The Journey of the Ark of the Tabernacle
Recall, the tabernacle and its furnishings
were completed in the beginning of the second year after the Exodus and would
be the place where God would talk with Moses and give instructions during the
remaining years of the wilderness journey.
“And there
I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from
between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about
everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.” Exodus 25:22
Consider the first verse in the Book of
Leviticus.
“Now the
LORD called to Moses, and spoke to him from the tabernacle of meeting…” Leviticus 1:1
The Book of Numbers begins with the same
statement.
The
Ark of the Covenant was considered to represent the very presence of God. Thus there were times when the Ark was removed from the
tabernacle during significant events to represent God’s presence.
Recall the explicit instructions when crossing
the River Jordan and the subsequent taking the city of Jericho.
Both of those major events included the priests carrying the ark without
the tabernacle.
The tabernacle was subsequently set up in
the town of Shiloh located approximately 30
miles north of Jerusalem.
“Now
the whole congregation of the children of Israel
assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the
tabernacle of meeting there. And the
land was subdued before them.”
Joshua 18:1
The tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant
were prevalent throughout the time of the Judges.
Now when the LORD directed the ark to be carried,
all was fine; but when the people used the ark as a symbol of God’s presence
and power without His direction, things didn’t go so well.
Israel’s
enemies, as well as Israel,
learned that lesson the hard way.
During a battle with the Philistines, shortly
after young Samuel was established as a prophet in Shiloh, Israel
was defeated and 4,000 of their army men were killed. Israel didn’t understand the
defeat. Their solution:
“Let us
bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Shiloh
to us, that when it comes among us it may save us from the hand of our
enemies.”
1 Samuel 4:3
When the ark arrived the Israelites
shouted so loud with joy that it stirred the Philistines. Then the Philistines learned that the reason
for the joy was the arrival of the ark into the war zone.
“Woe to
us! Who will deliver us from the hand of
these mighty gods? These are the gods
who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.” 1 Samuel 4:8
Nevertheless, the Philistines fought with
great vigor and again won the next battle; this time killing 30,000 Israeli
soldiers including the two sons of Eli, and capturing the ark of God.
The stress caused the death of the aged
Eli. The wife of Phinehas, one of Eli’s
sons killed in that battle, shortly thereafter died during child birth, but not
before naming the newborn son Ichabod, meaning ‘the glory has departed from Israel.’
The
Psalmist subsequently confirmed God’s forsaking of His tabernacle.
“…so
that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the
tent He had placed among men, and delivered His strength into captivity…” Psalm 78:60-61
The misfortunes experienced by the
Philistines after capturing the ark are humorous. The Philistines then took major efforts to
return the ark to the Israelites.
“…The
Philistines have brought back the ark of the LORD; come down and take it up
with you…then the men of Kirjath Jearim came and took the ark of the LORD, and
brought it into the house of Abinadab.”
1 Samuel 6:21, 7:1
The ark remained in the house of Abinadab
for 20 years until the rule of David.
“…David
gathered all the choice men of Israel…to
bring up…the ark of God…and they brought it out of the house of Abinadab…So
they brought the ark of the LORD, and set it in its place in the midst of the
tabernacle that David had erected for it.” 2 Samuel 6:1-2, 4, 17
So the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem and placed in a
tent erected by David.
posted by Walt Thrun at
5:00 AM
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