established in the Israelite nation. In a brief encapsulation they included
all the elements of religion that provide for God’s connection to us and
our connection to God. Therefore the Ten Commandments were the
holiest thing of all.
The following points show that the Ten Commandments were the
holiest thing: Jehovah the Lord himself, together with angels, came
down on Mount Sinai in fire and delivered the Ten Commandments by
direct speech. The mountain was fenced all around so that no one
would approach and die. Not even the priests or the elders were allowed
to approach; only Moses. The commandments were written on two
tablets of stone by the finger of God. When Moses carried the tablets
down for the second time, his face was glowing.
Afterward, the tablets were stored in an ark that was at the heart of
the tabernacle. There was a mercy seat on top of the ark with angel
guardians made of gold over it. The inmost area in the tabernacle, where
the ark was placed, was called the most holy place. Outside the veil
behind which the ark stood there were several things that represented
holy things in heaven and the church: a table overlaid with gold that had
the showbread on it, a golden altar for burning incense, and a golden
lampstand with seven lamps. There was also a curtain around the taber-
nacle made out of [threads of ] fine linen and of purple and scarlet [yarn].
The holiness of the whole tabernacle came from no other source than the
law that was inside the ark.
Because of the holiness of the tabernacle that came from the law in
the ark, the entire Israelite population camped around the tabernacle,
tribe by tribe, in an arrangement that was given by command. When
they traveled, the tribes moved in a specific sequence behind the ark, and
there was a cloud over the ark by day and a fire by night.
Because of the holiness of this law and Jehovah’s presence in it, Jehovah
spoke to Moses from over the mercy seat between the angel guardians. In
fact, the ark was called “Jehovah” there. Aaron was not allowed inside the
veil unless he offered sacrifices and burned incense, or else he would die.
Because of Jehovah’s presence in this law and surrounding it, the ark
containing the law performed miracles. For example, the waters of the
Jordan were split apart, and as long as the ark was resting in the middle of
the riverbed the people crossed on dry land. When the ark was carried
around the walls of Jericho, the walls fell. Dagon, an idol of the
Philistines, at first fell face down before the ark. Later, Dagon lay decapi-
tated with the palms of its hands across the threshold of the shrine.
Because of the ark, as many as several thousand inhabitants of Beth
§283 the ten commandments 353