The Curtains
“And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen” (Exod. 25.4). For what were these materials required? We have already seen that there were to be ten curtains for the inner covering of the tabernacle (Exod. 26.1-6), a veil in front of the Most Holy Place (26.31-33) and hangings for the door of the tent (26.36-37) and for the gate of the court (26.16-17). All these, together with the garments of the High Priest (28.4-8) were to be of fine twined linen embroidered with needlework in these three colours; while the hangings around the outer court were also to be all of linen (27.9, 18). Now we shall see further the meaning of these materials.
Blue is a heavenly colour. When we see blue we are always reminded of the sky. So the colour blue reminds us of our heavenly vocation while upon earth. Even though here on earth we may have to labour as businessmen, as clerks, as doctors, as teachers, when we are saved we receive a heavenly vocation (Heb. 3.1). A heavenly vocation and a heavenly service are the privilege of every true believer.
Quite common questions put to us in the bazaar or railway train are, ' What is your name? What is your profession?" We answer: ‘My name is So and So, and I am working as a clerk, as a labourer, as a doctor or as a businessman’. But among Christians we do not say: 'What is your name?' We say: ‘Are you saved?’ meaning, ‘Are you a child of God? Have you found the joy of the Lord? Are your sins forgiven? Have you true peace? Is your name written in heaven?’ That is what we ask as Christians. Then secondly: ‘Are you fulfilling your heavenly vocation? You say you are born again, but are you living up to your heavenly vocation? Are you winning souls for your Saviour? Are you telling people about your Lord? Is God's glory being seen through you? Is the devil being defeated through you because of your faithfulness to your heavenly vocation?’
Every sinner whose sins have been washed away by the Lord Jesus has become, by the Blood, a partaker of the heavenly calling. It is this that the blue colour reminds us of.
Purple is a royal colour. It speaks of the kingship of our Lord Jesus Christ. Remember how, when those soldiers were mocking Him, they put on Him a purple robe and said, ‘Hail, King of the Jews’ (John 19.2-3). In mockery men gave to the Lord Jesus Christ a crown of thorns, but He gives us a crown of gold. In mockery, they clothed Him in purple, but He truly makes us kings and princes unto God.
So the purple colour in the Tabernacle was placed there to remind the people of their royal calling (Exod. 19.6). Even though we are such wretched sinners, God wants us to become kings and princes. This is His love to us. We may have broken every law of God, and have been grieving Him for many years, yet the divine plan is that we should actually become His kings and princes. He has given us the Bible, and His Holy Spirit to prepare us for that vocation.
The scarlet tells us of that cleansing which we receive by the precious Blood of Jesus (Isa. 1.18). This is what the scarlet says: It does not matter how many sins you have committed; it does not matter though they be as scarlet; the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ can wash away every guilty stain.
My brother, do not let your sins keep you away from the Lord Jesus Christ. Come to Him and confess them all; His Blood is sufficient to cleanse the foulest sinners anywhere in the world. By the scarlet we understand that our Lord welcomes all sinners, no matter how sinful they be (Luke 15.2).
Lastly we come to the fine twined linen. The fine linen is the righteousness of the saints (Rev. 19.8). The Lord Jesus Christ has given us the privilege of being clothed with the garments of Salvation. “He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness” (Isa.61.10). The white linen speaks of that robe which is given to us to cover our nakedness.
When we are born again the very nature of the Lord Jesus Christ is given to us to make us righteous in Him. When we come to Him we are actually made white, pure white, like white linen. We do not become righteous because we pray, or because we read the Bible. We are righteous because we are clothed and covered with the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.