ARK OF THE COVENANT
A. The ark is described
in Ex 25:10-22, 37:1-9.
B. The ark of the
covenant is so called because the ten commandments, or the Mosaic Covenant,
were deposited in it. Num 10:33; Deut 31:26; Heb 9:4. It contained three items
actually: the tablets of the Law,
Aaron’s rod that budded, and the pots of manna.
C. It is also called
the ark of the testimony, because it witnessed God’s holiness and the people of
Israel’s sinfulness, Ex 25:16, 22.
D. It is called the ark
of God to indicate God’s presence with Israel, 1 Sam 3:3, 4:11.
E. As a symbol of
divine presence, the ark was carried at the head of the column of the army as
the point, thus indicating divine protection of the Jews while in transit, Num
10:33; Deut 1:33; Ps 132:8.
F. The ark of the
covenant was involved in the crossing of the Jordan, Josh 3:11-17, 4:7, 11, 18.
The ark held back the water.
G. The ark was used as
an offensive weapon on Jericho, Josh 6:4-12.
H. The ark was captured
by the Philistines. They had nothing but trouble with it, so they sent it back,
1 Sam 4:3-11 cf 5:7, 7:2.
I. The ark stayed at Kiriath-jearim
(1 Sam 7:2) until David moved the ark to Jerusalem, 2 Sam 6:1-19. A soldier was
killed for handling it.
J. Solomon had the ark
put in the temple when it was built, 1 Kg 8:6-9. It stayed there except during
the reign of Manasseh, who put up phallic images in the Holy of Holies. It was
restored by the Levites, 2 Chr 35:3.
K. The ark was
destroyed in 586 B.C. under the fifth cycle of discipline by Nebuchadnezzar.
There is no record of it ever being replaced. Why? Because it was no longer needed, says Jer 3:16.
L. The ark in relation
to the mercy seat, Heb 9:4; Rom 3.
1. The wood
represents Christ’s humanity, the gold His deity.
2. The tables of
the Law represent sin in the sense of transgression of known divine laws.
3. Aaron’s rod
that budded represents sin in revolt against God’s order.
4. The pot of
manna represents sin as rejection of God’s provision.
5. Sin inside the
ark is a picture of the work of the cross. Christ bore our sins inside of
Himself.
6. The mercy seat
is God’s side of the cross. The cherubs represent perfect righteousness and
justice of the Father, both of which are satisfied by the blood of Christ,
sprinkled on the mercy seat.
7. In the
Millennium the presence of Christ replaces the ark. _
© 1989, by R. B. Thieme, Jr. All rights reserved.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------