55. Their supreme holiness may appear from the following circumstances. Jehovah Himself, that is, the Lord, attended by angels, descended upon Mount Sinai in fire, and thence promulgated them by word of mouth. For three days the people prepared themselves to see and to hear. Bounds were set about the Mount lest any one should approach and die. Neither the priests nor the Elders drew near, but Moses only. The laws were written on two tables of stone by the finger of God. The face of Moses shone when he brought them down the second time from the Mount. The tables were afterwards deposited in the ark, and this was placed in the inmost sanctuary of the tabernacle. Over the ark was placed the mercy-seat, above which were placed the golden cherubim. This sanctuary was the most holy thing of their Church, and was called the Holy of holies. Outside the veil, within which was this Holy of holies, were placed many objects representing the holy things of heaven and the Church, as the golden lampstand with seven lamps, the golden altar of incense, the table overlaid with gold on which was the shew-bread, with the curtains round about, made of fine linen, purple and scarlet. The holiness of the whole of this tabernacle was derived solely from the Law which was in the ark.
[2] On account of the holiness of the tabernacle, arising from the Law in the ark, all the people of Israel were commanded to encamp about it in order, according to their tribes, and to march in order after it, when a cloud was over it by day, and a fire by night. On account of the holiness of the Law, and the presence of the Lord in it, the Lord talked with Moses from over the mercy-seat between the cherubim, and the ark was called "The Presence of Jehovah." Further, Aaron was not permitted to enter within the veil, except with sacrifices and incense. Because the Law was the very holiness of the Church, therefore the ark was introduced into Zion by David; and it was afterwards placed in the midst of the temple at Jerusalem and constituted its sanctuary.
On account of the presence of the Lord in and about the Law, miracles were also wrought by the ark, within which was the Law. Thus the waters of Jordan were divided, and while the ark rested in the midst of the river, the people passed over on dry ground. The walls of Jericho fell because the ark was carried round them. Dagon, the god of the Philistines, fell down before it, and afterwards lay at the threshold of his temple, with his head cut off. The Bethshemites, to the number of many thousands, were smitten on account of it; besides other miracles. All these took place solely from the presence of the Lord in His Ten Words, which are the Precepts of the Decalogue.
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