s structure.
THE SOCKETS ON THE INSIDE WERE MADE OF SILVER
All of the sockets on the inside of the tabernacle were made of silver. They were different from the bronze sockets used in the outside courts.
The significance of this is symbolic of a soul that is being transformed by God’s Holy Spirit. It is a process which only happens after redemption takes place in one’s soul. The progression goes from earthly (the bronze sockets) to more holy (the silver sockets.)
Holiness happens as a person comes closer and closer to God.
Please note the fact that it is nothing that the person does that makes them like the silver sockets. It is only the atonement of the blood of Christ which brings the person closer to God. This is the “silver” of redemption in action.
Silver is always symbolic of redemption. There are many biblical examples of people being sold for silver; Joseph and Jesus come to mind.
THE SILVER IN THE BASES COMES FROM A REDEMPTION TAX
All of the other articles used in the construction of the wilderness tabernacle were offerings that were freely given by the people. These prior slaves of Egypt (who eventually became the nation of Israel) had been given many valuable articles on their departure from Egypt. This included much gold, silver and other precious items. These were bribes from their task masters and were meant to persuade them to leave Egypt during the time of the plagues.
The majority of the former slaves had willingly given these precious and valuable items to Moses to be used in the building of the tabernacle.
No one was asked to give. Each person gave gladly and cheerfully from the desire of their hearts to please God.
ONLY THE FOUNDATION WAS DIFFERENT
However; the acquisition of the silver that was used in the building of the tabernacle’s foundation was different. This silver was required to be given. It was collected from the people in a type of tax, or a ransom of sorts.
A certain amount of silver was required of every man of military age (over 20 years old.) Each man was required to pay one-half shekel as a redemption price for his life.
The men would first confess their sins, then ask God’s forgiveness. They would bring the cost of redemption with them and pay their redemption price at the tabernacle.
THE COST OF REDEMPTION
Every man was required to pay the same price; no matter how rich or poor they were.
No matter how much more one had sinned than the other; all sins were redeemed by one price.
The price of redemption for one man’s life was one-half shekel of silver.
There were 603,550 men over 20 living in the wilderness at the time. They each brought their half shekel of silver. All of these half-shekels totaled up to 100 talents of silver. This silver in turn was made into the sockets that held up the 50 bars of the holy place.
THE PRICE FOR REDEMPTION OF SINS WAS SET FROM THE BEGINNING
A scripture relating to this fact can be found in Exodus 30:16; “And you shall take the redemption money of the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD, to make atonement for yourselves.”
Christ had not yet come. There was no Messiah to save them. Each man was responsible for his own soul.
From the days of Adam and Eve there had been talk of a Messiah; but He had not yet appeared on the scene. There was no atonement automatically provided for the souls of these people. Therefore; each man was required to pay for his own sins with his own life. However; his life could be redeemed through this tax that was paid to the tabernacle in the form of a certain amount of silver.
SPECIFICS OF REDEMPTION PRICE
These very specific instructions about this redemption price were spelled out in many areas of scriptures. Here are two more:
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “When you take the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then every man shall give a ransom for his soul to the Lord, when you number them; so that there is no plague among them, when you number them.
They shall give this, everyone who passes among those who are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) half a shekel shall be the offering of the Lord. Everyone who passes among those who are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering to the Lord.
The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering to the Lord, to make an atonement for your souls. And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; so that it may be a memorial to the children of Israel before the Lord, to make an atonement for your souls.” [Ex 30:11-16]
A bekah for every man, that is, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for everyone who went to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men. And the sockets of the sanctuary were cast from the hundred talents of silver, and the sockets of the veil; a hundred sockets from the hundred talents, a talent for a socket. [Ex 38:26,27]
The foundation of the tabernacle was made up of 100 sockets.
Each socket was made up of one talent of silver.
In those days one talent of silver was considered to be the value of one human life. The value of the life of 100,000 men held up the base of the place where God would come to dwell among them.
THE SOULS OF 100,000 MEN
A talent was very heavy. It weighed about 75 pounds. Most men would not have enjoyed dragging this amount of weight around and through the wilderness. 100 men seemed to have managed to do so somehow.
The people had grown strong through their past experiences as slaves. During that time they had moved huge blocks of stone to build the pyramids for Pharaoh. They had been prepared and made ready. God had conditioned them to be able to carry the price of their redemption. They did not consider it to be a heavy burden.
THE REDEMPTION PRICE OF SOULS FORMED THE UNSEEN BASE OF THE TABERNACLE
The silver sockets that the golden boards were anchored into were made from this silver taken for the redemption of the souls of the men of Israel.
God wanted them to remember this fact. He claimed that it should be a memorial. He called this redemption by silver “atonement.” From this fact, the nation of Israel became known for being “the nation of the redeemed.”
Now we can look back through time and see why God wanted them to remember that redemption came through the payment of a certain amount of silver. This amazing fact prefigures the coming of Christ as the ransom for sinner’s souls. Judas was paid 30 pieces of silver for the life of Christ. That perfect life was exchanged for ours. Jesus paid his life for our redemption.
SOMETIMES REDEMPTION IS INVISIBLE
Redemption isn’t always obvious. Sometimes it is unseen.
The people crucifying Christ had no idea what they were doing. In the wilderness tabernacle, the very thing that was holding the tabernacle up (these silver bases of support) were hidden in the ground and buried beneath the sands of the desert.
The very parts which you could not see, the silver bases which held the golden support for the tabernacle in place; kept everything sturdy and standing. Without these bases the tabernacle would topple and fall. With the bases of redemption in place; the tabernacle remained strong and sturdy.
These silver sockets stood for redemption and atonement. They were very important, yet they could not be seen. The silver sockets were hidden. They worked like anchors, keeping everything firm and steady. Without them; nothing would hold in place.
All of the silver used in the structure of the tabernacle came to 9,600 pounds. Now that is a lot of silver!
But what is that compared to the souls of mankind? It reminds me of the song with the lyrics that say “LORD you are more precious than silver.”
DIFFERENT FROM THE HEAVENLY TABERNACLE
This silver socket foundation of the wilderness tabernacle is probably the one part that is not like a shadow of the heavenly tabernacle. That is because you do not hear of any silver in heaven. There is only the mention of gold.
In heaven there is no need for redemption. Anyone who dwells there will already be redeemed.
UNSEEN REDEMPTION
However; the invisible aspect of redemption is still spiritually evident. It is unseen; just like the silver bases of the wilderness tabernacle. Every person who enters into heaven will have experienced a redemption process from their earthly life through their relationship with Christ. Each person will have gone through a wilderness experience where they leave the old sinful life behind and enter into the service of God.
Though this redemption is not visible to the eye, and will not even be seen when these souls are found in heaven; the fact remains that everyone in heaven would have been through a redemptive process during their earthly life. This is a basic concept that everyone entering into the heavenly places must experience before finding the doorway to holiness.
The un-redeemed cannot enter through the heavenly gates or come into the heavenly sanctuary where God lives. Every resident of heaven must be clothed with redemption and atonement.
ONE RAMSON FOR ALL
The price is the same for every soul; no matter who they are or how much they have or have not sinned. Christ paid his life as a ransom for all. He paid the redemption silver for us.
Here again, we can see so many shadows and types of Christ in the elements of the wilderness tabernacle.
We see the redemption price that He paid for us. Upon seeing this we begin to realize how overwhelming and larger than life His love for us has always been.