Ark of the Covenant

About the Ark of the Covenant

Location and Construction

The Ark originally was in the heavens before it was copied on earth. Yehovah told Moshe to make all the items pertinent to the Tabernacle (which I will now call the Tent of Appointment according to the Hebrew literal meaning) after the pattern that Yehovah showed him:

Exodus 25:9 According to all that I show thee, the pattern of the Tent and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make.

Moshe oversaw the construction of copies, not of originals. Both the Temple and the Tent were already in the heavens. Moshe oversaw the construction of the Tent (more or less; he didn’t have to supervise, the Spirit of Yehovah doing that function), and Solomon later oversaw the construction of the Temple. Both are types (real and important items that are show-and-tell pictures of things, persons, times or items that are far more important). All the utensils are types.

A Type

The Ark is also a type.

Hebrews 8:1 Now this is the sum of the things that we have spoken: We have such a High Priest Who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true Tent that Yehovah pitched, and not man. 3For every High Priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is of necessity that this man has somewhat also to offer. 4For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the Torah 5who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the Tent. For, “See,” He says, “that thou make all things according to the type showed to thee in the mountain.”

Contents of the Ark

The Ark was completed, and certain items were placed inside of it:

Aaron’s rod that budded, flowered and fruited almonds
A gold urn with manna
The two stone writing-slates (tablets) with the Ten Statements (the ‘ten commandments’).

Numbers 17:8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moshe went into the Tent of witness. And behold, the rod of Aaron was budded for the house of Levi. And he brought forth buds and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.

Hebrews 9:4 …that had the golden censer, and the Ark of the Covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the Covenant…

Palestinian Capture

That earthly Ark was later captured by the Palestinians when Israel wasn’t doing right. The Palestinians looked into it, and Yehovah struck the Palestinians with terrible hemorrhoids and an outbreak of rats. Their occult practitioners explained why: Yehovah wasn’t pleased. They determined to return the Ark back to Israel to stop this terrible scourge.

Its Gold

The top of the Ark was made of pure gold. This is not a known item at our present time, since pure gold is clear as crystal:

Revelation 21:18 And the building of the wall of it was of jasper. And the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

Revelation 21:21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls. Every several gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

Types of the Lid Explained

The lid of the Ark was made of one piece of gold uncut in its making, and turned so that it was the shape of the lid and two cherubim (normally a particular type of angel, but in this case being Yehovah the Father and Yehovah the Spirit) facing each other with their wings toward each other. The Cherubim faced downward, and thus through the lid to the items in the box. The box itself was made of wood covered with pure gold, so that the wood could be seen as if behind glass. Inset into the box were telescoping carrying rods that could be retracted into the box. All these things are types—every detail. The lid itself was called the cover, and typified Messiah. Thus, the Shma of Deuteronomy 6:4 was made in physical form:

Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hearken, Israel! Yehovah, our Gods, Yehovah is One!”

The Ark later was missing several of its items, those items probably having been taken when the Ark was captured.

Death Penalty

While the Israelis had a death sentence for handling the Ark (unless they were the specific priests in a specific order that had the responsibility to handle it), no such death penalty was placed on folks from the other races who might touch it when capturing it. Yehovah didn’t appreciate the Palestinians’ handling the Ark (when they captured it) or their attitude, and He struck them as mentioned, so that they feared. He did not kill them for touching it.

Once the Ark was constructed, Yehovah commanded that a cover be made, and that cover always had to be used when transporting the Ark. Thus, the Israelis never saw the Ark again once it was finished and sanctified by blood. This is also a type. They saw a covered object being carried, but the Ark was not seen. It was kept in the Tent except for a period of time when it was kept in a person’s home, covered, no one touching it.

One Israeli was struck dead by Yehovah when he reached to steady it when it was being improperly transported on an oxcart. This Israeli had become lax, the Ark having been in his father’s home. He was not a priest, and he had no right touching it for any reason. The oxen stumbled, but that did not mean that the cart was in danger.

When the Babylonian captivity occurred, all things in the Temple (including the Ark with a much larger set of Cherubim that had been constructed) were captured. As far as I know, this is the last time the Ark was in Israel, though Jewish tradition claims that it was also in the Temple that was destroyed in 70 A.D.

Millennium

Many fables of the Ark have circulated. I have found no indication of an Ark in the Millennial Temple, since what it typifies (Messiah and Israel) will be present. It cannot directly be used for instruction, since no one will be permitted to enter the Holy of Holies in the Millennium any more than at previous times. Since its description is in good detail, teaching what it typifies will be far more important and useful than seeing it.

The original Ark not made by human hands is where it always was: in the heavens.

Revelation 11:19 And the temple of God was opened in the heavens. And there was seen the Ark of His Covenant in His Temple.

Its Names

It is called by various names:

Ark of the Testimony
Ark of the Covenant of Yehovah
Ark of the Covenant
Ark of Yehovah
Ark of God
Ark of the God of Israel
Ark of the Lord Yehovah
Ark of His Testament (Covenant)

March 27, 2010July 5, 2017

Exodus 16 What is It?

What is it?

Background and printed text: Exodus chapter 16

Exodus 16:1 And they journeyed from Their-Ram. And they came—all the witness of the children of Israel—unto the Thorn Desert that is between Their-Ram and between My-Thorn in the fifteenth day to the second month to their exiting from the land of Double-Adversity [Egypt].

²And they lodged—all the witness of the children of Israel—upon Draw [Moshe] and upon Oy!-Conception! [Aharon] in the desert. ³And the children of Israel said unto them, “Who will give our death? Via the hand of Yehovah? Via the land of Egypt? Via our sitting upon a pot of the flesh? Via our eating bread to the full? For ye exited us unto this desert to kill all this congregation via famine!”

⁴And Yehovah said unto Draw [Moshe], “Behold I am raining bread to you from the heavens! And the people shall exit. And they shall glean a speech of a day in his day so-that I will test him: Will he walk via my Teaching, if not? ⁵And he shall be in the sixth day. And they shall foundation what they shall bring. And he shall be doubled upon what they shall glean: day, day.

⁶And Draw [Moshe] said, and Oy!-Conception! [Aharon], unto all the children of Israel: “Evening! And ye shall know that Yehovah exited you from the land of Egypt! ⁷And morning! And ye shall see the importance of Yehovah via His hearkening-to your lodgings upon Yehovah! And what are we that ye shall be lodged upon us?”

⁸And Draw [Moshe] said, “Via Yehovah’s giving flesh to you in the evening to eat and bread in the morning to satisfaction! Via Yehovah’s hearkening-to your lodgings that ye are lodging them upon us! And what are we? Your lodgings are not upon us; for, upon Yehovah!”

⁹And Draw [Moshe] said unto Oy!-Conception! [Aharon], “Say unto all the witness of the children of Israel, ‘Approach-ye to the faces of Yehovah! For He hearkened-to your lodgings!’” ¹⁰And he was as the speech of Oy!-Conception! [Aharon] is unto all the witness of the children of Israel. And they faced unto the desert. And behold, the importance of Yehovah was seen via a cloud.

¹¹And Yehovah spoke unto Draw [Moshe] to say, ¹² “I hearkened-to the lodgings of the children of Israel. Speak unto them to say, ‘Ye shall eat flesh between the evenings. And ye shall be satisfied of bread in the morning. And ye shall know that I am Yehovah your Gods!’”

¹³And he shall be in the evening. And the quail has ascended. And she covered the camp. And in the morning she was the lying of the dew around to the camp. ¹⁴And the lying of the dew ascended. And behold upon the faces of the desert is the fineness of a fine, vanishing pottery-refuge as a cover upon the land. ¹⁵And the children of Israel saw. And they said a man unto his brother, “What is that?” For they didn’t know what he is. And Draw [Moshe] said unto them, “He is the bread that Yehovah gave her to you to eat. ¹⁶This is the speech that Yehovah commanded: Glean-ye from him, a man to the mouth of his eating, a baler to the skull from a scrolling of your beings. Ye shall take a man to what is in his tent.” ¹⁷And established, the children of Israel did. And they gleaned, the multiplier and the little-causer. ¹⁸And they measured via a baler. And the multiplier didn’t-cause the surplus. And the little-causer didn’t cause-lack. They gleaned a man to the mouth of his eating!

¹⁹And Draw [Moshe] said unto them, “A man shall not ‘excess’ from him unto morning!” ²⁰And they didn’t hearken unto Draw [Moshe]. And men ‘excessed’ from him unto morning. And he elevated worms. And he stank. And Draw [Moshe] angered concerning them. ²¹And they gleaned him in the morning, in the morning, a man as the mouth of his eating. And the sun heated. And he melted.

²²And he was in day sixth. They gleaned double bread: two of the baler to one. And all of the carriers of the congregation came. And they told to Draw [Moshe]. ²³And he said unto them, “He is what Yehovah spoke. A cessation—a ceasing of the Holy-[One] is to Yehovah tomorrow. Bake-ye what ye shall bake and boil-ye what ye shall boil. And ye shall rest to you all the surplus to tomorrow unto the morning.” ²⁴And they rested him unto the morning just-as Draw [Moshe] commanded. And he didn’t stink. And a maggot wasn’t in him.

²⁵And Draw [Moshe] said, “Eat-thou him today. For today is a ceasing to Yehovah. Ye shall not find him today in the field. ²⁶Thou shalt glean him six days. And cease-thou in the seventh day! He will not be in him!”

²⁷And he was in the Day Seventh. They exited from the people to glean. And they didn’t find. ²⁸And Yehovah said unto Draw [Moshe], “Until when are ye refusing to guard my commandments and my teachings? ²⁹See-ye that Yehovah gave the Ceasing to you! Therefore He, He gave bread of two days to you in Day Seventh! Return-ye a man under himself! A man shall not exit from his place in the Day Seventh!” ³⁰And they ceased—the people—in Day the Seventh. ³¹And they—the House of Israel—called his name, ‘What?’ [män]. And he is as the seed of white coriander. And his taste is as a pancake in honey.

³²And Draw [Moshe] said, “This is the speech that Yehovah commanded: ‘Fill the baler from him for a guarding to your generations so-that they shall see the bread that I caused-you-to-eat in the desert during my exiting you from the land of Egypt!’”

³³And Draw [Moshe] said unto Oy!-Conception! [Aharon], “Take one concave-concave. And give a fullness of a baler of ‘What?’. And rest him to the faces of Yehovah for a guarding to your generations ³⁴just-as Yehovah commanded unto Draw [Moshe]. And Oy!-Conception! [Aharon] rested him to the faces of the Witness for a guarding. ³⁵And the children of Israel ate the ‘What?’ forty year[s] unto their coming unto a dwelt land. They ate the ‘What?’ unto their coming unto an edge of the land of Merchant [Canaan]. ³⁶And the baler is a tenth of the baker.

I. The Long Journey (verse 1)

The Israelis journeyed from Their-Ram to Thorn Desert. This desert is between Their-Ram and My-Thorn.

The Israelis together are called the witness of the children of Israel.

They traveled until the fifteenth day of the second month from the time that they exited from Egypt!

Questions

1. Why would a desert be named Thorn Desert?

2. How long have the Israelis been traveling at this time?

3. Did the Israelis know where they were going?

II. Anger and Bitterness (verses 2-3)

The witness of the children of Israel became angry, and came into the personal space of Moshe and Aharon. They wanted to know who will give (cause) their death; will it be the hand of Yehovah? Will it be the land of Egypt? Will it be by means of sitting upon a pot of flesh? Will it be by means of having plenty of food? They then accused them both: “Ye exited us unto this desert to kill all this congregation via famine!”

Questions

1. The text states that all the witness of the children of Israel lodged upon Moshe and Aharon. What does this mean?

2. The text states that the witness of the children of Israel lodged in the desert. What is a witness as it is used here?

3. Why does the text mention that this witness of Israel lodged upon Moshe and Aharon in the desert? Why is that so important?

4. Are the children of Israel young?

5. The children of Israel said, “Who will give our death?” What did they mean?

6. Explain their accusation against Moshe and Aharon:

7. Are the Israelis in danger of dying of starvation?

8. Why did Yehovah permit them to become so hungry?

III. The Test (verses 4-5)

Yehovah spoke unto Moshe. He explained what He was about to do: “Behold I am raining bread to you from the heavens.” He then explained how the Israelis were to respond: “And the people shall exit. And they shall glean a speech of a day in his day.” Yehovah’s purpose was to test them in order to demonstrate if they will walk via His Teaching, or not.

Yehovah then gave more instructions: “And he shall be in the sixth day. And they shall foundation what they shall bring. And he shall be doubled upon what they shall glean: day, day.” This is what will occur for the Sabbath.

Questions

1. How will Yehovah rain bread to the Israelis from the heavens?

2. The next statement is, “And the people shall exit.” What shall he (the people) exit?

4. What will the Israelis glean in this case? What is there to harvest?

5. What does “a speech of a day in his day” mean?

6. What is the purpose for causing the Israelis to have to glean for their food, according to the text?

7. Who is he in, “Will he walk via my Teaching”?

8. Explain if in, “Will he walk via my Teaching, if not”:

9. What does “And they shall foundation what they shall bring” mean?

10. At the end of the statement, “And he shall be doubled upon what they shall glean: day, day,” the words day, day are found. What do they mean?

IV. Moshe’s and Aharon’s Response (verses 6-7)

Moshe and Aharon told the Israelis what Yehovah had told them. They explained, “Evening! And ye shall know that Yehovah exited you from the land of Egypt!” Thus, they would know this by evening. They also said, “And morning! And ye shall see the importance of Yehovah via His hearkening-to your lodgings upon Yehovah!” They then added, “And what are we that ye shall be lodged upon us?”

Questions

1. Verse 6 starts out, “And Moshe said, and Aharon, unto all the children of Israel…” Why didn’t it just say, “And Moshe and Aharon said unto all the children of Israel…”?

2. What did Moshe (and Aharon) mean by saying, “Evening”?

3. Didn’t the Israelis already know that Yehovah is the One Who exited them from the land of Egypt?

4. What did Moshe mean by, “ye shall see the importance of Yehovah”?

5. How will the Israelis see Yehovah’s importance?

6. Moshe added, “And what are we that ye shall be lodged upon us?” What did he mean by this?

V. Outrage (verse 8)

The next statement of Moshe seems to be the answer to a question: “Via Yehovah’s giving flesh to you in the evening to eat and bread in the morning to satisfaction, via Yehovah’s hearkening-to your lodgings that ye are lodging them upon us…” Moshe then again stated, “And what are we?” He then accused them: “Your lodgings are not upon us; for, upon Yehovah!”

Questions

1. Moshe gave two incomplete sentences (they have no verb). The first states, “Via Yehovah’s giving flesh to you in the evening to eat and bread in the morning to satisfaction!” What did he mean by this?

2. Explain the second incomplete sentence, “Via Yehovah’s hearkening-to your lodgings that ye are lodging them upon us”:

3. What did Moshe mean by, “Your lodgings are not upon us; for, upon Yehovah”?

VI. The Glory of Yehovah (verses 9-10)

Moshe now spoke to Aharon, giving him instructions to tell the Israelis: “Say unto all the witness of the children of Israel, ‘Approach-ye to the faces of Yehovah! For He hearkened-to your lodgings!’”

When Aharon was just finished relaying this information to all the witness of the children of Israel, they faced toward the desert. And they beheld; they saw the importance of Yehovah by means of a cloud!

Questions

1. Why did Moshe tell Aharon to say things to the witness of the children of Israel instead of saying things himself?

2. How can the witness of the children of Israel approach to the faces of Yehovah? Where are His faces located?

3. The text next stated, “And he was as the speech of Aharon is unto all the witness of the children of Israel.” Who is he?

4. The text says, “And behold, the importance of Yehovah was seen via a cloud.” What did they see?

VII. Yehovah Speaks (verses 11-12)

Now Yehovah spoke unto Moshe: “I hearkened-to the lodgings of the children of Israel.” Yehovah gave Moshe a reply for them: “Ye shall eat flesh between the evenings. And ye shall be satisfied of bread in the morning. And ye shall know that I am Yehovah your Gods!”

Questions

1. What does “Ye shall eat flesh between the evenings” mean, and what does between the evenings mean?

2. What does “And ye shall be satisfied of bread” mean?

3. The last statement is, “And ye shall know that I am Yehovah your Gods.” Didn’t they already know that Yehovah is their Gods?

VIII. What is He? (verses 13-18)

When the evening will come, the quail has ascended and has covered the camp! She is still there in the morning as the dew began to set. Then the lying of the dew ascended. In its place is the fineness of a fine vanishing refuge (a little shelter that disappears) that altogether is a cover upon the land! The children of Israel saw this and began questioning each other: “What is that?” They didn’t know what it was. Moshe said unto them, “He is the bread that Yehovah gave her to you to eat. This is the speech that Yehovah commanded.”

Moshe told them what to do: “Glean-ye from him, a man to the mouth of his eating, a baler to the skull from a scrolling of your beings.” (A baler measures grain taken from bales of grain stalks; the skull refers to the head-count.) He continued: “Ye shall take a man to what is in his tent,” referring to collecting the amount needed for all the occupants.

The Israelis did what they were told. They gleaned. Some multiplied the amounts gathered, and some only took a small amount. They then began to measure what they took using a baler (a grain measuring container, like a measuring cup). The person who took much more than he would need didn’t cause a surplus, and the one who took very little didn’t cause any lack! Every person gleaned exactly what he or she needed to eat!

Questions

1. Who is he who shall be in the evening?

2. If the quail ascended (went up), from where did they ascend?

3. What does “she covered the camp” mean?

4. What does “And in the morning she was the lying of the dew around to the camp” mean?

5. What happened when the lying of the dew ascended?

6. What does “the fineness of a fine, vanishing pottery-refuge” describe?

7. Where were these small items found?

8. Wouldn’t this item be mixed with soil, with bird droppings, and with other things that would pollute it so that it couldn’t be eaten?

9. Why did Yehovah make certain that it covered the land?

10. What was the reaction of the Israelis to this stuff?

11. Moshe explained, “He is the bread that Yehovah gave her to you to eat.” Who is her?

12. Why did Yehovah force them to glean for this food instead of causing it to appear in their empty bowls each morning?

13. How must of this food was each collector told to collect?

14. What does baler mean?

15. To what does the skull refer?

16. What is a scrolling of beings?

17. Explain using more modern and simpler words what “Glean-ye from him, a man to the mouth of his eating, a baler to the skull from a scrolling of your beings” means:

18. What does “Ye shall take a man to what is in his tent” mean?

19. Why did Yehovah find it necessary to say that the children of Israel did?

20. What does “the multiplier and the little-causer” mean?

21. Why did they measure via a baler? What were they trying to see?

22. What miracle is described in verse 18, and what does this show?

IX. No Leftovers (verses 19-21)

Moshe warned the Israelis: “A man shall not ‘excess’ from him unto morning,” indicating that none of the gleaning was to be left until morning. The Israelis didn’t hearken; they set some extra aside for the next morning. It developed worms, and it stank! Moshe became angry at them.

They gleaned this every morning just as a person needed for his mouth (his appetite). When the sun became hot, this item left on the ground melted.

Questions

1. What does “A man shall not ‘excess’ from him unto morning” mean?

2. What was wrong with keeping leftovers?

3. The text states, “And they didn’t hearken unto Moshe. And men ‘excessed’ from him unto morning.” Why did they do this?

4. Who elevated worms, and what does this mean?

5. Why did Moshe anger? What was the big deal?

6. What does “And they gleaned him in the morning, in the morning, a man as the mouth of his eating” mean?

7. Who or what melted? What does this mean?

8. Of what was this food made?

X. Double (verses 22-24)

Day sixth (Friday) came. Whatever they picked up was double compared to the previous days; the baler (measurer) showed this. Those in the congregation who carried information came to tell Moshe. He said unto them, “He is what Yehovah spoke. A cessation—a ceasing of the Holy-[One] is to Yehovah tomorrow.” He then instructed them, “Bake-ye what ye shall bake and boil-ye what ye shall boil.” They could fix this product in any way they chose. “And ye shall rest to you all the surplus to tomorrow unto the morning.” That way, they would have food for the next day. The Israelis did this. This product didn’t stink, and no maggot was found in it.

Questions

1. What was in day sixth?

2. What miracle occurred on day sixth, according to this text?

3. What are the carriers of the congregation?

4. Why did the carriers consider telling Moshe about the doubling of the measurements as if this were so important?

5. What is this cessation?

6. Why is this called “a ceasing of the Holy One”? Who is this Holy One, and from what will he cease?

7. What ways could this strange bread be fixed, according to verse 23?

8. What does “And ye shall rest to you all the surplus to tomorrow unto the morning” mean?

XI. Ceasing (verses 25-26)

Moshe told Israel (as if Israel were one person), “Eat-thou him today,” referring to the strange ‘bread’ (food) that the Israelis had picked from the ground the previous day. He explained, “For today is a ceasing to Yehovah. Ye shall not find him today in the field.” Moshe continued, “Thou shalt glean him six days. And cease-thou in the seventh day! He will not be in him!”

Questions

1. On what day did Moshe say, “Eat-thou him today”?

2. Who is him whom they won’t find in the field?

3. Who owns this ceasing, and what does owning it mean?

4. Why won’t the Israelis find ‘him’ in the field on this day?

5. Will there be a future event that will include these six days when this Bread can be gathered, after which it won’t be available?

XII. Refusal to Guard (verses 27-31)

The next event occurred on Day Seventh—that is, on Saturday in the way we reckon days. Some of the Israelis exited to glean the strange food from the ground. They didn’t find it, of course. Yehovah responded to their actions by stating to Moshe, “Until when are ye refusing to guard my commandments and my teachings? See-ye that Yehovah gave the Ceasing to you! Therefore He, He gave bread of two days to you in Day Seventh!” Yehovah referred to Himself in the third person!

Yehovah continued, “Return-ye a man under himself!” (What did He mean?) He then commanded, “A man shall not exit from his place in the Day Seventh!” This was the most restrictive command Yehovah gave regarding the Sabbath.

The Israelis ceased; the entire people did this in Day the Seventh.

They needed a name for this edible item picked from the desert floor. They called it, “What?” which in Hebrew is män (the ä is pronounced like “ma” in the shortened form for mother).

Its size was the size of white coriander seed—that is, about an eighth of an inch. The taste was like a pancake in honey!

Questions

1. Who was in the Day Seventh?

2. What is the difference between “the Day Seventh” and “the seventh Day”?

3. Who exited from the people to glean?

4. Did Moshe also go out to glean on Day Seventh?

5. If the above answer is correct, why did Yehovah say unto Moshe, “Until when are ye refusing to guard my commandments and my teachings,” as if Moshe is one of the violators?

6. Were the Israelis refusing to guard Yehovah’s commandments and His teachings by just looking for the special Bread on the Sabbath?

7. To whom did Yehovah give the Ceasing, according to verse 29, and what does this mean?

8. What does “Return ye a man under himself” mean?

9. When Moshe commanded, “A man shall not exit from his place in the Day Seventh,” what did he mean?

10. The text states, “And they ceased—the people—in Day the Seventh.” From what did they cease?

11. What does manna mean, according to verse 31?

12. In what way is manna like white coriander, and what does that look like?

13. Like what did manna taste?

14. Did everyone like the taste of manna?

XIII. The Guarding (verse 32)

The measurement, an omer, is a baler—that is, it is a container that was used when baling hay and grains. Yehovah commanded the Israelis to gather a baler of the män to guard it for the generations of Israelis so that they will see this food that Yehovah caused the Israelis to eat in the desert during His exiting them from the land of Egypt.

Questions

1. What did Yehovah command to do with some of the manna in verse 32, and why did He command this?

2. Did Israel do this?

3. Where is this manna now, so that we can see it?

XIV. The Basket of Mahn (verses 33-36)

Moshe told Aharon to take one double-concave container, and give a fullness of a baler of ‘What?’ This included filling it with the män. Aharon must rest the container to the faces of Yehovah for a guarding to the generations of the Israelis; that is what Yehovah had commanded Moshe. Aharon did so in front of the Witness—in front of Israel—so that Israel will guard it.

The children of Israel ate the ‘What?’ (män) forty years right up to the time that they came unto a land already being dwelt. They ate this ‘What?’ (män) right up to the point of their coming to the very edge of the land of Canaan.

What volume size is the baler (an omer)? It is a tenth of a baker’s measure (an ephah).

Questions

1. What is a concave-concave?

2. What does “And give a fullness of a baler of ‘What?’” mean?

3. Where did Israel put this jar, and for what purpose did Israel put it there?

4. Why is faces plural (more than one)?

5. In what way will this manna be “for a guarding to your generations”?

6. Where did Aharon place the manna?

7. How long did the Israelis eat the manna?

8. What land is the dwelt land?

9. What is a baker?

March 26, 2010April 26, 2017

Shirley’s Quiz for Children on Joseph

A Quiz on Joseph for Children’s Sunday School

by Shirley B.

See if your Sunday School for younger children is truly educating them. Shirley B. taught children at her church, and then gave them the following quiz:

1. What events occurred that landed Joseph in Egypt?

2. How old was Joseph when he went down to Egypt?

3. How many brothers did Joseph have? Give the name of one of his sisters.

4. Who were Joseph’s father and mother?

5. Give the name of Joseph’s oldest and youngest brothers.

6. Judah, the brother of Joseph, had two (2) sons that died. Who were they and how did they die?

7. Who bought Joseph when he was brought to Egypt, and from whom was he bought?

8. What incident caused Joseph’s imprisonment?

9. To whom did Joseph direct this question, “Do not interpretations belong to God?”

10. How did Joseph answer Pharaoh regarding the interpretation of dreams?

11. What name was given to Joseph by Pharaoh and how old is Joseph at this time?

12. True or false: Joseph was over the whole land of Egypt.

13. Give the names of Joseph’s wife and his sons.

14. Who said “Joseph is not and Simeon is not and you will take Benjamin away: all these thigs are against me”?

15. Complete the sentence: “I am Joseph your brother whom _____ ______ ______ _____.”

16. Give some information about Israel dwelling in Egypt. Chapter 48:27

17. Jacob lived in Egypt how many years and how old was he when he died?

18. Who mourned for Jacob three score and ten days?

19. A score is equivalent to what number?

20. How long did Joseph live?

March 25, 2010June 12, 2017

Exodus 2:11 Killing

Killing

Background and Printed Text: Exodus 2:11-15

Exodus 2:11 And he was in those days. And Draw [Moshe] ‘biggened.’ And he exited unto his brothers. And he saw via their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian man smiting a Hebrew man from his brethren. ¹²And he turned so and so. And he saw that there is no man. And he smote the Egyptian. And he buried him in the sand.

¹³And he exited in the second day. And behold, two Hebrew men are striving. And he said to the culpable-one, “Why wilt thou smite thy neighbour?” ¹⁴And he said, “Who set thee a prince man and a judge over us? Art thou saying to slay me just as thou slew the Egyptian?” And Draw [Moshe] feared. And he said, “Ah, established, this speech is known!”

¹⁵And Pharaoh heard this speech. And he sought to slay Draw [Moshe]. And Draw [Moshe] fled from the faces of Pharaoh. And he dwelt in the land of Contention [Midian].

I. Maturity (verses 11-12)

Moshe grew. He went out among his Israeli brothers. He saw what was occurring by means of their burdens.

He also saw an Egyptian man smiting a Hebrew man who was one of his brethren.

He turned this way and that way, and he saw that there isn’t a man to witness this. Moshe smote the Egyptian who was smiting the Israeli. He then buried the Egyptian in the sand.

Questions

1. What was in those days?

2. Where did Moshe grow up?

3. How did Moshe know who his brothers were?

4. Why did Moshe exit (go out) unto his brothers?

5. What is so significant about Moshe’s seeing via the burdens of the Israelis? After all, he didn’t have to lift a finger to help.

6. Why was the Egyptian man smiting a Hebrew Israeli man?

7. What does smiting mean?

8. Why did Moshe turn “so and so”?

9. Why did Moshe smite the Egyptian enough to kill him? Why didn’t he just use his rank and authority to stop the Egyptian man?

10. Why did he bury him in the sand?

11. Was what Moshe did right?

II. Prince Man and Judge (verses 13-14)

He went out in the second day again to view his Israeli brethren. Behold, two Hebrew men are in a violent fight. Moshe said to the culpable one—the one who was truly the culprit, “Why wilt thou smite thy neighbour?” The culprit answered, “Who set thee a prince man and a judge over us? Art thou saying to slay me just as thou slew the Egyptian?” Moshe feared. He said, “Ah, established, this speech is known!”

Questions

1. Why did Moshe return back to the place where he had violently ended the life of a man?

2. About what were the two Hebrew men striving (fighting)?

3. Why did Moshe just ask the question, “Why wilt thou smite thy neighbour?” Why didn’t he jump in to stop the fight?

4. Had anyone set Moshe a prince man and a judge over the Hebrew slaves?

5. Why did the man add, “Art thou saying to slay me just as thou slew the Egyptian?”

6. Explain the wording, “Art thou saying to slay me just as thou slew the Egyptian?”

7. The text states, “And Moshe feared.” What did he fear?

8. Why did he say, “this speech is known,” instead of saying, “what I did is known”?

III. Moshe Flees (verse 15)

Pharaoh indeed heard this speech. He sought to slay Moshe! And Moshe fled from the faces of Pharaoh. He went all the way to the land of Midian.

Questions

1. How did Pharaoh hear what happened?

2. Why did Pharaoh desire to kill Moshe?

3. What is the difference between, “Moshe fled from Pharaoh,” and “Moshe fled from the faces of Pharaoh”?

4. Was the land of Midian far from Egypt?

March 25, 2010June 12, 2017

Exodus 2:11 Killing Q&A Supplied

Killing

With Questions and Proposed Answers

Background and Printed Text: Exodus 2:11-15

Exodus 2:11 And he was in those days. And Draw ‘biggened.’ And he exited unto his brothers. And he saw via their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian man smiting a Hebrew man from his brethren. ¹²And he turned so and so. And he saw that there is no man. And he smote the Egyptian. And he buried him in the sand.

¹³And he exited in the second day. And behold, two Hebrew men are striving. And he said to the culpable-one, “Why wilt thou smite thy neighbour?” ¹⁴And he said, “Who set thee a prince man and a judge over us? Art thou saying to slay me just as thou slew the Egyptian?” And Draw feared. And he said, “Ah, established, this speech is known!”

¹⁵And Pharaoh heard this speech. And he sought to slay Draw. And Draw fled from the faces of Pharaoh. And he dwelt in the land of Contention.

I. Maturity (verses 11-12)

Moshe grew. He went out among his Israeli brothers. He saw what was occurring by means of their burdens.

He also saw an Egyptian man smiting a Hebrew man who was one of his brethren.

He turned this way and that way, and he saw that there isn’t a man to witness this. Moshe smote the Egyptian who was smiting the Israeli. He then buried the Egyptian in the sand.

Questions

1. What was in those days? The events about to be described were in those days.

2. Where did Moshe grow up? He grew up in the home of Pharaoh and Pharaoh’s daughter. Thus, he grew up as royalty.

3. How did Moshe know who his brothers were? Moshe’s mother taught him this while breastfeeding him. Pharaoh’s daughter may have also taught him this. He certainly knew that he was an Israeli Hebrew.

4. Why did Moshe exit (go out) unto his brothers? Moshe desired to be connected with them, and he refused to be called son of Pharaoh’s daughter:

Hebrews 11:24 By faith, Moshe, having become great, refused to be called son of Pharaoh’s daughter, ²⁵having chosen to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than to have temporary enjoyment of sin, ²⁶having esteemed the reproach of the Messiah greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. For he had respect to the recompense.

He chose to suffer affliction with the people of God (the Israelis). (The ‘people of God’ in this text are the Israelis; they are not in faith. Thus, being part of the ‘people of God’ doesn’t prove that one is in faith.)

5. What is so significant about Moshe’s seeing via the burdens of the Israelis? After all, he didn’t have to lift a finger to help. Moshe saw what they were being forced to do. He attached to them, though he was still separated. They didn’t see him as attached; they saw him as royalty with all the privileges of the highest class in Egypt. Moshe determined to know what they were suffering, also knowing that his position in the house of Pharaoh wasn’t for his own benefit, but for their benefit.

6. Why was the Egyptian man smiting a Hebrew Israeli man? The text doesn’t say. I propose that he was a taskmaster—a slavedriver who was not satisfied with what the Israeli was doing or not doing.

7. What does smiting mean? It means to strike with a force great enough to do damage or to kill.

8. Why did Moshe turn “so and so”? He wanted to see if anyone else was seeing this action, and if anyone else was seeing him (Moshe).

9. Why did Moshe smite the Egyptian enough to kill him? Why didn’t he just use his rank and authority to stop the Egyptian man? Moshe knew that the Egyptian was smiting the Israeli hard enough to kill him. Those were death blows, not just wounding blows. Moshe also knew that temporarily stopping the Egyptian man would not permanently stop him, and he would likely finish the Israeli in death later. Also, if he left the Egyptian man alive, Moshe’s interference would come to Pharaoh, and that would end Moshe’s position. The Egyptian was in the process of committing murder:

10. Why did he bury him in the sand? That was the easiest place to bury him, and all traces of a burial could quickly be erased.

11. Was what Moshe did right? Yes! It was right in the eyes of Yehovah!

II. Prince Man and Judge (verses 13-14)

Questions

1. Why did Moshe return back to the place where he had violently ended the life of a man? Moshe was not traumatized by these things. Instead, he knew he had done right, and he wondered what else was occurring against his own brethren.

2. About what were the two Hebrew men striving (fighting)? The text doesn’t say. It only indicates that one was right, and the other was wrong. The one that was wrong was stronger than the one that was right. (He was a bully.)

3. Why did Moshe just ask the question, “Why wilt thou smite thy neighbour?” Why didn’t he jump in to stop the fight? Moshe was high in rank in Egypt. He thought that his brethren would understand that God is giving them salvation by his hand! Instead, the man saw Moshe as interfering.

4. Had anyone set Moshe a prince man and a judge over the Hebrew slaves? Not yet! Still, Moshe knew that he was sent to save them from this terrible slavery. The man asked the question so that he didn’t have to answer Moshe’s question! Folks often do that.

5. Why did the man add, “Art thou saying to slay me just as thou slew the Egyptian?” The man knew that this question would distract Moshe from stopping the fight, and would even cause Moshe to flee from the area. Now, Moshe looked like the greatest offender of Egypt!

6. Explain the wording, “Art thou saying to slay me just as thou slew the Egyptian?” The part that seems odd is, “saying to slay me.” It sounds like, “planning to slay me,” or a shortened version of, “Art thou saying this to slay me?” We have help with this, however, in the next text:

Acts 7:23 And when a period of forty years was fulfilled to him, it came into his heart to look upon his brethren, the sons of Israel. ²⁴And seeing a certain one being wronged, he defended and avenged him being oppressed, having smitten the Egyptian. ²⁵For he thought his brethren would understand that God is giving them salvation by his hand. But they didn’t understand. ²⁶And on the following day, he appeared to those who were contending. And he urged them to peace, saying, “Men, ye are brethren. Why wrong ye one another?” ²⁷But he who was wronging a neighbour thrust him away, saying, “Who appointed thee ruler and judge over us? ²⁸Thou desirest to put me to death in the way thou put to death the Egyptian yesterday!” ²⁹And Moshe fled at this saying. And he became a sojourner in the land of Midian, where he begat two souls.

This bad man was accusing Moshe of having plans to kill him. He is also accusing Moshe of doing wrong by his killing the Egyptian!

7. The text states, “And Moshe feared.” What did he fear? The following text helps:

He didn’t leave out of fear of the indignation of the king. So, why did he leave? I propose that he left knowing that all the Israelis would suffer as long as he was in the land. The Egyptians would figure that he, a fugitive, was staying with the Israelis, and would torture and kill them until they turned him in. By fleeing the way he did—in the open, the Egyptians would go after him, and not after the Israelis, so that his departure would relieve the Israelis of Egyptian wrath. If this is correct, Moshe fled in order to keep the focus of the Egyptians on him, and not on his brethren.

8. Why did he say, “this speech is known,” instead of saying, “what I did is known”? The speech itself would make its way back to Pharaoh, and Moshe knew this. That was when the problems would begin.

III. Moshe Flees (verse 15)

Pharaoh indeed heard this speech. He sought to slay Moshe! And Moshe fled from the faces of Pharaoh. He went all the way to the land of Midian.

Questions

1. How did Pharaoh hear what happened? He had many folks who reported to him, seeking his favour. Word of this action traveled very quickly. Though a Hebrew (Israeli) had been the witness, a corrupt Israeli (as this man was) would have been happy to report that Pharaoh’s own adopted son was killing Egyptian slavemasters!

2. Why did Pharaoh desire to kill Moshe? Moshe, from Pharaoh’s own house, was working against what Pharaoh desired to accomplish: the complete enslavement and rule over the Israelis. Pharaoh would have seen this as an act of a traitor!

3. What is the difference between, “Moshe fled from Pharaoh,” and “Moshe fled from the faces of Pharaoh”? Moshe did not want to see Pharaoh’s faces. He didn’t just flee from Pharaoh, but from all of Pharaoh’s spies who would try to find him to bring him before Pharaoh’s faces! This expression is what I call a ‘childism’—an expression that makes more sense if viewed from the perspective of a little child. A child who is in trouble (whether it was the child’s fault or not) doesn’t want to see the angry faces of an adult, so the child will hide from the faces of the adult.

4. Was the land of Midian far from Egypt? It wasn’t far—about 200 miles on foot, but it was far enough that the Egyptians gave up searching for Moshe. See map below (Copyright Access Foundation, Zaine Ridling, Ph.D., Editor):

From Egypt to Midian

March 25, 2010June 12, 2017

Exodus 1:22 Drawn Out with Questions and Proposed Answers

Drawn Out

With Questions and Proposed Answers

Background and Printed Text: Exodus 1:22-2:10

Exodus 1:22 And Pharaoh commanded to all his people, saying, “Ye shall cast every son childed riverward! And ye shall cause-to-live every daughter.”

Exodus 2:1 And a man from the House of My-Joined-[one] [Levi] walked. And he took a daughter of My-Joined-[one] [Levi]. ²And the woman conceived. And she childed a son. And she saw him, that he is good. And she hid him three moons.

³And she was not further able to hide him. And she took a papyrus box to him. And she tarred her via tar and via pitch. And she put the child into her. And she put into a reed upon the lip of the river. ⁴And his sister positioned herself from afar to know—what will he do to him?

⁵And the daughter of Pharaoh descended to bathe by the river. And her maidens are walking by the hand of the river. And she saw the box in the midst of the reed. And she sent her handmaid. And she took her.

⁶And she opened. And she saw him—a child! And behold, a youth is weeping! And she had compassion upon him. And she said, “This is from the children of the Hebrews.” ⁷And his sister said unto the daughter of Pharaoh, “Shall I walk? And I will call a nursing woman to thee from the Hebrews [fem.]. And she will nurse the child to thee!” ⁸And the daughter of Pharaoh said to her, “Walk!” And the virgin walked. And she called the mother of the child.

⁹And the daughter of Pharaoh said to her, “Walk this child. And nurse him to me. And I, I will give thy wage.” And the woman took the child. And she nursed him.

¹⁰And the child ‘biggened.’ And she brought him to the daughter of Pharaoh. And he became to a son to her.

And she called his name Draw. And she said, “For I drew him from the waters.”

I. Genocide (Chapter 1, verse 22)

Pharaoh had gotten nowhere with the Midwives. He therefore commanded his own people to cast every Israeli son newly born to the river. “And ye shall cause to live every daughter.”

Questions

1. How many Egyptians were responsible to cast every Israeli son born to the river? They all were commanded to do this. Thus, he was commanding them to commit genocide—that is, to exterminate the Israelis by killing their boy babies.

2. He again repeated that he wanted the girl babies kept alive. Why keep them alive? He didn’t fear the female Israelis; they would make good wives and workers. He feared the male Israelis. This is often what occurs in racism.

II. Marriage and Horror (chapter 2, verses 1-2)

Life went on. A man from the House of Levi walked and took a daughter of Levi for a wife. The woman became pregnant. She childed a son. She saw the child: he is good. She hid the child three months.

Questions

1. Where did the man from the House of Levi walk? We would say that he went. He walked to some other location in Egypt where there were other Israeli women in order to obtain a wife.

2. Why did he take a woman from the same tribe (Levi) of which he was a part? The text doesn’t say why, but it is important in the events that will occur. Her family culture was probably familiar to him. The text doesn’t mention her parents or whether he made an agreement with them to obtain her.

3. Why does the text state, “And she saw him, that he is good”? She saw the child, and he immediately caused her to be fond of the little one. She also figured that she would be able to hide him—at least for a time—from the Egyptians. Had he been very noisy, she wouldn’t have been able to hide him.

4. The text states that she hid him three moons. What is the relationship between a month and a moon? In many cultures, periods of time were measured in moons—from new moon to new moon. This is where we get the word month, though the length of a moon cycle is 28 days. The moon cycles of 28 days will not work right over a year, since a part of a moon cycle will be left over after a year. This is why our calendar was adjusted with different numbers of days for different months, and why we need leap years (using February to add one and sometimes two days).

5. How could she hide an infant for three whole months? She was very good and very clever! I suspect that she stayed away from the Egyptians whenever she could. The text doesn’t give the details of how she did this; she must have been very clever!

6. What was happening among the rest of the Israelis regarding boy babies? Women were still getting pregnant, and boy babies were being born. The Egyptians were forcefully taking those babies and killing them at birth. There must have been great mourning and wailing throughout the area of the Israelis with this cruel policy. Yehovah would have His revenge for it later.

III. The End (verses 3-4)

A child of this age can be quite noisy. The mother could no longer hide this child. She had an idea. She took a box made of bulrush plant material, and brought it to the child. She tarred the box using both tar and pitch. The then put the child into the box.

She put the box into a reed plant upon the lip (shore) of the river.

In the meantime, the child’s sister positioned herself at a distance to know what an unnamed person will do to the child.

Questions

1. Why wasn’t she able to hide him any longer? Either her circumstance or the child’s circumstance was such that the Egyptians would find this child. She knew it would occur soon, so she made preparations for her loss.

2. Who gave her the idea of the papyrus box? The text doesn’t say who gave her the idea. It was quite an idea!

3. What is a papyrus? It is a plant that is strong, yet can be used to make paper. The following is a picture of it from Wikimedia.com, and from the Kew Gardens:

Papyrus - Kew Gardens

As you can see, it is a narrow, stout plant with thin leaves at the top that grows in water. It is quite strong, and can support some weight. It would make a good box.

4. Did she make the papyrus box? The text doesn’t say; it may have already been made. She waterproofed it.

5. What is tar and what is pitch? Tar is often made from pine tree resin (the sap of a pine tree) using heat. Pitch is similar, and is made from plants. They both produce a waterproofing thick substance.

6. Was the box that she made pretty? I suspect that it was very pretty in order to attract the eye!

7. Did she put the child straight into the box with no blanket? Again, the text doesn’t say, but I have a feeling that she made it comfortable for the little child.

8. What does “And she put into a reed upon the lip of the river” mean? She suspended the box from a reed that was strong enough to hold it above the water. It was in the reed—near the top, and quite reachable, near the leaves.

9. What is the lip of the river? It is the shore of the river—where the sand meets the water. It is called a lip because it is watered, just like your lip is watered inside your mouth.

10. Did his sister’s mother know that his sister had positioned herself to watch to see what would occur with the baby? That isn’t my impression. I can’t prove it, but I don’t think that the baby’s mother knew that her daughter was doing this.

11. Who is he and him in, “What will he do to him?” Again, I am proposing: He is Yehovah, and him is the baby. I know of no other he who was in the position to do anything with the child except for the king himself.

IV. The Box (verse 5)

Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe by the river. She had maidens who attended her, walking by the hand (extension) of the river.

She saw the box—it was in the midst of the reed! She sent her handmaid; the handmaid took the box.

Questions

1. What is the hand of the river? Since a hand reaches, it must be a part of the river that reaches inland—like an inlet. That way, the waters are calm and free from the currents that might otherwise make the river dangerous.

2. How could she see the box in the midst of the reed? This is why I think the box was colorful—and not with just green! The box needed to be spotted by someone; else the baby would die in the box. That wasn’t the idea.

Wouldn’t it be fun to see what that box looked like?

3. Why did she send her handmaid? Handmaids were used to send on errands!

4. What is her in, “And she took her”? She is the box! A box is feminine in gender in Hebrew.

V. Identification and Need (verses 6-8)

Pharaoh’s daughter opened the box. She saw him—a child! And the youth is weeping! She had compassion on him.

She then said, “This is from the children of the Hebrews.”

The child’s sister spoke to the daughter of Pharaoh: “Shall I walk? And I will call a nursing woman to thee from the Hebrews. And she will nurse the child to thee!” Pharaoh’s daughter replied, “Walk!” The virgin did exactly that, and called the mother of the child—her own mother—to come.

Questions

1. What does the wording of the text, “And she saw him—a child!” indicate? It indicates that she was quite surprised!

2. What was important about the youth weeping? That took a hold on the mothering instincts of Pharaoh’s daughter! That was excellent timing!

3. What did she do to show that she had compassion upon him? What would any woman do? She held him!

4. Pharaoh’s daughter then said, “This is from the children of the Hebrews.” Why did she say this? Either this was in response to a question as to how this child got there, or it was a comment that Pharaoh’s daughter made in realization of what was occurring in her father’s kingdom.

5. We next see the child’s sister speaking to Pharaoh’s daughter. Wasn’t Pharaoh’s daughter startled to see a Hebrew youth suddenly appear and speaking to her? She doesn’t seem at all startled. It is as if this is a normal occurrence. Some of Pharaoh’s daughter’s handmaids could have been from the Israelis, for all we know.

6. The child’s sister volunteered, “Shall I walk? And I will call a nursing woman to thee from the Hebrews. And she will nurse the child to thee!” Wasn’t she quite bold to speak up like this and to offer to help in this way? She was bold, with all the boldness of a child! She spoke as if she knew of a lactating woman (a woman who had breast milk) who was available, since the child’s weeping indicated that the child was probably hungry.

7. What does the response of Pharaoh’s daughter (“Walk!”) indicate about her?

It indicates that she doesn’t know that this youth offering to get a woman for her is the child’s sister.
It indicates that she doesn’t know that the woman being brought is the child’s mother.
It indicates that she didn’t care about what her father commanded to the rest of the Egyptians; she was going to do what she wanted right under her father’s nose!

8. Why does the text say, “And she called the mother of the child,” instead of this: “And she called her own mother”? This is telling the reader of a very unusual circumstance: a mother is being summoned to take care of her own child!

VI. Orders (verse 9)

Pharaoh’s daughter commanded the mother, “Walk this child. And nurse him to me. And I, I will give thy wage.” The woman took the child, and she did as she was told. She nursed him.

Questions

1. What is so unusual about the command given by Pharaoh’s daughter: “Walk this child. And nurse him to me. And I, I will give thy wage”? Well, since when is a mother paid to take care of her own child? That is so unusual!

2. How did the Egyptians know that this woman had orders from Pharaoh’s daughter to take care of the child? Pharaoh’s daughter would have made certain that the woman and the child would not be harmed or bothered.

3. How did the child’s mother feel about this arrangement? The text doesn’t say. She now knew that the child would live: that is good. She also knew that the time with her child would be short. She had much to teach the child before he would be gone from her. She also knew that she could not disclose that she was the mother of this child; Pharaoh’s daughter would have seemed like a fool, had that happened.

4. Did other Hebrew parents manage to keep their sons alive? I suspect that there were some who did, but the text doesn’t say. I also suspect that a few of the Egyptians would have helped the Israelis. Few sons of the age of this baby lived among the Israelis.

VII. Adoption (verse 10)

The child ‘biggened’ (grew). She brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter. He became as her own son.

Pharaoh’s daughter called the child Draw (Moshe). She said, “For I drew him from the waters.”

Questions

1. How long did she wait to bring the child to the daughter of Pharaoh? The text again doesn’t say. Women in some cultures continue to breastfeed their children until they are five years old. This is especially important in places where there are dangerous diseases, since the mother gives immunity to her child if the mother has become immune. I propose that the child was breastfed for between three and five years, and likely closer to five is my guess.

2. Was bringing the child to the daughter of Pharaoh hard for her? It would have been both hard and exhilarating! Her child would become the grandson of the king!

3. Did Pharaoh’s daughter love him? You know she did!

4. Was the name Draw (Moshe) a good name for him? It was an excellent name! He will later do the same: he will draw all Israel out of Egypt!