Men of War

After Israel’s first Passover a new nation was born, they being bound together by a common participation in the Passover, baptism into Moses in the sea and the cloud and the sprinkling of the blood of the covenant at Mount Sinai. They had favor before the Lord in that they were the descendents of Abraham and also heirs to the Promised Land. Though a single nation, a distinction was made at Passover between the first born and other members of the family. The first born were set apart as the Lord’s on the Passover night. At Mount Sinai the first born were exchanged for the Levites who stood out as being more zealous for the Lord. After accepting the covenant at Mount Sinai, Israel began to shape their lives according to the Mosaic Law. One feature of the Law was to place the Tabernacle in the center of the camp with the Levites around the Tabernacle. The tribe of Levi would supply priests and ministers who would serve in the Tabernacle.

The tribe of Joseph was divided into two tribes making a full 12 tribes camped around the tribe of Levi. When the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, Moses was instructed to place a boundary around the Mount least the Lord brake forth upon them and many die. In a similar fashion the Levites camped around the tabernacle as a boundary to the 12 tribes least the Lord brake forth upon them. “And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. 12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: 13 There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.” Exe 19:11-13

“But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle. 51 And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. The children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp, and every man by his own standard, throughout their hosts. But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel: and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony" Num 1:50, 53

In time Israel entered Canaan and began taking possession of the land. This was accomplished by a military campaign. Each tribe supplied able men only the tribe of Levi was exempt. The men of war engaged in a gradual process of subduing the land this conflict tested Israel’s confidence in God. The Lord would supply all the power the nation needed it was for Israel to discover this. The conflict with the Canaanites supplied resistance that would strengthen there confidence in God. A back and forth struggle raged for many year often men of faith would move the nation forward. It was not until David and those who fought with him that the land was finally subdued which brought in a time of peace and rest. This period of rest the Lord considered sufficient that he would do for the nation as was stated to Moses. Deut 12:10, 11 But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the LORD your God giveth you to inherit, and when he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety; Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; These words pointed forward to a temple that would replace the tabernacle as a permanent dwelling place for the ark of the covenant. The construction and dedication of the temple demonstrated that Israel had taken possession of the land and that God had taken possession of the nation as his inheritance. Once constructed the nations around Israel would at this time begin to learn of the temple of Solomon and the grace God had given the nation. 1Kings 10:1 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions. v23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom. 24 And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.

Let use look back again at the time when Israel received the law at Mount Sinai. Moses brought Israel to the Mount of God on the third day. A trumpet sounded long and the Lord came down upon the Mount. Israel heard an audible voice from the Mount speaking the Law. They then drew back from the Mount. Exe 20:18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. 19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. 20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. 21 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. By drawing back Israel showed a lack of confidence in God, so much so the Lord could not dwell among them. The nation then received the law indirectly through Moses rather then directly from the voice of God at the Mount. The Levites showed a different nature, they had sufficient confidence in the Lord that they could receive the law and the Lord could dwell among them. For this reason the Tabernacle was placed among the Levites. But the Lord, who purposed that this people would be a nation of priests to himself, devised a way for the 12 tribes to develop the confidence they needed to stand before him and receive his word as the Levites did. The 12 tribes would have to enter Canaan and under great resistance develop faith to take the land. In the battle they would learn to draw on the Lord for strength. Once the warfare was over Israel would have demonstrated sufficient confidence in the Lord that he could chose a place for a permanent dwelling among them. The issue was not as much the Canaanites as it was the nation itself and their relation to the Lord. Israel showed the same lack of faith in the days of Samuel when once again Israel refused a more direct relation with the Lord for a king. The result of asking for a king brought a display from the Lord that reflected the time when Israel stood before Sinai. 1 Sam 12:16-22 Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes. Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king. 18 So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel. 19 And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king. 20 And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart; 21 And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain. 22 For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.

It would follow that the Levites would not serve in the military; they as a tribe were able to prepare a place for the Lord to dwell among them, for this reason the Lord chose to place the tabernacle among the tribe of Levi. They could receive the Lord’s word and fashion there lives according to it and then stand before Lord. Standing before the Lord was something all the faithful of Israel did. But this did not come without cost; it also meant accepting the chastening and rebuke that would come to fallen men as a result of being near the Lord. Another consequence of the Lord dwelling among the Levites was that the Lord’s word was in their mouth. Malachi says of the Levites “The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity. For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts”. Mal 2:6-7 Moses stood before the Lord on Mount Sinai and received the word and brought it to Israel. The priest could enter the Tabernacle and receive God’s word and bring it to Israel. The priests were messengers of the Lord as well. Elijah also demonstrates this ability. Elijah stated twice that he stood before the Lord, because he stood before the Lord his word was in his mouth. “I know that thou art a man of God and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth”. 1 Kings 17:24

1 Kings 17:1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. 1 Kings 18:15 And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself unto him to day. Israel before Elijah was in the same position as Israel was as they stood before Mount Sinai. Elijah could call the fire and plagues associated with Sinai.

Israel looked at the Lord as if he had a location such as on the Mount or in a temple. They did not think of the Lord in the same terms that we have come to know in Christ. John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Israel was no closer or farther from the Lord and his word when in their tents the morning before approaching Mount Sinai. To receive the Lord’s word had more to do with searching their own hearts and removing the stones, filling in the rough places, making the crooked straight to prepare a way for the Lord in there hearts. This was the work of Elijah, the work of bringing the heart to repentance. If this work is to take hold we must be searched out to the ground level and exposed for who we really are.

Moses near the end of his life in a speech to Israel, made reference to the day Israel stood before Mount Sinai. To make a point Moses used Israel’s own words “who shall go up for us and bring it unto us”. Deu 30:11-14 For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. God would provide for all Israel’s needs it was for them to receive what God provided into there hearts with out drawing back as they did at Mount Sinai. It was the drawing back that brought the nation through a long arduous journey.

Stepping back for a moment this is what occurs to me. Before Israel of old could gain inheritance in God’s rest they would first have to by the sward bring all opposition under there feet. This would forge a strong bond with the God who supported them in the conflict. It would be this bond that would be represented in the temple being a permanent dwelling for God. God’s dwelling among them was only to the degree he was fixed in there hearts.

At the dedication of the temple we find traces that point back to Mount Sinai showing that what was intended at Mounts Sinai did not find fruition until the temple was dedicated at Zion. This point we will consider farther in the study “Mount Zion the Law and the heart”.