284. The points just made about the delivery, holiness, and power of this law are found in the following passages in the Word: Jehovah came down on Mount Sinai in fire, and then the mountain smoked and quaked, and there was much thunder and lightning, a thick cloud, and the sound of a trumpet (Exodus 19:16-18; Deuteronomy 4:11; 5:22-26). Before Jehovah came down, the people prepared and sanctified themselves for three days (Exodus 19:10-11, 15). The mountain was fenced all around to prevent anyone from dying as a result of approaching it. Not even priests went up; only Moses (Exodus 19:12-13, 20-23; 24:1-2). The law was delivered on Mount Sinai (; Deuteronomy 5:6-21). The law was engraved on two tablets of stone and was written by the finger of God (Exodus 31:18; 32:15-16; Deuteronomy 9:10). When Moses carried the tablets down the mountain for the second time, his face was glowing so much that he covered it with a veil while he was speaking to the people (Exodus 34:29-35). The tablets were stored in the ark (Exodus 25:16; 40:20; Deuteronomy 10:5; 1 Kings 8:9). The mercy seat was placed on top of the ark, and angel guardians made of gold were placed on top of the mercy seat (Exodus 25:17-21). The ark with its mercy seat and angel guardians was put in the tabernacle and constituted the primary and inmost part of it. The table covered with gold for the showbread, the golden altar for incense, and the golden lampstand with its lamps constituted an outer part of the tabernacle. The ten curtains made of [threads of] fine linen and of purple and scarlet [yarn] constituted the tabernacles outermost part (; ; 40:17-28). The place where the ark was kept was called the most holy place (Exodus 26:33). The entire Israelite population camped around the tabernacle tribe by tribe in a specific arrangement and traveled in a specific sequence behind it (). At those times there was a cloud over the tabernacle by day and a fire by night (Exodus 40:38; ; 14:14; Deuteronomy 1:33). Jehovah spoke to Moses from a place on top of the ark between the angel guardians (Exodus 25:22; Numbers 7:89). Because of the law that was inside it, the ark was called "Jehovah" there. When the ark would set out, Moses would say, "Arise, Jehovah. " When it would rest, he would say, "Return, Jehovah" (Numbers 10:35-36; also 2 Samuel 6:2; Psalms 132:7-8). Due to the holiness of this law, Aaron was not allowed to go behind the veil unless he offered sacrifices and burned incense (Leviticus 16:2-14 and following). The waters of the Jordan river were split by the presence of the Lord's power in the law that was inside the ark; and as long as the ark was resting in the middle of the riverbed, the people crossed on dry land (; 4:5-20). When the ark was carried around the walls of Jericho, they fell down (Joshua 6:1-20). Dagon, an idol of the Philistines, fell to the ground in front of the ark, and afterward lay on the threshold of the shrine decapitated, with the palms of its hands cut off (1 Samuel 5). Because of the ark, as many as several thousand inhabitants of Beth Shemesh were struck down (1 Samuel 5 and 6). Uzza died because he touched the ark (2 Samuel 6:7). David brought the ark back into Zion with sacrifices and shouts of triumph (2 Samuel 6:1-19). Solomon brought the ark into the Temple in Jerusalem where he had made a sanctuary for it (1 Kings 6:19; ).