Commentary on Harmony of the Law Volume 1 Complete John Calvin
HARMONY OF THE LAW · VOLUME 1
37. And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.
37. Facies quoque lucernas ejus septem, quas collocabis in sublimi, ut luceant ad latus faciei ejus.
38. And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.
38. Et forcipes ipsius, et receptacula ejus ex auro puro.
39. Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.
39. Talento auri puri facies illud, et omnia vasa ista.
40. And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was
40. Vide autem ut facias juxta similitudinem suam, quae tibi ostensa est in monte. shewed thee in the mount.
31. And thou shalt make a candlestick. God would have seven bright lamps burning day and night in the Tabernacle: first, that the people might know that they were directed by God Himself as to how they were to worship Him aright, and that a light was set before their eyes which might disperse all the darkness of error; and, secondly, lest they should obscure the very worship of God with their gross inventions, but that, intent on the instruction of the Law, they might with a pure and enlightened mind seek after God in all the ceremonies. Let us, therefore, remark a distinction here set forth between the rule of true religion and the superstitions of the Gentiles; because the Gentiles were carried away by their foolish and blind devotions, as they call them, into circuitous and erring ways, so that nothing was straight in them; for unless we have divine teaching to enlighten us, our own reason will beget nothing but mere vanity. But it was not enough for the Israelites that the right way should be pointed out, unless their eyes were open to direct them, since men sometimes are blind in the very midst of light. And this occurred to themselves not only when they went astray into strange and adulterous worships, for though they held fast the external form of the Law, they were, nevertheless, degenerate; and religion was corrupted among them by foul superstitions, when, in obedience to their carnal reason, they conceived that religion consisted in ceremonies. For when God is not worshipped spiritually according to His nature, this is to travesty Him. Hence there was so much security in the hypocrites, that they proudly despised all the reproofs of the Prophets, nay, that they broke out into open fury whenever their empty pomps were condemned. But