Yesterday we studied the camp of Judah and the camp of Reuben. Today we'll talk about the camp of the Levites and then discuss the camp of Ephraim and the camp of Dan.
"Then the tent of meeting and the camp of the Levites will set out in the middle of the camps. They will set out in the same order as they encamp, each in their own place under their standard." (Numbers 2:17) We don't know what the standard (flag) of the Levites looked like. Yesterday we talked about the ancient rabbinic tradition that the camp of Judah had a lion on their flag and that the camp of Reuben had a man's head on their flag. Later today we'll see what the tradition says was on the flags of Ephraim and Dan. But I couldn't find anything in my background study to suggest what might have been on the flag of the Levites.
"On the west will be the divisions of the camp of Ephraim under their standard. The leader of the people of Ephraim is Elishama son of Ammihud. His division numbers 40,500. The tribe of Manasseh will be next to them. The leader of the people of Manasseh is Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. His division numbers 32,200. The tribe of Benjamin will be next. The leader of the people of Benjamin is Abidan son of Gideoni. His division numbers 35,400. All the men assigned to the camp of Ephraim, according to their divisions, number 108,100. They will set out third." (Numbers 2:18-24) Whenever Israel breaks camp, they will do so in this same order. Whenever Israel goes to war, they will move into battle in this same order. Ancient tradition says that the standard of Ephraim bore the image of an ox.
"On the north will be the divisions of the camp of Dan under their standard. The leader of the people of Dan is Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. His division numbers 62,700. The tribe of Asher will camp next to them. The leader of the people of Asher is Pagiel son of Okran. His division numbers 41,500. The tribe of Naphtali will be next. The leader of the people of Naphtali is Ahira son of Enan. His division numbers 53,400. All the men assigned to the camp of Dan number 157,600. They will set out last, under their standards." (Numbers 2:25-31) Again, based on ancient rabbinic tradition, the standard of Dan is thought to have borne the image of an eagle.
"These are the Israelites, counted according to their families. All the men in the camps, by their divisions, number 603,550. The Levites, however, were not counted along with the other Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses. So the Israelites did everything the Lord commanded Moses; that is the way they encamped under their standards, and that is the way they set out, each of them with their clan and family." (Numbers 2:32-34) Whenever the Lord gives the order to break camp and move out, the Israelites are to move out in this precise formation, and a number of Christian Bible scholars believe the formation would have looked like this, from God's vantage point, as they moved across the wilderness.
If these scholars are correct, then we can see that the specific order in which the camps are to move out would form the shape of a cross. I can't say for sure that this is what God saw while He gazed down upon the entire company of the Israelites in the desert, but it's food for thought. God had a plan of salvation in place before He created man on the earth. God intended the Redeemer to come from the nation of Israel. The work of redemption was going to take place on a cross and this work was going to be performed by God's own Son, Jesus of Nazareth, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Judah, of the line of King David. I can't say I'd be surprised if every time the Lord looked down on Israel He saw the cross, if not literally (as in this diagram) at least figuratively.
God saw the cross before He made the first cell of the first human body. He always knew what man was going to do (sin) and He always knew what He was going to do (provide a means of eternal redemption). If we were able to look far back into eternity past, I don't think there's a point at which God didn't already have the cross on His mind. And it may be the Christmas season right now but I'm feeling some Easter in my heart this morning; the cross is on my mind too. The cross is at the center of God's plan of salvation and the cross ought to be at the center of our lives. The cross ought to be a continual symbol of hope for us, no matter how dark the world becomes. We are enduring difficult times but the Lord loves us just as much as ever, and the cross is just as powerful as ever, and our redemption is just as real as ever, and our victory over sin and death and the grave is just as sweet as ever, and our eternal future with Christ is just as bright as ever.
No comments:
Post a Comment