Lord’s Day, Vol. 10 No. 45
Worship in Ancient Israel
The Tabernacle was the focal point of Israel’s community and life, with the tribes encamped on its 4 sides (Num. 2). On the eastern side were 186,000 people from the tribes of Issachar, Judah, and Zebulun; on the north side were 157,000 people from the tribes of Asher, Dan and Naphtali; on the west side were 108,100 people from the tribes of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Benjamin; and on the south side were 151, 400 people from the tribes of Simeon, Reuben, and Gad. This did not include Moses and Aaron, the priests and the Levites (Kohathites, Gershoites, and Merarites), who numbered approximately 23,000 and were placed on the 4 sides of the Tabernacle. The number of men 20 years of age and older (not including the Levites) was 603,550 (Num. 1:45-46). Including the women, children, and the remainder of the mixed multitude who left Egypt, the number of people encamped around the Tabernacle was probably between 2,500,000 and 3,000,000. Adding the animals, the Israelites brought with them from Egypt made this a huge encampment, to say the least. It is estimated to be 12 square miles or 31 square kilometers.[1]
[1] David M. Levy, The Tabernacle: Shadows of the Messiah, The Friends of Israel Gospel Mnistry, 1993, 17-18.
The Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant is the most sacred furniture in the Tabernacle. It stood at the furtherest end of the holy of holies. It was the place over which the bright shining light, called the Shekinah, which was the token of the presence of God, shone forth. This is the throne room of Israel’s God and King. The Tabernacle was, in fact, built to house the Ark of the Covenant so that God could dwell among His people. It is the first piece of furniture that Moses recorded for construction (Ex. 25:8-10). The ark was symbolic of God’s throne and presence. Our text records God’s instruction for the construction of the Ark (Ex. 25:10-16) and the Mercy Seat that is above the ark (Exodus 25:17-22).
The ark was a rectangular chest, 3 feet & 9 inches long (1.143m) and 2 feet & 3 inches wide & high (0.6858m) made of shittim or acacia wood (the best wood that is unrotting and untainted and found in the vicinity of Mount Sinai) and covered with gold inside and outside. It had a gold rim encircling its top, gold rings on the 4 corners, and staves of shittim wood covered with gold to carry it.
Hebrews 9:4 tells us that in the ark are placed three objects:
Hebrews 9:4 …and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant.
Manna was the food that God provided for the children of Israel during their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. It literally means, “What is it?” in Hebrew.
Exodus 16:15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.
It is called “bread from heaven” (Ex. 16:4), “angel’s food” (Ps. 78:25) and light bread (Num. 21:5). The manna appeared every morning around the place Israel is encamped like the dew from heaven (Ex. 16:4).
Exodus 16:4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.
It is small and round like coriander seed, was white in colour and tasted like wafers made with honey (Ex. 16:31).
Exodus 16:31 And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.
The leader of every home is to gather one omer per person every morning (Ex. 16:16). Only one day’s supply was collected, except on the 6th day, when they gathered twice as much for the Sabbath (Ex. 16:22). If there is any left on the ground after the gathering, it will be melted away in the sun’s heat (Ex. 16:21).
Aaron was commanded to collect an omer of manna in a golden bowl and place it inside the ark (Ex. 16:33).
Exodus 16:33 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations.
In giving the manna, God revealed that He was able to meet and sustain the physical and spiritual needs of His people (1 Cor. 10:3).
1 Corinthians 10:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
(b) Aaron’s Rod that Budded
– …and Aaron’s rod that budded…
The second object in the Ark was Aaron’s rod that budded. The story of the budding rod is given in Num. 16 and 17. Korah, Datham, and Abiram gathered 250 leaders from the 12 tribes to challenge Moses and Aaron’s leadership, for Aaron’s right to be high priest. God vindicated Moses’ leadership when the ground opened and swallowed up Korah and all those who stood with him (Num. 16:32).
Numbers 16:32-35 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. 33 They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation. 34 And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also. 35 And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.
The 250 who had rebelled against Moses’ leadership were destroyed by fire from God out of heaven. The next day the congregation of Israel accused Moses of killing the people of God and so to prove Aaron’s divine appointment as high priest, God instructed Moses to select a representative from each tribe to bring an almond rod with the name of the tribe engraved on it (Aaron’s name was on the rod of the tribe of Levi). The rod of the man God had chosen to be high priest would blossom. All 12 rods were put in the Tabernacle before the testimony. The next morning, Aaron’s rod budded, blossomed, and yielded almonds (Num. 17:8).
Numbers 17:6-10 And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers’ houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods. 7 And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness. 8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds. 9 And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod. 10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not.
Aaron’s rod was placed in the ark as a sign against the rebels, proving that he alone had the right to be high priest.
(c) The Tablets of God’s Law
…and the tables of the covenant.
In the Ark is also placed the tablets of the law written by the finger of God. Although it was broken by Moses (Ex. 32:19), a 2nd set was made and placed in the ark (Deut. 10:2).
Deuteronomy 10:1-4 At that time the LORD said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto me into the mount, and make thee an ark of wood. 2 And I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark. 3 And I made an ark of shittim wood, and hewed two tables of stone like unto the first, and went up into the mount, having the two tables in mine hand. 4 And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the LORD spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the LORD gave them unto me.
It was a visual reminder for Israel of the covenant Israel made with God to obey His laws.
(To be continued…)
Yours lovingly,
Pastor Lek Aik Wee