Exodus 38:24 through 31 mentions first the gold, then the silver, and finally the bronze. However, in our experience the gold does not come first. On the contrary, the bronze comes first, then the silver, and then the gold. In the Scriptures, bronze signifies in type the tests, the trials, the judgment, and even the temptations which Christ suffered. His whole life was a life full of tests, trials, and temptations, and at the end, He was judged by God on the cross. These sufferings became the very foundation upon which Christ accomplished redemption for us. Christ accomplished redemption by being tested, tried, tempted, judged, and eventually crucified on the cross. Therefore, after the bronze comes the silver, signifying the redemption of Christ. This redemption comes from the judgment, trials, and tests suffered by Christ. Without these sufferings Christ could never have accomplished redemption for us. The silver must come after the bronze. After the silver is the gold, that is, after the experience of the redemption of Christ is the experience of the divine nature of God. The redemption of Christ brings the divine nature into our experience. As long as we have been redeemed by Christ, we have the divine nature of God (2 Pet. 1:4). At the time when we believed into Christ as our Redeemer, we received the divine nature.
The bronze, the silver, and the gold become the material for the building of the house of God through our experience. These aspects must be experienced by us in order to become the material for the building of the church. We must experience the tests, the trials, the temptations, and the judgments which Christ suffered. We must also experience the redemption of Christ, and we must experience the divine nature of God. We can possess something of Christ as the bronze and offer it to God as material for building His house by experiencing Christ in the aspect of His tests and trials. We have to be tested, tried, and judged in Christ. Many times God will put us into tests, trials, and sufferings in order that we may experience something of Christ.
In the same principle, we must experience the redemption of Christ. Much is involved with Christ’s redemption. Sin was dealt with by the cross, by the shedding of the Lord’s blood (John 1:29; 1 Pet. 2:24). The world, the evil one, the kingdom of darkness, and the old man with the natural life have also been dealt with on the cross (Gal. 6:14; Heb. 2:14; John 12:31; Rom. 6:6). We need to experience the Christ who was crucified, shedding His blood to wash away our sins and dealing with the old man, the natural life, the world, the kingdom of darkness, and all things which are against God and His purpose. This experience of the redemption of Christ becomes something we can offer to God as the material for the building up of the church. If we do not experience the redemption, the cross of Christ, in such a full and adequate way, we will not have sufficient silver to offer to the Lord for His building.
As we have pointed out, the amount of silver offered was according to the number of the people of Israel (Exo. 38:26). If there had been fewer men numbered, there would not have been enough silver for the material for the tabernacle. If there is not a sufficient number of believers among us, there will be a shortage of the material for the building of the church. We need to increase the number of the people by bringing others to experience the redemption of Christ. We have to preach the gospel to increase the number, bearing the spiritual children and bringing them into the church, the household of God. If there are a sufficient number of people experiencing the redemption of Christ, there will be enough silver as the material for the building of the tabernacle. The silver as the material for the building of the tabernacle absolutely depends on the number of people. If we do not preach the gospel to increase the number of the believers by begetting spiritual children, we will be too few in number, and there will be a shortage of silver as the material for the building of the church.
If we experience Christ’s redemption, we will also experience the divine nature of God. If we have the silver, then we will have the gold. If we experience the cross, the redemption of Christ, the crucifixion of Christ with the crucifixion of the old man, the old nature, the natural life, the world, the evil powers, and the kingdom of darkness, we will be in a position to experience the divine nature. We will have the gold which we can offer to the Lord for His building.