THE ENCAMPMENT AND ORDER OF MARCH

THE ENCAMPMENT AND ORDER OF MARCH In form the encampment was square; the tabernacle occupying the central position, and the four grand divisions of the army of Israel camping around it, one on each side.

Between the Levitical tents, pitched near and around the tabernacle, and the first line of the tents of the other tribes, there was a reserved space (Numbers 2:2; Joshua 3:4) regarded as holy ground, being sanctified as Mount Sinai had been, by its proximity to God’s manifested presence; and, as in the case of that holy mount, death may have been the penalty for trespassing on it, or even touching it with hand or foot.

Although the Israelites were not permitted access to the space between their tents and the tabernacle for secular purposes, the prohibition did not exclude them from it when their object was to draw near God for the purpose of worship, or when called together on great national occasions. The Levites camped in the following order around the tabernacle— On the East, and before the gate of the court, were pitched the tents of MOSES, AARON, AND THE PRIESTS (Numbers 3:38). On the South Side, the tents of the KOHATHITES (Numbers 3:29). On the North Side, the tents of the MERARITES (Numbers 3:35). And on the West Side, the tents of the GERSHONITES (Numbers 3:23).

It was a wise arrangement that this tribe should pitch its tents near and around the holy tabernacle, as the 8580 males above the age of thirty belonging to it, were the appointed ministers of the sanctuary (Numbers 4:47-48); sentinels to guard it (Numbers 1:53); laborers to rear it and take it down (Numbers 1:51); carriers to transport it from place to place (Numbers 4); servants to assist its priests in their sacred duties (Numbers 3:9); and instructors to teach the thousands of Israel that camped on every side of them. Each grand division or army of Israel was composed of three tribes, and camped as follows:— On the East (Numbers 2:2-10), THE CAMP OF JUDAH, Comprising the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. On the South (Numbers 2:10-17), THE CAMP OF REUBEN, Comprising the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad. On the West (Numbers 2:18-28), THE CAMP OF EPHRAIM, Comprising the tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. On the North (Numbers 2:25-29), THE CAMP OF DAN, Comprising the tribes of Dan, Naphtali, and Asher.

Diagram of the plan of the encampment.

Dotted line indicates court walt Dots represent the position of the court-pillar sockets. Line next to dots indicates `first lines of Levitical tents, and the first line beyond this one, the`first line of the tents of the other tribes. The diagram of the plan of the camp (above) will help to illustrate the preceding remarks. The encampment was square; but for want of room on the page to display it efficiently in this form, and at the same time to show the relative positions of the tabernacle, the court, the furniture, the Levitical tents, and those of the other tribes, the diagram appears as an oblong.

There were, as the diagram shows, four great camps, one on each side of the tabernacle. The camp of Judah on the east, numbered 186,400 adult males; the camp of Reuben on the south, 151,450; the camp of Ephraim on the west, 108,100; and the camp of Dan on the north, 157,600; in all 603,5500. The Levites camped, as already noticed, on every side, between the tabernacle and the inner line of the four great camps. The exact number of the Israelites, including women, children, and old men, is not known, but probably was about two million. The tents of so many people covered a large space, variously estimated from two to eight or ten miles square. From calculations we have made, we are certain that a square of two, or at most three miles, should have afforded ample room for the whole encampment. The different camps, tribes, and families, had standards, flags, or ensigns to distinguish them from each other. Their banners, doubtless, differed from one another, but whether in consequence of varying in color, or of having various emblematic figures embroidered on them, is uncertain, the Bible being silent on the subject.

All was arranged so as to secure the most perfect order, “Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard, with the ensign of their father’s house; far off about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch” (Numbers 2:2). This city of tents must have presented a most beautiful spectacle. In the center stood the tabernacle, its golden walls and silver foundation shining resplendently, and its beautiful roof-covering pointing to the heavens above, where is the “true tabernacle not made with hands.” Resting upon it was the cloudy pillar, sheltering the many thousands of Israel beneath from the burning rays of the sun. “He spread a cloud for a covering,” so that “the sun did not smite them by day, nor the moon by night.” Around the sanctuary was the court of the Lord’s house, having in the center the brazen altar, with its bright exterior, and ascending from it the curling smoke of the sacrificial victims. A beautiful wall enclosed the court, consisting of pillars and linen hangings, the silver heads and brazen feet and glittering shafts of the former contrasting to advantage with the snowy whiteness of the latter. In the court might have been seen the priests, arrayed in their robes “for glory and beauty.” Near at hand, and around the tabernacle, the tents of the Levites were pitched, forming another wall of defense to the holy habitation; beyond these, on every side, stretched away the tents of the many thousands of Israel, all arranged in order, like a well laid-out city, in regular streets, and so planned, it is supposed, that each tent-door faced the tabernacle, enabling the people to worship God at their tent-doors, with their faces towards the sanctuary.

All this vast encampment, as already mentioned, was covered over by the expanded cloud—the outspread protecting wings of the Keeper of Israel. Can you doubt that the encampment of Israel in the wilderness was a scene of surpassing loveliness? Hear the description given of it by an eye-witness, who was sent for by a wicked and idolatrous king to curse Israel. The prophet Balaam, standing on the top of a mountain, while the camp of Israel was spread out in the plain beneath, essayed to curse Israel, but was so overwhelmed by the imposing spectacle that burst upon his view that blessings, and not curses, rolled from his lips: “How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? Or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied? For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.” “Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? .... How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob! And thy tabernacles, O Israel! As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river’s side, as the trees of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar-trees beside the waters. God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath, as it were, the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones. He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee” (Numbers 23:8-10; Numbers 24:5-6; Numbers 24:8-9). (Numbers 10) LEVITES, THE ORDER OF MARCH

Bearing the Ark of the Covenant (Numbers 4:15; Numbers 10:33) ARMY OF JUDAH (Numbers 10:14-16) JUDAH ISSACHAR ZEBULUN THE MERARITES (Numbers 10:17), with four wagons drawn by eight oxen, bearing the boards, bars, pillars, and sockets of the tabernacle, and the court pillars and their sockets THE GERSHONITES (Numbers 10:17), with two wagons, drawn by four oxen, bearing the curtains, coverings, and hangings of the tabernacle, and the hangings of the court THE ARMY OF REUBEN (Numbers 10:18; Numbers 10:20) REUBEN SIMEON GAD KOHATHITES (Numbers 10:21), carrying the sacred furniture of the sanctuary and the court THE ARMY OF EPHRAIM (Numbers 10:22; Numbers 10:24) EPHRAIM MANASSEH BENJAMIN THE ARMY OF DAN (Numbers 10:25-27) DAN ASHER NAPHTALI On the rising of the cloudy pillar from off the tabernacle, the divine signal for the children of Israel to commence their journey, they began to take down their tents and make other needful preparations for moving onward. In a very short time the whole camp presented a scene of busy and exciting preparation. As the encampment was arranged in the most perfect order, so was the order of march. Every camp, tribe, and family marched in the place assigned it in the great army.

Levites, bearing aloft the ark of the covenant, were the first to start. The ark, with the cloudy pillar above, and perhaps tapering downwards so as to rest on it, became a kind of sacred standard, going before “to search out a resting-place for them.” The cloud giving the signal, it and the bearers of the ark moved forward simultaneously. The priests now blew an alarm with the silver trumpets for the army of Judah to start; and that tribe, bearing the leading standard of the whole army of Israel, moved onward, followed by the two tribes subordinate to it—those of Issachar and Zebulun. Next came the Merarites, who had charge of four wagons, drawn by eight oxen, and laden with the boards, bars, pillars, and sockets of the tabernacle, and the pillars and sockets of the courts. Then the Gershonites, who had charge of two wagons, drawn by four oxen, and laden with the curtains, coverings, and hangings of the tabernacle, and the hangings of the court. The priests again blew an alarm, and the army of Reuben, obeying the summons, followed after the Merarites and the Gershonites. This army formed a guard to these two families of Levites, and the precious materials they had charge of. Next in the order of march were the Kohathites, carrying the furniture of the tabernacle and the court, consisting of the golden altar, the table of shewbread, the golden candlestick, the brazen altar, and the laver, all carefully covered with cloths. The army of Ephraim followed next in order, as guardians of the Kohathites and the sacred vessels of the sanctuary. And the Danite troops coming up last, formed the rearguard of the whole Israelitish host. The Israelites must have presented a grand spectacle as they marched through the wilderness in battle array, with innumerable banners displayed and led on by the fiery cloudy pillar moving majestically in the air before them—guarding, lighting, and protecting them!

Great wisdom was displayed in the encampment and order of march. None of the arrangements were arbitrary in their nature. All was wisely ordered, and with a view to the welfare of all the tribes, and of every Israelite. We may not be able to see all the wise reasons why the army of Judah in the march led the van; and why Ephraim’s occupied the third place; or why such and such tribes were grouped together; but we are able to discover as many reasons as satisfy us that each army and each tribe was assigned its place with a view to its own best interests, as well as that of the whole army of Israel. The first place, we have already seen, was assigned to the Levites, including the priests. They camped nearest to the tabernacle, and formed a kind of outer wall of defense to it; and in the march had charge of the transport of the sanctuary and its sacred vessels. The next highest place is allotted to the tribe of Judah. It, and the two tribes subordinate to it, pitched their tents on the east and in the front, the position of greatest honor; and in the order of march preceded the other three armies—the tribe of Judah thus leading the van of the whole army of Israel. Jacob, when blessing his sons, predicted the preeminence of Judah, and the tribe bearing his name, on that account, seemed to have a right to preference; yet the tribe of Levi was more honored, in being set apart to sacred duties. This was, no doubt, humbling to the Judahites. Their being placed, however, in the forefront of the encampment, and leading the van in the order of march, may have been intended as compensation to them for the preference given to the Levites, and might well reconcile them to their position. With the tribe of Judah were associated the two tribes most closely allied to it by blood, affection, and other tender ties. Issachar and Zebulun were the descendants of Judah’s two youngest brothers by the same mother. Though Judah had been predicted to the presidency of his brethren, Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob, and the tribe bearing his name, on that account, might feel that it had some claim to preference. That claim seems not to have been overlooked, for the first place is assigned it in the second great army, both in the camp and in the order of march. With the tribe of Reuben were associated those of Simeon and Gad. Simeon was Reuben’s brother by the same mother, Leah, and was next to him in the order of birth, Reuben being the eldest and Simeon the second eldest son. Gad was the first-born son of Leah’s handmaid. Reuben and Simeon following each other in the order of birth, and being nearly of the same age, were in a peculiar sense near to each other, and this may partly account for the two tribes bearing their names being assorted together. It was probably in consideration of Gad’s being the firstborn of Leah’s handmaid that the tribe descending from him is honored by being leagued with those of Reuben and Simeon, and on that account Gad would probably be the more willing to co-operate with these two. Besides forming the second army in the order of march, this one had the honor of guarding the sacred habitation and its court, as these were transported by the Levites. The third grand division of the three tribes embraced those of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, the descendants of Jacob by his favorite wife, Rachel, so that these three tribes were more closely related to one another than to any of the other tribes, and also by very peculiar and tender ties. This grand army of Ephraim was the third in the order of march, and followed and guarded the Kohathites, who carried the sacred vessels and furniture of the sanctuary. The guarding of the golden altar, the table of shewbread, the golden candlestick, the brazen altar, and the laver, was probably deemed such an honor by the army of Ephraim as to prevent it envying the posts allotted to the other tribes. The fourth great camp was composed of the tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali, descendants of Jacob by his wives’ handmaids. Of these, Dan was the leading tribe, and the army took its name from it. That Dan was appointed to the first place in one of the great armies seems to have been a recognition of the claims of the descendants of Jacob’s concubines. Next to the army of Judah, that of Dan was the most numerous, and this fact was taken into account; for, next to that of Judah, it was appointed to the place of greatest danger, the rear of the whole army. If Judah’s army formed the vanguard, that of Dan formed the rearguard of the great army of Israel.

How admirably, then, was each tribe assigned its place in the great encampment and in the order of march. The claims to some kinds of preference, that each one might be supposed to put forth, are duly recognized. The tribes most nearly related to one another, by blood, affection, or other ties, are grouped together, and each grand camp or army occupied the position in the encampment and order of march which it appeared to have some claim to. All seems to have been so arranged as best to promote the peace and unity and well-being of the thousands of Israel, and advance them in their journey to the promised land. The more we study the plan of the encampment and order of march, the more we admire them, and the wisdom of Him who is “wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.”

Genuine believers, though seemingly disunited, are as really one as the Jewish church was in the wilderness; though they are of every color, race, and people, and dwell in all parts of the world, and are connected with various sects of professing Christians, in consequence of their not yet seeing eye to eye on all points, yet they are all one. They have been washed in the same blood, baptized by the same Spirit, and they are animated by the same heaven-inspired hopes. They are as really fellow-citizens as were those who composed the city of tents in the wilderness. They constitute but one great encampment, with the same glorious banner waving over them. They form but one great spiritual army, led on by the Captain of Salvation. They are all fellow-pilgrims marching to the heavenly Canaan, guided by a great light in the way that they are to go, even by Him who is the “light of the world.” As every Israelite and every tribe had the respective place in the encampment and in the order of march that each was to fill, appointed by God, so every New Testament Israelite has his place in the church, and in the world as well, assigned him by God, and not arbitrarily; but, as in the case of the Israelites, wisely, and with a view to his own spiritual welfare, as well as to that of the whole church.

If you are a child of God, seek ever to have a lively sense of the greatness of your privileges. They are far greater and far more numerous than were those of the Israelites. Whatever be your position in the world, and especially in the Church, remember you are where God has seen meet to place you. You are a fellow-citizen with all saints, a soldier of that great army which has Christ for its leader and commander, an heir of glory, and a pilgrim on the road to the heavenly Canaan. Ever seek to act as becometh your high calling. Do not forget that great privileges imply great responsibility and numerous duties to be performed. Whatever may be your place in the church or in the world, seek to act in both as your Captain would have you. Think not, if you are poor or unlearned, or have few talents, that there is no need for your laboring in Christ’s cause, or fighting in the ranks of His soldiers. Christ has work for all His followers—has a place in His army for every true convert. If you are one, you are in the place He has allotted you, and you possess the talents necessary to fill it. Some person or persons are in the circle of your influence to an extent they are not in that of any other person. Christ demands the active exertions of all His followers. Those who bear His name, but do nothing to advance His cause, give no evidence that they are His. It is easy for some professing Christians to frame plausible excuses for not aiding by their personal efforts the Gospel cause. Indeed, the number of such is legion; but these excuses will be of no avail on the day of judgment, for to all those who professed to be Christ’s, but kept aloof from His service, and were not found fighting His battles, on that day He will say, “Depart from Me, I never knew you.” Suppose Judah had refused to lead the van, because Levi had been chosen to minister to the Lord; or suppose Dan had refused to being up the rear, because Judah had been appointed to lead the van; or suppose this and that Israelite refused to take the place assigned him, because associated with this or that division, would the army of Israel ever have taken possession of Canaan at all? So, in like manner, unless Christians are content to labor for the good of Zion with the means and with the talents God has given them, and in the place He has assigned them in the world and in the church, the kingdom of this world will never become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. If you are one of those who are willingly, however humbly, laboring in the Master’s service, be of good cheer, faint not by the way. You need not. You have divine strength to support you, and an unerring Guide to conduct you in the path of duty.

The court and the cloudy pillar.

If you bend your ear to Him, you may ever hear His encouraging voice saying, “My grace is sufficient for thee; for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Turn you eyes towards Him, and you may ever behold Him, as a great light walking before you, and beckoning you onward in the way you are to go—a good way, a way leading to victory, glory, honor, and immortality. “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”