Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 2
Israel is told to follow the ark but keep a distance of “2000 cubits…that you may understand the way you are to go, for you have not gone this way before”—what does that combination of nearness and distance teach about approaching God’s holiness, and how might early Christians have applied that instinct to worship and the church’s sacraments?
Another way to ask: Why did God tell Israel to follow the ark but stay far back so they could know the way? What does that teach about coming near to a holy God, and how might early Christians have brought that attitude into worship and the sacraments?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
The transcript suggests Israel had to stay close enough to follow God’s presence but far enough to respect His holiness and let Him lead, since they “have not gone this way before.” Early Christians, in the speaker’s view, carried that same instinct into worship by treating Christ’s presence in the church’s practices as real and weighty, not casual.
- The command held both nearness and distance: “go after it…But there shall be a distance…2000 cubits…do not come near it.”
- The reason was guidance and humility: “that you may understand the way you are to go, for you have not gone this way before.”
- The speaker emphasizes the ark as God’s presence: “God’s presence was here…You wanted to be where the ark was.”
- He links the ark to Christ and worship: “Some of the early Christians said that it represents the body of Christ…pure within and without.”
- He hints at sacramental reverence: “Christ and his body need to be at the center of our worship…Does this remind you of communion?” and later, communion is “way more than a symbol.”