The Story

It was just a year since the children of Israel left Egypt. Do you remember the feast that they kept the night before they started on their journey? And now it was time to keep it again, for the Lord told them to observe it every year in memory of their deliverance from the Egyptians. Do you remember at what season of the year it came? Do you remember how they kept the feast? What did they eat? How were they dressed? What question did one of the youngest of the family ask? With what thing that happened at the going out from Egypt is the name "Passover" connected?

There were certain things that made the people "ceremonially" unclean, as it was called, and so unfit to take part in the religious feasts; one of these things was to have touched the body of one that was dead. This some of the people had done, and they came to Moses and asked what they should do. Moses did not know, but told them to stand still and he would ask the Lord. And the Lord answered him and told him that whosoever was thus unclean should eat the Passover a month later at the same time. But one who was clean and would not observe the feast should be cut off from among the people - should be put to death. It is a very beautiful picture, the people coming to Moses to ask what they shall do, and Moses taking the question right to the Lord and receiving an answer.

The Lord told them also that a stranger living among them should eat of the Passover as the others did. A "stranger" or "sojourner" means one who had adopted their religion and worship.

Another important thing was done for the children of Israel at Mount Sinai. They came to the mountain as a disorderly multitude; before they journeyed on they had learned how to camp in order and how to march in order by their tribes.

We have learned about the tabernacle which the people built exactly according to the pattern given them by the Lord. In this tabernacle were kept the two tables of stone upon which were written the Ten Commandments. This tabernacle was to be in the center of the camp, the Lord told them. Around it the Levites were to encamp, the tribe to which Moses and Aaron belonged, which was chosen by the Lord to care for the sacred things of the tabernacle, the taking down and carrying on their journeys, the setting up and keeping in order when they camped. There were still twelve tribes, besides Levi, for instead of one tribe of Joseph there were two tribes, the descendants of his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. How many tribes were there, then, to encamp on each side of the tabernacle? It will be a good idea to make a little plan of the encampment, writing the names of the tribes in their places; and it will be worth while to learn the names quite perfectly, for we shall so often hear the names as we read more of their story.

On the east were Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; on the south, Reuben, Simeon, and Gad; on the west, Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin; on the north, Dan, Asher, and Naphtali.

What was the sign for the people to leave the place where they had been camping and move forward? Suppose the sign has been given, let us watch the people in the camp. First Aaron and his sons go into the tabernacle and cover all the holy things. They take down the veil (where did it hang?) and lay it over the ark; over this they put a cover of skins, and over all a cloth of blue. So all the other holy things were covered, usually with a bright cloth first and then with a cover of skins; and the staves of each were ready for carrying. Then the Levites came who were given charge of the holy furniture, and took up on their shoulders the burdens which the priests appointed them. (Num. 4:5-20)

Then the line of march set forward. Let us draw them. (Num. 10:14-28) The ark goes first. (Num. 10:33) Then, at the blast of the silver trumpets, the three tribes which camped on the east set forward, with their standards. (Num. 10:1-10) Which were they? Then the Levites, who were given charge of the curtains and hangings of the tabernacle. They were given two covered wagons with four oxen to carry the heavy curtains. After them came those who were given charge of the planks and pillars and sockets in four wagons drawn by eight oxen. (Num. 7:1-9) These went before those who carried the holy furniture, so that the tabernacle might be set up before the others came. After the tabernacle marched the three tribes that camped on the south. Which were they? Then came the Levites that had charge of the holy furniture, carrying it on their shoulders, and after them the tribes that camped on the west, and last of all the tribes that camped on the north. Let us write the names on our plan over the tribes.

Remember the cloud that led the people out of Egypt. (Exod. 13:20-22) The same cloud from the Lord was with the people all the way. (Exod. 40:38; Deut. 1:33) When it was taken up they journeyed. They followed where the cloud led, and where it rested, there they set the tabernacle and pitched their tents about it.

1. When was the first Passover kept? When and where was the Passover kept the second time?

2. What rule was given in regard to those who for certain reasons could not keep the feast at the appointed time?

3. Who are meant by the strangers sojourning among the people of Israel? Might they keep the Passover?

4. What guided the children of Israel on their journey?

Spiritual Study

We know from our study of the Passover, as it was kept at the time of leaving Egypt, that it represents the heavenly feast of new innocent life from the Lord. The flesh of the Passover lamb represents the new heavenly goodness, and the bones of the lamb, which must not be broken, represent the principles of truth that give form to this goodness and support it, which must be scrupulously regarded. The bitter herbs of the Passover represent the temptations that attend the reception of the new life. The spiritual deadness of those who refuse to acknowledge the Lord and to receive His gifts of life is represented by the punishment of death which was prescribed for those who willfully neglected to keep the Passover. (A. 3812, 7840, 9965)

The permission to those who were at the time of the feast defiled by contact with a dead body, or who were on a journey afar off, to keep the Passover at the same day a month later, suggests the Lord's consideration and patience with us in coming into a state to receive His gifts. The one ordinance for the stranger or sojourner (a convert to the worship of Israel) and for the native born expresses the Lord's equal mercy to one newly entering by instruction the ways of heaven and one well established in that life. (A. 4444, 7900)

The words "at even," in verse 3, literally translated "between the two evenings," are usually interpreted to mean some period of late afternoon, perhaps between the sunset and the shining of the stars. Swedenborg speaks of them as meaning the whole night, between the twilight of evening and the twilight of morning. (A. 10135) The evening represents an external state, and obscure as regards things of heavenly life. In a special sense the evening prescribed as the time for keeping the Passover represented the external quality of their feast and of all the Jewish worship of sacrifices. The command that nothing of the lamb should be left till the morning is interpreted to mean that "when the Lord came, sacrifices should cease." (A. 2405)

We have learned before that the guiding cloud and fire were an expression of the presence of the Lord and angels with the people. (A. 8192-8195) The cloud represented His presence in Divine truth, though obscurely perceived, and the fire His presence in Divine love. These rested upon the tabernacle, which was especially the Divine dwelling-place and represented the heavenly character in everyone to which the Lord can come near with blessing and protection. (E. 504, 594) The journeying and resting as guided by the cloud, suggest not only our duty to be active in doing the work that the Lord gives us to do, but our duty to be patient when we seem to be accomplishing nothing and making no progress. The Lord may know that one is as necessary as the other.

You see also the meaning of the ark going before, and of the blast of silver trumpets, like the voice of the Commandments, calling the people to go forward. (A. 8815; R. 226; E. 489)

The order in which the tribes encamped about the tabernacle and the order in which they marched, which are fully described in the Book of Numbers, is representative of heavenly order among the faculties of the mind, as they rest in a state that has been attained or advance to a new state. We shall learn more about this order when we read Balaam's blessing as "he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes." (Num. 24; A. 4236; E. 431)

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