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Blue
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There are 49 references to “blue” in the scriptures: 6 in Numbers, 3 in
Chronicles, 2 in Esther, 1 in Jeremiah, 3 in Ezekiel, and 34 in Exodus.
Of these 49 references, 42 are related to the Tabernacle, priesthood, or
the Temple. Those observations indicate blue is somehow a foreshadow of
the dwelling place of God (Ex. 25:4) and the priesthood of the Lord (Psa.
110:4; Heb. 5:6). On this level, the “blue” then foreshadows our Lord
as the dwelling place of God, but He was more than just a man in whom
God dwelt, He was “post incarnation” and is forever “God manifest in
flesh” (1 Tim. 3:16). Infinite is the truth that in the man Jesus: |
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a) |
“Dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Col. 2:9)
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b) |
“Of
whom as concerning the flesh Christ came who is God over all” (Rom.
9:5) |
Young’s literal translation is: “In Him doth tabernacle all the fulness
of the Godhead”. Every attribute of deity was in all its fulness in our
Lord. When He became a man He did not divest Himself of one iota of
deity.
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When Christ is referred to as the Son of God, it has nothing to do with
paternal generation. Sonship is presented three ways in the
scriptures: |
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a) |
Sonship by birth: Christ was the son of Mary and that related to His
humanity. |
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b) |
Sonship by relationship: Elisha was the son of Elijah, Timothy was the
son of Paul, that is a spiritual relationship. |
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c) |
Sonship by character: The Lord used this relationship when speaking to
the Jews: “Ye are of your father the devil”, and it is in this light the
Lord is spoken of as the Son of God. |
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One of the ways His deity is declared is by: |
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a) |
His
titles: |
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i) |
The Mighty God (Isa. 9:6). This title is used four other times, and
every time of Jehovah (Deut. 7:21; Neh. 9:32; Psa. 50:1; 132:2; Isa.
10:21; Jer. 32:18) |
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ii) |
Emmanuel (Matt. 1:23) |
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iii) |
The Son of the Highest (Lk. 1:32) |
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Furthermore, on at least two occasions when God revealed Himself “blue”
is associated with Him. Moses wrote: that when the elders of Israel
“saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved
work of a sapphire stone” (blue) (Ex. 24:10). The same is true of
Ezekiel: “Above the firmament . . . was the likeness of a throne, as the
appearance of a sapphire stone” (Ezek. 1:26). It suggests the
revelation of God in sovereign rulership. Therefore, three truths are
combined: |
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a) |
The
blue reflecting Heaven, the dwelling place of God where the Lord as
Priest rules for God in perfect adjudication. (Rev. 2-19) |
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b) |
As
King will rule for God on the earth as King Priest. (Zech. 6:13) |
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c) |
Then the despised Nazarene and “His dominion shall be from sea even to
sea” (Zech. 9:10); and “the whole earth be filled with His glory” (Psa.
72:19). |
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As the revelation of God we can understand John recording His words: “
The Son hath declared Him” (Jn. 1:18) and: “He that hath seen me hath
seen the Father” (Jn. 14:9). On this earth walked a man of flesh and
blood, who totally resembled the Father, fully revealed the Father, and
perfectly represented the Father. How blessedly true this is. Only He
who is God could give the perfect revelation of God and the Father.
John records the words of our Lord by showing the identicalness of God
and Christ. Beginning with His expression: “My Father worketh hitherto,
and I work” (Jn. 5:17), the Jews recognized He was acknowledging His
absolute equality with God (v.18). The Lord then makes a series of
profound statements: |
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a) |
“The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do: for
what things soever the Father doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise”,
thus He was identical to God in His works. This is then backed up with
the “as” and “so” expressions: |
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i) |
“As the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son
quickeneth whom He will” (v. 21). |
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ii) |
“As the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have
life in Himself” (v. 26). |
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iii) |
“All men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father (v. 23). |
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iv) |
“The
Father . . . hath committed all judgment unto the Son (v. 22). |
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v) |
God
“hath given Him authority to execute judgment” (v. 22). |
The root word of “blue” is translated “onycha”, a chief and
principle spice (Ex. 30:34). How fragrant the Lord was to God. Every
moment of every day rose as a sweet smelling fragrance to Him. His life
was a constantly ascending ointment, void of any “dead flies” (Ecc.
10:1) which caused a stench. It was as “ointment poured forth” (Song of
Sol. 1:3) from which God smelt a sweet fragrance. Further notes will be
on this ointment under the spices of Calamus, cassia, onycha and myrrh.
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Interestingly the word “onycha” comes the word which is translated
“lion”. On this level the “blue” intimates His might as the lion. He
is the “lion which . . . turneth not away for any” (Prov. 30:30). It is
this imagery which is used of Jehovah (Hos. 5:14; 13:7), and of our Lord
(Rev. 5:5), and in both these contexts it is used relative to judgment.
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a) |
Let
the armies of the world stand against Him, He will not fear. (Psa. 2;
Rev. 19:11-21) |
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b) |
Let
the religious leaders join with the political, and He like a lion
unintimidated by them goes out to meet them: |
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i) |
“When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples
over the brook Cedron” (Jn. 18:1). |
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ii) |
“Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon Him, went
forth, and said unto them,
Whom seek ye?”
(Jn. 18:4). |
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iii) |
“And He bearing His cross went forth into a place called the place of a
skull” (Jn. 19:17). |
This brings another truth to our attention. There was a Sabbath day
when a man went out to gather sticks (Num. 15:32). Apparently, for some
unknown reason, he had failed to do that during the six previous days,
and God had given a command: “Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy
work” (Ex. 20:9). Moses did not know what to do with the man. Perhaps
he had an excuse, he had been working very hard all week on the
tabernacle, his son was to get them and forgot, etc. Should grace be
shown to him, or does the law of God take precedence over excuses? God
gave His judgment. The man was to be stoned to death. From that point
of time the children of Israel were to put fringes at the bottom of
their garments, and were to put on it a “ribband of blue” (Num. 15:38).
Every time they bend down or looked down there was the ribband of blue
reminding them of the rule of God and as a preventive from sinning. Our
Lord never needed to be reminded of the rule of God in His life. He who
taught: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with
all thy soul, and with all thy mind (Matt. 22:37), and added to it:
“With all thy strength” (Mk. 12:30), did not just teach this but lived
it every moment of every day.
God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, and there to His
hearts delight was a man who lived in the reality of the rule of God in
His life. He could pray: “Thy kingdom come”, and in His life that
kingdom ruled, and “Thy will be done on earth” was the character of His
entire life. (Matt. 6:10)
Brass
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In the historical context the wilderness experience of the children of
Israel was just about the end of the “bronze Age” and coming into the
iron age. On the historical level, we speak of the bronze age but in
reality, there never was such a period. The order was the copper age
followed by the iron age, therefore, we read that the Canaanites had
“chariots of iron” (Josh. 17:16).
It
is my suggestion that it was not “brass” that was used in the “laver”
(Ex. 30:18), the “vessels of the altar” (Ex. 38:3), or the “altar” (Ex.
39:39); but copper. The reasons for doing so are: |
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Brass is an alloy, a mixture of metals, and God never used any inferior
item to prefigure the person or work of His Son. |
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Since it was to be used for the “altar” on which the sacrifices were
burned, an altar that was made of wood and covered with this metal, it
would have to withstand the great temperatures. Copper can withstand
much higher temperatures than brass, with a melting point of 1980
degrees F. It would therefore protect the wooden framework and “endure”
the fierceness of the flames. |
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The
Hebrew word translated “brass” (Ex. 36:38) or “brazen” (Ex. 38:4) is the
same Hebrew word. Quoting from Wilson’s Old Testament Word studies:
“copper seems frequently intended . . . as brass is a factitious
preparation”. Strong’s Hebrew gives the meaning of the word as
“copper”. The feet of our Lord are spoken of as “fine brass” (Rev.
1:15), but that word is only found here and in Rev. 2:18, and Robertson
in His “Word Pictures” describes the clause “burnished brass” as a
compound of copper, gold and silver. Thus the word in the Old Testament
ought to be copper. |
Being used for the altar it indicated divine administration revealed in
severity of judgment. Consequently, our Lord is seen as having feet
like fine copper (brass) (Rev. 1:15; 2:18). It is observed that Christ
is seen as the Son of Man acting judiciously (Rev. 1:5), and as the Son
of God (Rev. 2:18).
Another feature of copper was it’s use for binding an individual and
therefore strength. As such, it was used for the “fetters of Zedekiah”
(2 Kings 25:7) and Samson (Jud. 16:21). Taking the thought of being
bound, our Lord was bound by Annas and sent to Caiaphas (Jn. 18:24), and
by the elders to Pilate (Matt. 27:2). How amazing this is that the One
who came to set us free (Jn. 8:36) was bound, and yet was the only free
man who ever lived. Our Lord said: “How am I straitened (bound in) till
it be accomplished!” (Lk. 12:50). It was He who told the religious
leaders: “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” (Jn. 8:34) was
now bound, and soon to the altar for the sins of those He was speaking
to.
It also carries the thought of protection. Goliath of Gath had brass
for his body armor (1 Sam. 17:56 ??). To Jeremiah, God said: “I will
make thee a fenced brazen wall . . . and they shall not prevail against
thee” (Jer. 15:20). Thank God that we have not made “lies our refuge”
(Isa. 28:15), but we have fled “for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set
before us” (Heb. 6:18). Christ the man is our “hiding place” (Isa.
32:2) and our protection is by the judgement the Lord has borne (1 Cor.
15:3). Sheltered by Him we are God’s peculiar people (Tit. 2:14; 1 Pet.
2:9).
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Finally there is the truth of unyielding. The scriptures record: |
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a) |
“And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven
as iron, and your earth as brass.” (Lev. 26:19) |
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b) |
Like the ram, it suggests unyielding, but with this difference. With
the ram the emphasis is on relentless persistence, the brass indicates
no headway being gained. This is defensive. The Ram indicates
offensive. |
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c) |
He
would not compromise holiness or His devotion to God in the
temptations. (Matt. 4) |
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d) |
“I
will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall . . . but they
shall not prevail against thee” (Jer. 15:20) |
What a Saviour we have. He never yielded to temptation, but stood firm
and resolute. It was irrelevant whither the evil one tempted with
earthly prosperity, resulting admiration, or misuse of the scriptures,
He never failed.
May God grant us good understanding as He, by His
Holy Spirit, deigns to guide us into all truth.
John 16:13
Copyright © 2012 by Rowan Jennings, Abbotsford,
British Columbia
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