Story 46: The Building Of The First House Of Worship ll

   The Tabernacle itself was a half-tent, half-wooden structure, about forty five feet long, fifteen feet wide, and fifteen feet high. It was divided into two rooms by a veil which hung down the roof. The larger room was at the east end, and was thirty feet long, while the other room was fifteen feet long.
   The walls of the Tabernacle were made of specially prepared boards which stood upright on silver bases, and were completely covered on each side with gold. The east end had no wall of boards, but could be closed by a curtain. The roof was made of four layers of curtains, the inner one forming a beautiful ceiling. The three other curtains were made of ram skins to keep out the rain and the sunshine.
   The larger room of the Tabernacle was called the Holy Place. On the right, as one came in from the opening at the east end, there was a table overlaid with gold, and upon the table were twelve loaves of bread. Each loaf of bread was placed there by one of the twelve tribes of Is'ra-el as a sign of complete consecration to the LORD. On the left stood the golden lampstand with seven branches, and on each branch there was a brilliant light. At the west end of the Holy Place, near the veil which separated this room from the smaller one, was a small golden altar of incense. Here offerings of incense were burnt as a symbol of love to the LORD.
   The smaller room on the west end of the Tabernacle was called the Holy of Holies. It was within this room that the presence of God was shown in a brilliant halo called the She-ki'nah. The room was furnished with nothing but a wooden chest overlaid with plates of gold and lined with gold, and called the Ark of the Covenant. The lid to this chest was made of solid gold, and had on it two golden ornaments called cherubim. The two stone tablets on which God had written the Ten Commandments were kept in the chest, and later there was added a pot of manna and Aa'ron's wonderful rod which budded. Only the High Priest was allowed to enter this room, and even he could come in only once a year.
   The cost of the materials used in making and furnishing the Tabernacle was met by voluntary gifts from the Is'ra-el-ites. As soon as Mo'ses called the people together and told them what a wonderful building the Tabernacle would be, there was a quick, whole-hearted response from all the people. The elders of Is'ra-el informed the people what was needed to carry out the plans which God had revealed to Mo'ses, and they gladly brought in their gifts.
   There was no need to urge the Is'ra-el-ites to do their duty in providing the materials that were to be used in making the Tabernacle. God had graciously forgiven them for their idolatry, and now wished them to build for Him a house in which there would be a constant reminder of His presence. Such a sacred cause was reason enough to the Is'ra-el-ites for making generous gifts.
   The gifts of the people differed according to their means and skill. Some gave gold and silver, some gave badger skins, while the women spun fine linens, and made beautifully decorated curtains. The rich did not try to excuse themselves by mentioning other demands upon their wealth, nor did the poor refuse to help because they had only a little to give.
   In many instances there was voluntary labor in the work of construction. Both men and women used their strength and skill in preparing the materials, or in the actual work of building the Tabernacle. Gifts of love, and services of love filled the hearts of Is'ra-el; truly could they sing:
               "But what or who are we, alas!
                  That we in giving are so free?
               Thine own before our offering was,
                  And all we have, we have from Thee."
                

Story 46: The Building Of The First House Of Worship l

   Among all the provisions which God made for the safety and welfare of Is'ra-el in the wilderness, He was careful to include full instructions regarding Divine worship. The first of His Commandments was that they should worship God, and Him alone; the second Commandment forbade the making of graven images of any kind for worship, or the setting up of any god whatsoever.
   The first great sin committed by the Is'ra-el-ites after the LORD had given Mo'ses the Ten Commandments was the breaking of the first two Commandments. Evidently the Is'ra-el-ites needed more instruction, so when Mo'ses was called to the top of Mount Si'nai for the second forty day season with God he was told to build a house of worship for Is'ra-el. Complete details were given by the LORD concerning the size and shape of the building, the materials to be used, the furnishings to be placed within it, the outer court to be provided, and the altar to be placed before the entrance.
   Thus the command to worship God, the set time for worship, the type of building to be erected for worship, and the forms of services to be rendered, all directly from the LORD.
   The plans which God gave to Mo'ses for building a house of worship were intended to remove the temptation to bow down before idols. The LORD would provide for them a building which would remind them of His presence in Is'ra-el, and which at the same time would lead them away from the worship of graven images. He had taught them that the True God is a spirit, that He cannot be seen by the eyes of man, and that no graven image can give a true picture of the Divine. These truths would be kept before the people at all times in the building and furnishing of a house of worship.
   The Is'ra-el-ites were living in tents at the time when the house of worship was built, and they were constantly moving from place to place. It was, therefore, necessary for the house of worship to be made somewhat like a tent, so that it could easily be taken down and carried as often as the Is'ra-el-ites moved to another encampment. For this reason the building was called a Tabernacle. It was to be the best tent in all the camp of Is'ra-el, made of the finest materials, furnished with the most costly equipment, and made as beautiful as possible. It must also be planned to meet the purposes of worship in the most adequate and complete manner.
   The LORD directed that the Tabernacle be placed in the very center of the camp of the Is'ra-el-ites. The various tribes of Is'ra-el were to be arranged in an orderly manner, with their tents going back from the four sides of the court around the Tabernacle, and forming a great square with the house of God in the middle.
   The open court in which the Tabernacle occupied the central spot was one hundred and fifty feet long and seventy-five feet wide. It was enclosed with curtains of fine linen, in brilliant colors, hanging upon posts of brass or copper. These posts were held in place by cords fastened to tent pins driven into the earth, and the height of the enclosure was between seven and eight feet. This court was always placed with its ends facing east and west, and its sides north and south, with an entrance in the center of the east side. Midway between the two sides, and about midway between the eastern entrance of the court and the east gate to the Tabernacle, there stood a special altar for burnt sacrifices.

Story 45: Mo'ses On The Mount With God; The TEN COMMANDMENTS Written On Tablets Of Stone; Aa'ron Makes A Golden Calf lll

   Then Mo'ses entered the camps of Is'ra-el and gave this solemn command: "Who is on the LORD'S side, and not on the side of this idol? Let him come and stand by my side." One whole tribe, the descendants of Le'vi, came forward at once. Mo'ses said to them, "Take your swords, go through the camp, and slay every man his brother, and companion, and neighbor." As a result of this order about three thousand of the wicked Is'ra-el-ites were slain.
   After this terrible punishment had been inflicted, Mo'ses ordered a special sacrifice for those who had repented from their sins, and then he made one of the most wonderful prayers ever offered by man. He offered to take the place of Is'ra-el, and to suffer the punishment which his people deserved. God heard this prayer with favor, and granted forgiveness. The people were called to renewed consecration to God, and continued their journey under His Blessings.
   God then directed Mo'ses to prepare two tablets of stone similar to those which he had broken in his anger against Is'ra-el, and to come up into the mountain again to receive another copy of the Ten Commandments. Mo'ses obeyed the order, and went alone to the top of the mountain to commune with God. The Ten Commandments were written by the LORD on the two tablets of stone prepared by Mo'ses, and other important laws were revealed.
   Mo'ses remained on Mount Si'nai for another forty days and nights, and once again was kept in good health by the LORD during a fast which lasted for the same period. God's promise of continued blessings upon Is'ra-el was made even more clear than it had been during the previous season of converse. More elaborate and advanced rules for the government of Is'ra-el were given which Mo'ses put into permanent written form.
   When Mo'ses returned to the camp of Is'ra-el with the two tablets of stone upon which God had written the Ten Commandments, his face was so radiant with the glory of God that the people were afraid of him. For this reason he had to cover his face with a veil when the elders of Is'ra-el came to him to hear the message which he brought from God. Before long this glory passed away, and Mo'ses was no longer hindered in his dealings with Is'ra-el.

Story 45: Mo'ses On The Mount With God; The TEN COMMANDMENTS Written On Tablets Of Stone; Aa'ron Makes A Golden Calf ll

   Aa'ron said to the people, "Break off the gold from your earrings and bring this to me, and other jewels of gold." Then he took the gold furnished by the Is'ra-el-ites, melted it in the fire, and carved for them a golden calf which resembled some of the idols worshiped by the E'gyp-tians. One of the chief gods of the E'gyp-tians was a sacred bull, and the people often used little golden images of a bull in their heathen worship.
   In the hope of preventing the people from turning away from the true God during their worship around the golden calf, Aa'ron built an altar near the idol, and proclaimed a day of special worship unto the LORD. But once the first step toward idolatry had been taken, the people could not be controlled. Memories of the riotous worship they had seen in E'gypt filled them with sinful thoughts, and they began to dance around the golden calf shouting, "These are thy gods, O Is'ra-el, that brought thee out of the land of E'gypt."
   Both Is'ra-el and Aa'ron were guilty of sins against the LORD. Already they had broken the first of the Commandments spoken by the LORD just a short time before from the fiery top of Mount Si'nai. The golden idol had for the moment taken the place of God in the hearts of His chosen people, and the forbidden worship had led them on to other shameful sins.
   When Mo'ses came down from Mount Si'nai with the two tablets of stone upon which God had written the Ten Commandments, and saw the Is'ra-el-ites bowing down before an idol, his anger was so great that he hurled the tablets to the ground and broke them. Aa'ron tried to excuse himself for what had happened, but was severely blamed and rebuked by Mo'ses. His excuses were weak and false, and did not deceive the man of God. He said that the people had forced him to make the image, that he had cast the gold into the fire and the calf had come out, so that the blame for all this mischief rested upon the Is'ra-el-ites. But Mo'ses said, "Thou hast brought this great sin upon Is'ra-el."
   The people were also sternly rebuked for the sins which they had committed, and a severe punishment was inflicted upon them. God had seen the idolatry of Is'ra-el, and had heard their cries of worship for the golden calf. He, therefore, told Mo'ses that He intended to destroy the entire nation, and to make Mo'ses' descendants the chosen nation for which Is'ra-el had been intended. But Mo'ses set the welfare of the nation above the glory of his own family, and pleaded with God to spare the Is'ra-el-ites. God was moved by this prayer, and agreed to pardon Is'ra-el after suitable punishment.
   Mo'ses took the golden calf, burnt it in the fire, ground it into a fine powder, and sprinkled the powder upon water. The Is'ra-el-ites were then forced to drink the water filled with golden particles: token of the bitterness of their sin.

Story 45: Mo'ses On The Mount With God; The TEN COMMANDMENTS Written On Tablets Of Stone; Aa'ron Makes A Golden Calf l

   The Ten Commandments which form the principles upon which the Mosaic laws were based were first spoken by the LORD to all Is'ra-el, and then were written by God Himself on two tablets of stone. In this form they were kept by the Is'ra-el-ites for many centuries.
   God said to Mo'ses, "Come up to me on the Mount, and be there: and I will give thee tablets of stone, and a law, and Commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them."
   Mo'ses then told the children of Is'ra-el that he was going up to the top of Mount Si'nai, where God would talk with him at length, and would give him the laws by which they were to be governed. He also told the people that they were to remain obedient to God under the care of Aa'ron and Hur, who were to take his place while he was absent from them. Mo'ses took with him his servant Josh'u-a, who remained on the side of the mountain while Mo'ses went to the top for communion with God.
   The top of Mount Si'nai was still covered with the fiery cloud and with billows of smoke, showing the presence and glory of God. Mo'ses entered the cloud, and held intimate converse with God for forty days and nights. He walked among the flames and smoke without being harmed, and went without food for forty days and nights without losing strength. He was in deep communion with God, listening carefully to the instructions which the LORD gave him, and probably putting into written form the laws which he afterwards read to the people of Is'ra-el. It was a prolonged season of prayer and meditation, and of holy communion with the LORD God. For the entire period of forty days his intimate converse with God was free from interruption. There was nothing to disturb or distract him from the great experience of talking with God.
   During this long period of converse with God, Mo'ses was given the two tablets of stone on which it is said that the Ten Commandments had been written by the finger of God. These tablets were to be taken back to Is'ra-el and kept for the instruction of future generations.
   But forty days and nights was a long time for Is'ra-el to wait for the return of their great leader. They no doubt thought that God had taken him as He had E'noch many centuries before, and that he would never return to them. They had looked upon him as one who spoke with the authority of God, so now that no one else seemed capable of taking his place they felt that they must have some symbol of God's presence with them.
   The Is'ra-el-ites did not intend to forsake the God who had brought them out of the land of E'gypt, who had provided for them so graciously this far in their journey, and who had recently spoken to them from Mount Si'nai, but they did want some visible object to remind them of the presence of the LORD.
   They went to Aa'ron and said, "Make us a god that we may worship, and that will go up before us." Aa'ron thought it best to do what the people asked. He did not have the courage to deny the request of the Is'ra-el-ites for a god like those which they had seen in E'gypt, and so he took the first step in a course which led the people into a disgraceful state of idol-worship. It was his intention to hold them to their faith and loyalty to the true God, but he did not realize that they would soon worship the idol itself, instead of the God which it was supposed to represent.
  
  

Story 44: God Speaks From A Fiery Mountain; THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IV

They may be easily remembered by the use of a key-word for each, as follows:
   Duties to God, respecting: 1. God's Being. 2. God's Worship. 3. God's Name. 4. God's Day.
   Duties to others, respecting: 5. Parents. 6. Human Life. 7. Moral Purity. 8. Property Rights. 9. Truthfulness. 10. Covetousness.
   They all comprehended in the Two Great Commandments: Love God with all your Heart; Love thy neighbor as thyself.
   The people listened carefully to the announcement of these Commandments, kept a reverent and prayerful attitude, and greatly appreciated the direct message from God, but were all nearly overcome with fright and terror. For this reason they said to Mo'ses, "Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die." They asked that he talk with God for them, and that whatever God had to say to them should be said through Mo'ses.
   Inspired by the LORD, Mo'ses then told the Is'ra-el-ites that they were to fear God with the awe of true religion, but that they should not be frightened by His presence in any miraculous appearance, nor by His voice when the Commandments were given.
   Special attention was called to the LORD'S command against worshipping idols, and the Is'ra-el-ites were warned again not to make unto themselves gods of silver and of gold. Directions were also given for the offering of burnt sacrifices, and for other forms of worship.

Story 44: God Speaks From A Fiery Mountain; THE TEN COMMANDMENTS lll

They are as follows:
    I.   Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.
   II.   Thou shalt not make unto Thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is
          in Heaven  above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou
          shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God,
          visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of
          them that hate Me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My  
          Commandments.
   III.  Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him
          guiltless that taketh His name in vain.
   IV.  Remember the Sab'bath Day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work:
          but the seventh day is the Sab'bath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work,  
          thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter,  thy man servant, nor thy maid servant, nor thy cattle, nor
          thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made Heaven and earth, the sea,
          and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sab'bath
          Day, and hallowed it.
   V.   Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days be long upon the land which the LORD thy God
          giveth thee.
  VI.   Thou shalt not kill.
 VII.   Thou shalt not commit adultery.
VIII.   Thou shalt not steal.
   IX.   Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
    X.   Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his
           man servant, nor his maid servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.


   These TEN COMMANDMENTS were later inscribed on two stone tablets, the first four on one tablet, and the remaining six on the other. The first group concerns our duties to God; the second our duties to others.