God's Ark

Going back to the Old Testament, we see God’s plan for how He was to live among us. When we look at Exodus, we see that God’s plan to live among His people was to create an Ark. This ark was to be placed inside the Tabernacle, all of which is described in Exodus 25. Specifically, in Exodus 25:10-22, we read about how the Ark was to be constructed.

Notice first that God gives very specific instructions on how to create the Ark. The dimensions are specific. The placement of the decorations is specific. God is being specific because He needs this to be perfect. We read that God is actually going to meet with His people there at the mercy seat.

In Numbers 4, we read about how the Tabernacle is to be broken down for travel. Notice that only the Priests and the High Priest are allowed in – this was true at all times. They were not allowed to go into the Most Holy Place, the place where the Ark was, except for once a year during the Day of Atonement. Even during those times when they needed to move the entire Tabernacle, they were not allowed to go in. Numbers 4:5-6 tells us that they were to take the veil down and cover the Ark with it, never actually looking upon the Ark. We also see that the wooden poles were inserted so that the Ark could be properly carried. After similarly taking down the entire Tabernacle and preparing it for travel, Numbers 4:15 tells us that the sons of Kohath were to carry everything using these poles so that they would not touch the holy objects.

As time goes on, the Israelites move into the Promised Land and the Ark finds several resting places. Finally, the day comes that David becomes king and he desires to have the Ark moved to Jerusalem. 1 Chronicles 13 tells us about David’s attempt to move the Ark to Jerusalem. David wanted to do the right thing by bringing the Ark to the capital of the nation for the purpose of inquiring of it since they had not done this during Saul’s reign. David wanted to ensure that he as king was doing what God wanted and not his own will. This was good of David, but he didn’t know how to do this properly.

So he undertakes to build a new cart, pulled by oxen. Now we know that God had instructed the Israelites on how to carry the Ark, but the nation had forgotten His word and His ways. So they did what seemed right to them. Proverbs 14:12 tells us that “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” This is exactly what happens here. Uzzah touches the Ark to steady it at one point where the travel was a bit bumpy and we read that God’s anger burned against Uzzah and God struck him down. Why did Uzzah have to die? Uzzah's death resulted from prolonged (though well-intentioned) disobedience to God's direction by the entire nation. God had told them how to honor the ark, a sign of his presence. Their sloppiness revealed a lack of concern for God's honor.

Following this, 1 Chronicles 15 tells us that David did his research and realized why God was angry. He calls upon the Levites to carry the Ark to Jerusalem using poles instead of the cart. In verse 15, we find that he has them carry the Ark using the poles as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of God. As the chapter continues, we learn that the Ark makes it to Jerusalem and no one is as excited about this as David himself.

In 1 Chronicles 17, we read that David wanted to build a house for God. This means that he wanted to build the Temple to place the Ark in. After all, it is at the Ark that God’s presence is on the earth. But God tells him that he will not be allowed to build this house. Instead, his son would. The point here is that God continues to agree that He lives wherever the Ark is and that He will move from the Tabernacle (tent) into the house ( Temple) when the time is right.

2 Chronicles 3:1 tells us that Solomon was the son who would build the temple. Chapter 5 tells us how, once the Temple had been built, Solomon had the Ark brought into the Temple by the Levites, remembering the proper way to move the Ark. Once the Ark was in the Temple, the priests all sang worship to God and the Glory of God came down and filled the Temple. God loves when we do what He asks us to do, the way He asks us to do it. He also loves when we worship Him. Here we see that when we worship Him and do His will, He will come down and fill the place with His glory.

After this, Solomon does a dedication prayer and when he finishes, we see in 2 Chronicles 7, the Glory of God comes down, takes the sacrifices and fills the Temple. Once again, we see that God chooses to live where the Ark is, as He said had told Moses centuries earlier. God is faithful and when He promises something, He keeps His promises.

However, as time goes on, the people begin to go their own ways. They begin to forget about God. They begin to believe that they were worthy on their own. They begin to think that they don’t need God. It gets to the point that the people fight against God and His prophets. In Jeremiah 1:17-19, God tells Jeremiah that he would stand for God and the people would fight against him. But God promises that He would stay with Jeremiah through his battles and that he would be victorious in his battles.

Jeremiah 2:13 explains God’s frustration with the people. They don’t think they need God and they think that they can do it themselves. Jer 2:35, “you say, 'I am innocent; he is not angry with me.' But I will pass judgment on you because you say, 'I have not sinned.'” God will pass judgment on those who think they have not sinned against Him.

However, in Jeremiah 3:16, God tells us that there would come a day where the Ark would not be needed. He explains that although a great number would come back to Him, there would be no need for the Ark. This is interesting because at this point in time, the people do not understand how God could be with them and yet the Ark not be there because at this point in time, God’s presence and the Ark go together. However, in Jer 31:31-34, God tells us how this would be. The Ark, which held the tablets of stone on which were written the Ten Commandments, representing all the law, would not be needed any longer. The Ark of the Covenant would be the Ark of the Old Covenant. However, God was promising that in the future, there would be a New Covenant. He tells us that He would write His law on our hearts and that people would know Him. He tells us that this would lead to the forgiveness of our sins, meaning that we would no longer need to have the annual Day of Atonement to have our sins forgiven.

So when did this happen? We learn in Matthew 27:51 that the veil that separated the Most Holy Place was torn in two when Jesus died. That curtain was placed there to keep the Ark separated from the rest of the people. The only way into God’s presence was through a mediator, who was the High Priest, and the average person could not know God on his own. However, God had promised a New Covenant and when Jesus died, the final sacrifice was made. God no longer needed to speak to us through the High Priest because He had spoken to us through Jesus. Jesus became our High Priest and when he died, there was no more need for an earthly High Priest – Jesus had become our mediator. The New Covenant had come. We could now know God because He had now written the law on our hearts.

Galatians 4:6
Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father."

Romans 5:5
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

God now lives within us. His Holy Spirit lives in us. He has faithfully kept His promise and we can now come directly to Him in the Name of Jesus. The Ark of the Covenant is no longer needed because God now lives in us. Our hearts are now the place of God’s presence. We are the new Ark. Let us never forget that God who loves us, lives within us. Let us always remember to shine His light to the world so that they all may be saved.

Send mail to david@TheArkNY.org with questions about the church or comments about this site.
Last modified: June 10, 2007