Story 51: The Journey Of Is'ra-el From Si'nai To Ka'desh-Bar'ne-a ll

   The Is'ra-el-ites then journeyed a short distance further east, encamping at Ha-ze'roth for a brief period. During the encampment in this place Mir'i-am and Aa'ron were guilty of a great offense. They united in speaking against Mo'ses, the Divinely chosen and anointed leader of the nation. Envious of his position and power, jealous of the authority with which he ruled Is'ra-el, and hoping to gain equal rank with him, they formed a plot against Mo'ses. Aa'ron had been made the head of the nation in religious matters, and Mir'i-am was distinguished as a prophetess, but both were lower in rank than Mo'ses, and did not enjoy the same close communion with God. For these reasons they were envious of the superior office and ability of their brother.
   This deadly poison of unholy ambition spoiled all the sweetness and beauty of virtues possessed by two honored servants of God. Their envy was like a fountain from which there flowed a stream of hatred and evil. They tried to injure Mo'ses by saying wicked, untrue things about him, but this brought harm only to themselves.
   The excuse which they used for slandering their brother was that after the death of his wife Zip-po'rah, he had married a Cush'ite woman. She was probably one of those who had been converted to the He'brew religion, and had come out of E'gypt with Is'ra-el at the time of the Exodus.
   Mo'ses was very much hurt by the unfriendly action of his own brother and sister, but suffered the attack in meekness and silence, making no effort to defend himself. but the LORD took notice of what Aa'ron and Mir'i-am had said.
   The LORD spoke to Mir'i-am, Aa'ron, and Mo'ses, telling them to come at once to the Tabernacle for trial before Him. He then upheld Mo'ses, and told the others that their brother had been chosen to receive the great messages from God because of his perfect faith and honesty. Mir'i-am and Aa'ron were sternly rebuked for daring to tell false tales about their brother.
   So wicked did the LORD regard this deed that He caused the pillar of cloud, which was the symbol of His presence, to vanish for a moment. Mir'i-am was suddenly smitten with leprosy, a terrible disease which was regarded as a stroke from the Hand of God. Her foul tongue was justly punished with a foul face; while Mo'ses was forced to hide his face with a veil because of the Glory of God, she was forced to hide hers in shame. she had been the leader in the plot against Mo'ses, and was, therefore, punished more severely. Aa'ron's punishment consisted in performing his priestly duty of examining Mir'i-am's leprosy, and keeping her away from the House of God.
  

Story 51: The Journey Of Is'ra-el From Si'nai To Ka'desh-Bar'ne-a l

   Silver trumpets had been provided by Mo'ses for the priests to use in calling together the Is'ra-el-ites for an assembly of any kind. When all was in readiness for them to start on their journey from Si'nai, the sound of the trumpets summoned the people to the line of march.
   The pillar of cloud which always rested over the Tabernacle by day was lifted by the LORD. Mo'ses directed the Le'vites to take down the Tabernacle, and to pack the various pieces so that they could easily be carried. The two golden staves prepared for carrying the Ark of the Cov'e-nant were passed through the rings of gold on each side, and certain priests were appointed to carry it before the host of Is'ra-el. The pillar of cloud which served as the Divine guide for Is'ra-el during their journeys in the wilderness then hovered over the Ark, going forward with it as the Sacred Chest was carried along. Whenever the pillar of cloud by day or pillar of fire by night ceased to go forward, there the Is'ra-el-ites paused and pitched their tents for encampment.
   After three days the pillar of cloud halted, and the Is'ra-el-ites encamped for a month at a place which was later called Kib-roth-Hat-ta'a-vah. Here some of the people fell into their old habit of murmuring. They complained about the hardships of travel in the wilderness, about the weather, and about the conditions under which they lived, just as many people do today. For this ungrateful spirit the LORD sent fire into the camps of Is'ra-el, and many of the people lost their lives.
   Some days later a number of the less worthy Is'ra-el-ites gathered in groups to complain of their hardships, and began to talk of revolting from the leadership of Mo'ses. Although they were being fed with manna from Heaven, a delicious and nourishing food, they were not satisfied.
   Fish was abundant and cheap in E'gypt, cucumbers flourished, and melons were one of the chief crops. Another favorite food in E'gypt was the sort of onion called leeks, besides a very highly flavored onion greatly prized by the E'gypt-tians, and the garlic which was the choicest appetizer of that land. So greatly did the Is'ra-el-ites crave these foods of E'gypt that they spoke with scorn of the manna which God provided.
   The cries and complaints of the Is'ra-el-ites distressed Mo'ses, and he felt that the management of such a multitude of unruly people was more than he could endure. He sought help from God, and was told to select seventy elders from the tribes of Is'ra-el to help him. This left Mo'ses free to give most of his time to matters of greater importance.
   In the land of A-ra'bi-a, where they were now encamped, there were many wild birds called quail. They migrated in great numbers from place to place, flying very close to the ground. The LORD caused a great wind to blow a huge flock of quail into the place where Is'ra-el was encamped, and there were so many of them that they covered the ground for miles around. Many of the Is'ra-el-ites were so greedy for the new food that they ate too much, and some of them died.
   The sickness caused by the natural effects of their gluttony was regarded as a plague sent by the LORD, and as a punishment for the complaining spirit of the Is'ra-el-ites. The section of the encampment where the people were smitten with fire was called Tab'e-rah, meaning "The place of burning," and the entire encampment was called Kib-roth-Hat-ta'a-vah, which means "graves of greediness."

Story 50: The Great Day Of Atonement And The Scapegoat ll

   The burning coals were placed at once in front of the Ark of the Cov'e-nant, and were sprinkled with finely grount incense until the Tabernacle was filled with a silvery cloud of smoke, symbolic of praise and prayer.
   Aa'ron then returnt for the vessel of blood, and sprinkled some of it upon the Mercy Seat as an a-tone'ment for his own sins and those of the priests who assisted him. This act of worship was performed seven times as a token of completeness.
   When Aa'ron stood once again before the Great Altar in the court of the Tabernacle, he was presented with two young goats which were just alike in appearance, and size, and value. These were placed by the altar with their backs toward the assembled people, and their faces toward the sanctuary of the LORD.
   Two lots of the same size, shape, and material were placed in an urn; on one was written, "for the LORD," while the other said, "to be sent away." After lifting this urn toward the people and shaking it, Aa'ron drew out the lots and placed one on the head of each goat. He then tied a piece of scarlet cloth around the neck of the goat which had been chosen for the LORD, and a similar cloth was tied on the horns of the one which was to be sent away.
   The goat on which the lot "For the LORD" had been placed was given as a Sin Offering for the people. This sacrifice was made in the same manner as the offering of the bullock. The blood was carried by the High Priest alone into the Holy of Holies, and was sprinkled upon the Mercy Seat as an a-tone'ment for the sins of all Is'ra-el. By various ceremonies the Tabernacle and all its furnishings were newly sanctified. Thus full a-tone'ment was made for the sins of all the people, and by ceremonial rites they were dedicated anew to the service of the LORD.
   Then the High Priest turnt again to the Great Altar where there still remained the goat on which the lot "to be sent away" had fallen. This goat, which was given the name "scapegoat," was then turnt to face the assemble people, waiting for their sins to be laid upon him. Then it was sent into the wilderness, to a land "not inhabited."
   Before the goat was sent away, however, the priest laid his hand on its head and made the following prayer:
               "O LORD, the house of Is'ra-el, thy people, have trespassed, rebelled, and sinned before
               thee. I beseech thee, O LORD, forgive their trespasses and sins which they have committed,
               that they may be clean from all their sins before the LORD."
   The "scapegoat" was then led away to some distant place in the wilderness, so far away that it could never find the way back, and was turnt loose to wander wherever it pleased.
   In the sacrifice of the first goat there was blood a-tone'ment for sin, while the second goat was an example of the results of the a-tone'ment. Through the mercy and grace of God the sins of the people were carried away into the wilderness, never to return to the people from whom they had been separated, indicating full and perfect remission of sins. Having completed these ceremonies Aa'ron removed the white garments designed for the Great Day of A-tone'ment, donned his regular priestly robe, and made Burnt Offerings for the people as a token of gratitude and renewed consecration.
   Instructions were then given by Mo'ses for continuing the Great Day of A-tone'ment, and rules for its annual observance were announced. It was to be observed by the entire nation, whether in their own land or among foreign people, and was set apart as a Sab'bath of rest. All worldly pursuits were to be laid aside during the sacred observances, and the whole thought of the people was to be centered upon the sacrifices, ceremonies, and rites of that Great Day. It was also required that the day be observed with deep sorrow, humble confession of sin, and genuine repentance toward God. This Annual Feast Day was faithfully observed by Is'ra-el to the time when its symbols of A-tone'ment were wonderfully fulfilled by the LORD Jesus in His death on Calvary.

Story 50: The Great Day Of Atonement And The Scapegoat l

   One of the natural results of the sin of Na'dab and A-bi'hu, and of the severe penalty inflicted upon them, was to put in the mind of Aa'ron a feeling of dread, lest he, too, should err in the ministries of his office. For this reason the LORD soon appeared to Mo'ses with full instructions for the High Priest to carry out on the one day of each year in which he was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle. That day was called the Great Day of A-tone'ment, and became the most solemn day in the Jewish calendar.
   The sacrificial system of Mo'ses reached its highest point in the worship which took place on the Great Day of A-tone'ment. It was an annual day for Is'ra-el to make atonement for all the sins of the past year which might have escaped notice in the regular daily sacrifices. It was the day on which the entire nation received pardon for such sins, and the sacrifices and ceremonies then performed marked the climax of all the others.
   The first observance of the Day of A-tone'ment took place soon after the tragic death of Na'dab and A-bi'hu for impiety, and was held on the tenth day of the seventh month in the He'brew year. It was at the critical period in Is'ra-el's history when the chosen nation was being firmly established, and when the Mo-sa'ic system of rites and ceremonies was being completed. It was also just before the Is'ra-el-ites departed from Si'nai for the journey to Ka'desh-Bar'ne-a, where they were to be severely tested as to their readiness to enter at once into the Promised Land.
   The sacrifices of the Great Day of A-tone'ment were made by Aa'ron alone, and in this respect they were different from the daily sacrifices, which could be offered by any of the priests. As the High Priest, Aa'ron had to perform all the rites and ceremonies of the day without any help from the other priests. The refueling of the fire on the Great Altar within the courts of the Tabernacle, the filling of the lamps within the Holy Place, the lighting and burning of the incense, and all the daily offices required, were performed by the High Priest.
   The appointed sacrifices for that day were a Sin Offering and a Burnt Offering. A bullock and two young goats, each one perfect in every respect, were furnished from the public treasury of the whole house of Is'ra-el. Before going out to make these offerings, Aa'ron washed himself thoroughly, and dressed in the priestly garments specially designed for this particular day.
   On the Great Day of Atonement the High Priest wore fine white linen breeches next to his body, a fine linen coat, clean and white; a white linen girdle, and a linen mitre for his head. These garments were symbolic of perfect righteousness and complete purity. On this occasion the splendid golden garments which the High Priest ordinarily wore as a sign of his office were laid aside for the plain, simple garments of Holiness. The mitre with a plate of pure gold around the brow, the wonderful breastplate studded with twelve precious stones, the ephod with its onyx stones and tinkling bells of gold-all these were put away on the solemn Day of A-tone'ment.
   First in the order of the sacrifices was that of a young bullock which was offered in atonement for the sins of the High Priest and his family. Aa'ron slew the bullock, and let its blood flow into a vessel used for that purpose while he entered the Holy of Holies, carrying a censer of burning coals in his right hand, and a platter of fragrant incense in his left.

Story 49: The Sin Of Impiety In Divine Worship; Its Punishment ll

   The dreadful sin of Na'dab and A-bi'hu, and the sudden punishment of death inflicted upon them by the LORD, struck their father a hard blow. He felt that God had been insulted, that Is'ra-el had been disgraced, and that his own honor had been dragged into shame. But he restrained himself from making any comment on what had happened, or complaining to the LORD. He bowed in complete obedience to God's will, and held his peace before all that Mo'ses had to say. Beautiful, indeed, was the spirit of Aa'ron under so terrible a misfortune. Unable to eat the portion assigned to the priests in a Peace Offering brought at that time, he quietly accepted the rebuke of Mo'ses, and bore with silence the deep sorrow in his heart.
   The LORD then made use of the tragic occasion to lay down strict rules concerning the use of wine by the priests. Mo'ses was directed to say, "Let no priest drink wine or strong drink of any kind before entering upon the sacred duties of his office." Severe warnings were given against any form of intemperance which would tend to becloud the mind, defile the body, or in any way make the priest unfit for the solemn duties of his office.
   These words of Mo'ses have a message for those who seek to worship God today. Everything which makes it impossible for one to worship God in the way that He has commanded must be strictly avoided. The spiritual sight must be kept clear, the heart and conscience pure and undefiled, the eye single, and the mind free from all distracting thoughts when we come before God in worship.
   Throughout the history of religion, both during the period of Ju'da-ism and under the new era brought by the Gospel of Christ, Divine worship holds the central place. Spiritual worship and the proper observance of appointed hours of worship must be kept up, or else everything connected with the life of religion will go wrong. The Christian who does not keep his priestly garments unspotted, who fails to free himself from all that leads to carelessness and irreverence in worship, and who neglects the Divinely-given laws of worship, will become fruitless and without joy in his religious life. We need to give the best that we have to His worship today:
               Take my soul and body's powers; take my memory, mind and will;
               All my goods and all my hours; all I know and all I feel;
               All I think, or speak, or do,-take my heart, but make it new.


               Now, O God, Thine own I am; now I give Thee back Thine own;
               Freedom, friends, and health and fame, consecrate to Thee alone;
               Thine I live, thrice happy I!  Happier still if Thine to die."
   After this event was over, and the bodies of the two unfaithful priests had been buried outside the camp of Is'ra-el, Aa'ron and his other two sons, whose names were E-le-a'zar and Ith'a-mar, continued to carry on the services and sacrifices of the LORD'S House. They were very careful, indeed, to perform them in exactly the place, manner, time, and spirit which God had commanded.

Story 49: The Sin Of Impiety In Divine Worship; Its Punishment l

   Not long after the Tabernacle was erected, and the priests had begun the daily services ordered by Mo'ses, two sons of Aa'ron committed a great sin against the laws of worship. The LORD had directed that the fragrant gum used for incense be lighted from the fire which He had kindled on the Great Altar. Instead of following these instructions, however, two priests named Na'dab and A'bi'hu took coals of fire from some other place to set the incense in flames.
   This act of the two young men who had so recently been consecrated as priests was unforgivable. It profaned their sacred office, disobeyed the clear command of God, and showed inexcusable carelessness. The fire from the Great Altar was to be used because it had been lighted by the LORD, because it had been consecrated by the blood of atoning sacrifices, and because it had been especially blessed by the LORD.
   It appears that the sinful act of the two young priests was the result of their own sinful indulgence. In the recklessness and the folly of youth, they had taken too much wine, and then had tried to take their part in Divine Worship with their minds beclouded by the evil drink.
   For this act of sacrilege the two young men were suddenly smitten with death. As they stood beside the holy altar of incense the fire of God struck them, and they dropped dead by the altar. Their clothing was unharmed, there was no scorch of fire, but they were dead.
   Their punishment was both sudden and severe, but was fully justified by the terrible sin which they had committed. Na'dab and A-bi'hu had dared to offer fire which was forbidden by the LORD, and so they were punished by a fire which took their lives. They had burnt their own fire in preference to that which God had commanded to be used in Divine Worship, And were justly consumed by the fire which they had failed to use.
   When Mo'ses was told of their act, and of the sudden punishment inflicted, he declared, "This is the token of the holiness of God's House; His worship must be Holy." He refused to allow Aa'ron or his two other sons to touch the dead bodies, but called for two distant relatives to remove them. The usual mourning for the dead was also forbidden, for the two unworthy priests had been slain for sin against the LORD.
   Surely this striking episode, which took place at the very beginning of the new system of worship, and within the doors of the place which had been appointed for it, was a stern lesson in the need for sobriety, thoughtfulness, and strict obedience to every detail in the code of worship which God had given. Carelessness in the worship of God has within it an explosive fire which is sure to fall upon all who are guilty of it. The Divine Command which should be written in letters of fire before every worshiper of God is, "Be not rash with thy mouth, for God is in Heaven and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few."
   Our worship should always be filled with deep emotion and outpourings of the spirit, but care must be taken to preserve true reverence; there is no place in true religion for presumptuous, undignified acts of our own. Whatever services we render unto God must be performed in the way and in the spirit prescribed by God.








               "No sacred lore, howe'er profound,
               Nor all the long and varied round
               Of sacred rites, can bliss procure
               For worthless man, in heart impure.










               Altho' a man with zeal and skill
               Should all external rites fulfill,
               He reaps no fruit of all his toil
               If sin his inner man should soil.










               E'en he his all in alms who spends,
               With heart defiled, secures no meed;
               The disposition, not the deed,
               Has value-on it all depends."
              
  

Story 48: The Mo-sa'ic System Of Sacrifices And Offerings lll

   The idea of fellowship was at the very center of the entire procedure, for in this sacrificial meal the donor enjoyed fellowship with God, with the anointed priest of God, and shared these blessed fellowships with his family and friends. It was a social meal in which there was Holy Communion with God, and blessed fellowship with one another.
   It is the right of God to say where and how He shall be worshiped. For one to look with scorn upon the ancient forms of sacrifice prescribed by the LORD is a sin unworthy of human intelligence, showing disgraceful ignorance and willful misunderstanding. The entire system of sacrificial offerings was provided by the LORD to meet Is'ra-el's great need of atonement for sin.
   The Tabernacle was the only proper place for Is'ra-el to worship God. The Great Altar was the only place of sacrificial worship, and on this holy place burnt a constant fire as the sign of God's willingness ever to forgive the sins of those who look to Him alone for salvation. It stood between the door of the Tabernacle and the symbol of the presence of God in the Holy of Holies, pointing to the Cross of Je'sus, without which no man may find shelter in His Loving Arms.
   Every detail of the sacrificial system of Is'ra-el was fulfilled in Christ. The offering of animal sacrifices, and the work of the priests in this respect have been set aside by the Gospel teachings of Christ, but the great spiritual truths taught by these offerings can never cease; they have full power upon us today in our relation and worship toward God through Christ the LORD.
              
               "He who would be cleansed from every sin
               Must to God's Holy Altar bring
               The whole of life-its joys, its tears,
               Its hopes, its loves, its powers, its years;
               The will, and every cherished thing."