The Ark of the Covenant

The Ark of the Covenant has been the theme of movies and has been the dream discovery of archeologists for several centuries, although it has never been found. Though we have never seen the Ark, we know much about it because the Old Testament describes it. It was the most important piece of furniture inside the Tabernacle, and it was the only piece of furniture that was located in the “Holy of Holies.”

The Ark was about four feet long by two feet wide and two feet high. It had three items inside. The first item was manna, the miraculous bread that God provided for his people during their forty years of traversing the desert. Moses said, "This is what the Lord has commanded: 'Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt’” (Exodus 16:32). God obviously, supernaturally preserved the jar of manna. It was there to symbolize how God satisfied their needs and how he would continue to be their faithful provider.

The second item in the ark was Aaron's staff. The reason Aaron’s staff was in the Ark is because God chose to use his staff as an illustration of his authority. During a time of rebellion, God told Moses to take the staffs from each leader of the twelve tribes. When they came back the next day, they saw that God had performed a miracle with Aaron’s staff. The text reads, “The next day Moses entered the Tent of the Testimony and saw that Aaron's staff,… had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds” (Num. 17:8-9). The staff reminded the people that God is in charge and that he expects submission to his authority.

The third item was the Ten Commandments. This was God’s covenant with his people. God told Moses to put a copy of the covenant inside the ark (Exod. 25:16). This covenant conveyed the terms by which God expected his people to live and under what conditions he would bless them. God promised to be their God, and they would be his people. That stone tablet was a reminder of God’s promises to his people and of his law.

The outside of the Ark of the Covenant was the most important thing about the whole Tabernacle. It was called “The Mercy Seat.” It was made of pure gold. It had mighty angles also made of gold called cherubim on both ends facing each other (Ex. 37:6-9). The mercy seat was made to represent God’s throne in heaven. David writes: “Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock; you who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth” (Ps. 80:1). The ark was the place of God’s presence and power.

Once a year, the High Priest would slaughter a goat for a sin offering for the people. The goat’s blood was offered for the sin of the people. The high priest would take the blood into the Holy of Holies, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat. In doing this, he would make atonement for Israel’s sin. When God looked down into that Tabernacle and saw the mercy seat and the blood on the mercy seat, his wrath was turned aside. When he saw the dark stain of the blood, he viewed the Israelites as righteous.

That is exactly how God views the sinner today who has allowed the blood of Jesus to be applied to his or her heart. God sees them as righteous, as his son. Their sin has been atoned for in Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross.

The Most Important Question

We all have our favorites in the Bible. One of mine is Jeremiah. God called him to be a prophet when he was very young. Jeremiah doubted his competence, and God had to assure him that he would be with him every step of the way. Jeremiah was a special prophet who asked thought provoking questions and gave soul stirring inquiries to his people. He lived at a time when people were more influenced by their culture than by their God. One of the questions Jeremiah asked needs to be asked today. He began one of his sermons with a description of some of the terrible things that were going on.

The people had lost their willingness to stay committed in friendships, business arrangements, marriage, and in even in their relationship with God. Because they had forgotten God, it affected every other area of their lives. Jeremiah writes that “disaster overtook them” (Jer. 2:3).

What a disaster! When they forgot God, they lost his presence in their lives. They lost his protection and provision. They had no idea how bitter their way would become. When they lost their commitment to marriage, they lost the love and integrity of a committed spouse. They lost their ability to be forgiven and to forgive each other. They were hurt, and they hurt each other.  How did this happen? The prophet says it began because they stopped asking the most important question in life.

Jer 2:6 They did not ask, 'Where is the LORD, who brought us up out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness, through a land of deserts and rifts, a land of drought and darkness, a land where no one travels and no one lives?' 7 I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance detestable. 8 The priests did not ask,’ Where is the LORD?’ Those who deal with the law did not know me; the leaders rebelled against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal, following worthless idols.

Our worth and identity come from God. When we abandon him, we lose our value. We start looking to others to provide our value. We depend on others’ approval for our identity. Our ability to distinguish right from wrong comes from God. When we lose that, we look to the culture to tell us how to live. Political correctness is an example of that. Our ability to forgive others and show compassion comes from God. When we lose this, we become bitter and resentful.

Jeremiah says, “They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord, who brought us up out of Egypt?’” In other words, they lost their spiritual roots. When you stop making God the very center of your life, you are headed for trouble. When you lose sight of what God did for you—you are traveling the wrong road. When you stop talking to God and stop running everything by him before you make your decisions, you are already chasing worthless idols. Let us begin each day by asking, “Where is the Lord in my family, my job, my church, and my life?”