e
gifts, is made more prominent in the inspired Record. The person of each
offerer is brought before us, both as an individual, and in his
relationship to the tribe of which he is the representative, before any
enumeration is made of his gifts; and when the enumeration has been
fully given, we are again reminded of the offerer himself. Could the
Divine love and satisfaction be more expressively brought out?

With this thought in view, let us read between the lines of the
Record:--

And he that offered his offering--for a glad free-will offering it
was--on the first day was Nahshon, Nahshon the son of Amminadab, Nahshon
the prince of the tribe of Judah; and his offering was one charger--a
silver charger, and a weighty one; the weight thereof was a hundred and
thirty shekels: one bowl, also of silver, of seventy shekels weight; not
the light shekels of commerce, but the weighty shekels of the Sanctuary.
Nor were these vessels empty: both of them were full--full of flour,
fine flour, and mingled with oil, destined for a meat-offering.

One spoon was the next gift, yet more precious, a spoon of solid gold,
of no less than ten shekels weight. It, too, was full--full of incense.

Next were brought one young bullock, one ram, and one lamb of the first
year--all for a burnt-offering. Any one of these might have been
offered; Nahshon, however, brought them all, and all to be wholly
consumed on the altar, for the enjoyment and satisfaction of GOD alone.

But Nahshon was a sinner, and the tribe he represented were sinful men;
a sin-offering therefore was not neglected; and in the order of
enumeration this is next mentioned, though, as we have said before, it
was offered first--one kid of the goats for a sin-offering.

And, lastly, a princely offering for a sacrifice of peace-offerings; two
oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five lambs of the first year--sacrifices
on which GOD feasted, as it were, together with His people, and in which
the sacrificing priest, the offerer and all his friends had their full
share.

And this, all this, was the offering of Nahshon, Nahshon the son of
Amminadab.

Twelve times is all this detail repeated--a most emphatic evidence that
GOD never wearies in noting the service of each one of His people. But
even this is not all. In the 84th and following verses of this long
chapter we read:--

"This was the dedication of the altar, in the day when it was anointed,
by the princes of Israel: twelve c