In the camp of Yahweh.

What would happen if over one million people set out together for a new land? Further, imagine that this people had not made any provisions of food for the journey except what they could prepare a few hours before departure.

This was the people of Israel in their Exodus from Egypt (Exodus 12:29-39). The children who exited Egypt then saw their parents deny, at Mt. Sinai, the very God who redeemed them. They saw their parents continue to rebel against God and suffer just punishment during forty years' wandering in the wilderness. The generation that grew up in the wilderness . . . learned to fear the one true God. Their worship was centralized at the tabernacle (i.e. the tent of testimony), over which the glory of the Lord rested in a piller of cloud and fire (Numbers 9:15-23). Joshua led this Exodus generation into Canaan. This story is woven with the themes of redemption, rebellion, discipline, and spiritual renewal. But are these themes just themes? What does the larger context of Scripture say about the tabernacle of the Lord?

"Be Thou My Vision" by Selah

Old Testament References to the Tabernacle:

• Numbers 1:48-51, "For the LORD had spoken to Moses, saying, 'Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, nor shall you take their census among the sons of Israel. But you shall appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furnishings and over all that belongs to it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it; they shall also camp around the tabernacle. So when the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle encamps, the Levites shall set it up. But the layman who comes near shall be put to death.'"
• Tabernacle - portrayed as a historical tent of worship (contrast with building/house of worship).
• How could the real tribe of Levi take charge of, carry, and set up an imaginary tent?
• Why would an imaginary tabernacle be holy?
• How could the congregation of Israel know how to avoid coming near an imaginary tabernacle?
• Why would the tribe of Levi get special exemption from the national census if all they did was pretend to serve in an imaginary tabernacle?
• Why have a frail tent of worship (instead of a building) if the Israelites never migrated as a people?
• Joshua 22:13-19, "Then the sons of Israel sent to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and with him ten chiefs, one chief for each father’s household from each of the tribes of Israel . . . They came to the sons of Reuben and to the sons of Gad and to the half-tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them saying . . . 'If you rebel against the LORD today, He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel tomorrow. If, however, the land of your possession is unclean, then cross into the land of the possession of the LORD, where the LORD’S tabernacle stands, and take possession among us. Only do not rebel against the LORD, or rebel against us by building an altar for yourselves, besides the altar of the LORD our God.'"
• Tabernacle - portrayed as a historical tent of worship.
• Why would an imaginary alter in an imaginary tabernacle hold presidence over a real altar built by the sons of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh?
• How could an imaginary tabernacle "stand" in a real land among ten real tribes of Israel?
• Why would ten chiefs of Israel get into a heated argument with their relatives about an imaginary tabernacle?
• Why have a frail tent of worship (instead of a building) if the Israelites never migrated as a people?
• I Chronicles 6:16, 31-49, "The sons of Levi were Gershom, Kohath and Merari . . . Now these are those whom David appointed over the service of song in the house of the LORD, after the ark rested there. They ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting, until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem; and they served in their office according to their order. These are those who served with their sons: From the sons of the Kohathites were . . . Heman’s brother Asaph stood at his right hand, even Asaph . . . the son of Levi. On the left hand were their kinsmen the sons of Merari: Ethan the son of Kishi . . . Their kinsmen the Levites were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God. But Aaron and his sons offered on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense, for all the work of the most holy place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded."
• Tabernacle - portrayed as a historical tent of worship.
• Why would the real descendents of Levi still choose to minister before an imaginary tabernacle in the time of King David?
• Why would the sons of Aaron offer real burnt offerings if Moses only commanded them about imaginary worship at an imaginary tabernacle?
• Why structure real, complex, religious activities, including song and burnt offerings, around an imaginary tabernacle?
• Why would the people of Israel keep a frail tent of worship (instead of a building) until the time of Solomon, unless that tabernacle had been ordained by God?
• Why ordain a frail tent of worship if the Israelites never migrated as a people?
• I Chronicles 21:1-7, 26-30, "Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel. So David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, 'Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, and bring me word that I may know their number.' Joab said, 'May the LORD add to His people a hundred times as many as they are! But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why does my lord seek this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt to Israel?' Nevertheless, the king’s word prevailed against Joab. Therefore, Joab departed and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem. Joab gave the number of the census of all the people to David. And all Israel were 1,100,000 men who drew the sword; and Judah was 470,000 men who drew the sword. But he did not number Levi and Benjamin among them, for the king’s command was abhorrent to Joab.
        God was displeased with this thing, so He struck Israel . . . Then David built an altar to the LORD there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. And he called to the LORD and He answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. The LORD commanded the angel, and he put his sword back in its sheath.
        At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he offered sacrifice there. For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were in the high place at Gibeon at that time. But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was terrified by the sword of the angel of the LORD."
• Tabernacle - portrayed as a historical tent of worship.
• How could an imaginary tabernacle be located at the real physical place of Gibeon?
• How could the real man Moses "make" an imaginary tabernacle?
• Why write that a real tabernacle (seen in the time of David) was made during an imaginary time of Israel wandering in the wilderness? How would that lend credibility to the whole system of worship?
• Why would a census of all Israel be cause for guilt if Israel hadn't received any real instruction about how-to/how-not-to take a census?
• If Israel had received real instruction about how-to/how-not-to take a census based in part on the special status of the Levites (seen in Numbers 1:48-51 above), how could the tabernacle so central to the Levites' status be imaginary?
• I Chronicles 23:24-28, "These were the sons of Levi according to their fathers’ households, even the heads of the fathers’ households of those of them who were counted, in the number of names by their census, doing the work for the service of the house of the LORD, from twenty years old and upward. For David said, 'The LORD God of Israel has given rest to His people, and He dwells in Jerusalem forever. Also, the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its utensils for its service.' For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered from twenty years old and upward. For their office is to assist the sons of Aaron with the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts and in the chambers and in the purifying of all holy things, even the work of the service of the house of God . . ."
• Tabernacle - portrayed as a historical tent of worship.
• Why would the Levites ever have the task of carrying the tabernacle if the tabernacle was never moved?
• Why ever move a central place of worship (the tabernacle) for a settled people? Wouldn't that just cause confusion for worshipers?
• Why would the people of Israel keep a frail tent of worship (instead of a building) until the time of Solomon, unless that tabernacle had been ordained by God?
• Why ordain a frail tent of worship if the Israelites never migrated as a people?
• II Chronicles 1:1-7, "Now Solomon the son of David established himself securely over his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him and exalted him greatly.
        Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds and to the judges and to every leader in all Israel, the heads of the fathers’ households. Then Solomon and all the assembly with him went to the high place which was at Gibeon, for God’s tent of meeting was there, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness. However, David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place he had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem. Now the bronze altar, which Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, was there before the tabernacle of the LORD, and Solomon and the assembly sought it out. Solomon went up there before the LORD to the bronze altar which was at the tent of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it."
• Tabernacle - portrayed as a historical tent of worship.
• Why would the people of Israel consider Gibeon a special place of worship if there was really nothing special there?
• How could an imaginary tabernacle be located at the real physical place of Gibeon?
• How could the real man Moses "make" an imaginary tabernacle?
• Why write that a real tabernacle (seen during the time of Solomon) was made during an imaginary time of Israel wandering in the wilderness? How would that lend credibility to the whole system of worship?
• Why remember the chief craftsman, Bezalel (Exodus 31:1-11), of the tabernacle and its bronze altar up to the time of Solomon if Bezalel never really made anything?

Nice to be at Thanksgiving Break--school slows down a little.