We are in Numbers chapter two with our word for today. תָּ֫וֶךְ middle, midst, center, in the middle of. It is used 420 times in the Old Testament. Our word is used in the sense of middle time period, the time between the beginning and the end of a temporal period. 1 Kings 3:20 And she arose בְּת֨וֹךְ at midnight and took my son from beside me, while your servant slept. We find our word used in the sense of middle area, an area that is approximately central within some larger region. Genesis 15:10 And he brought him all these, cut them בַּתָּ֔וֶךְ in half, and laid each half over against the other. Joshua 13:16 So their territory was from Aroer, which is on the edge of the Valley of the Arnon, and the city that is בְּתוֹךְ in the middle of the valley. 2 Samuel 3:27 And when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into תּ֣וֹךְ the midst of the gate to speak with him privately. 2 Samuel 6:17 And they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place, בְּת֣וֹךְ inside the tent that David had pitched for it. Most of the uses of our word are in the sense midst, the location of something surrounded by other things. Exodus 14:22, 23, 27 And the people of Israel went בְּת֥וֹךְ into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into תּ֖וֹךְthe midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen … So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the Lord threw the Egyptians בְּת֥וֹךְinto the midst of the sea. This is how our word is used twice in our chapter today. Numbers 2:17, 33 Then the tent of meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites בְּת֣וֹךְ in the midst of the camps; as they camp, so shall they set out, each in position, standard by standard … But the Levites were not listed בְּת֖וֹךְ among the people of Israel, as the Lord commanded Moses. It is interesting that not only was the tent of meeting and the Levites to camp in the middle of the camp but even when they were to set out they were behind the tribes on the east and south sides. And behind them were the tribes on the west and north sides. So even when they traveled the tent of meeting and the Levites were in the middle. Throughout the Bible God desires that his people keep him in the center of all of their life. I’ll close with some great passages from Psalms as reminders. Psalm 40:8 I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is בְּת֣וֹךְwithin my heart. Psalm 109:30 With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord; I will praise him וּבְת֖וֹךְ in the midst of the throng. Psalm 116:17-19 I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the Lord, בְּֽת֘וֹכֵ֤כִי in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!
