Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1906-09-06

weaving ana dyelng, the cunning work
in silver and gold and brass, the carv-
ing and shaping of the wood had pro-
crossed wonderfully. Everybody had
some part In the work, even the chill
dren catching the eager spirit of their
elders and gladly doing what they
could to help.
How swiftly the weeks and months
had passed. So occupied with the task
in hand had they been that they had
no time for murmuring. 1t hardly
seemed possible that they were the
Moses at Rephidim, or had forgotten
God and made for themselves the
golden calf there at Mount Sinai. Day
by day they had received instruction
at Moses hand in the laws and ordi-
nances of God, which he had received
while on the mount with God, and
while they wrought in the work they
We'd with each other in seeing how
faithfully and well they could perform
their tasks.
They had talked together Of that
day when the Tabernacle should be
set up, and God would be served in
the way appointed, and 1t is no won
der that when the tidings came to
them that on the morrow they would
see the Tabernacle reared, there was
very great rejoicing so that the sound
OF laughter and singing filled the
camp.
The sun that night set upon an ex-
pectant people. AT the place appoint.
ed the rich and costly materials had
been brought and the Levites in
structed concerning the placing of the
same, while the people stood at a
distance aud watched as long as the
daylight lasted, and then as the soft
glow of the pillar resting high up on
the side of the mountain fell upon the
camp, the people turned slowly and
went to their tents, saying, softly to
themselves:
Tomorrow will the Lord have a
dwelling place in our midst"
But how little they realized all that
was implied in that saying. How
meager was their idea of the mean
ing of the Tabernacle and its APP
pointed worship. Its richness of ma
terial, its varied appointments, the
plans for the Tabernacle service all
absorbed their attention, and apart
from the general consciousness of God,
they did not enter deeply into the
spirit of the occasion.
But even though tho heart under.
stood not, eyes and ears were eager
to drink in every detail of the ami.
mated scene which began next day
with the first rays of light. A rev.
erent hush was upon the people while
the work was going on, and no man
, dared to venture near where the walls
of the tabernacle were reared and the
, tent spread above.
Then Moses took the ark, and In
, the sight of all the people, he placed
therein the tablets of stone on
} which were written the command.
ments, and the rod and a pot of the
mama. And then he set the slaves
on the ark and put the mercy seat
) above the ark, and 1t was carried
within.
"See," whispered the people, one to
another, as the Levites bearing the
ark disappeared, see what Moses has,
: done with the rod, and the tablets of
stone given to him on the mountain
: and the pot of mamma"
YEA" cried Moses, turning towards
the people, and noting the solemn
hush which had fallen upon them,,
yea, 1t is the testimony of the Lord.
Beneath the mercy seat where God
will now have his abiding place in
the midst of Israel rest the evidences
of Gods presence with Israel thus far;
The rod through which God worked
such mighty deliverance, the pot of
mama the evidence of Gods miracu-,
lous feeding of his people In the
midst of the wilderness Businesses, the
tables of stone, the revelation of Gods
perfect will for the guidance of his;
people. These tokens of Gods deal
ings with his people rest beneath the
mercy seat, even as you, the children
of Abraham. are preserved under the
mercy seat of Gods love-"
Again silence fell upon the people
as Moses ceased speaking. The Levites
have withdrawn, leaving the ark in
the holy of holes, and the people
> stand eXpectant.
Moses will now enter and talk with,
Cod they whispered one to the
other.
, But while they thus spoke, the,
Cloud, which had stood upon the noun
, tain side, came and covered the Tab
ernacle, and the glory of the Lord
filled the place.
Never before had the people beheld
such glory and splendor. The Cloud
had always been thing of wonder by
: day and splendor of glory by night,
but now it glowed and scintillated
with a beauty transcendent.
Surely this was the temple of the
, Lord and he had come down and filled
it.
What temple in Egypt had they
ever seen which had been so visited
by the gods in whose name they had
been reared?
When had IL ever been that the