Sermon Tone Analysis

*Ark of the Covenant.*

This year we have been looking together at the tabernacle – why?

Did it seem like an interesting topic, I have to pick some theme, something a bit obscure and different?

No, the whole point, is to get closer to יְהוָה!

*[P]* We have journeyed progressively closer – and last time we were there at the very threshold of where יְהוָה is!

At the golden altar!

*[P]* Just behind that curtain was the most holy place, the holy of holies, the inner sanctum, forbidden to men.

Only the high priest could go there, and that only once a year.

That is where the presence of יְהוָה is!

We have come to the presence of God.

A place we should approach with shoes removed and on bended knee.

Behind that curtain, what do we find but the ark! *[P]* This is the very first item described, the first thing that יְהוָה commanded to be made.

[*Exodus 25:10-22* /“They shall construct an ark of acacia wood two and a half cubits long, and one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high.

“You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and you shall make a gold moulding /(or crown)/ around it.

“You shall cast four gold rings for it and fasten them on its four feet, /(where are they in the picture?

Feet are at the bottom so that when carried on the shoulder the ark was exalted) /and two rings shall be on one side of it and two rings on the other side of it.

“You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.

“You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark with them.

“The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be removed from it.

“You shall put into the ark the testimony which I shall give you.

“You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide.

“You shall make two cherubim of gold, make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat.

“Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at its two ends.

“The cherubim shall have their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings and facing one another; the faces of the cherubim are to be turned toward the mercy seat.

“You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony which I will give to you.

“There I will meet with you;/ (do you want to meet with יְהוָה?)/ and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you /(Do you long to hear from God!) /about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel./]

How wonderful!

יְהוָה will meet with man! Where?

At the place of covenant.

With reverence and holy awe we step beyond the veil into the holiest place, where יְהוָה dwells, and gaze upon the Ark of the Covenant *[P]* – something the OT saints could never do.

Only on one day in the year did the high priest enter, dropped incense on His censer causing a cloud of perfumed smoke to dim the vision.

The Ark of the Covenant – here it is just called an “ark” and “Ark of the testimony” – it is not called “ark of the covenant” until (Num 10:33).

“Ark”, it sounds very spiritual and holy, but the word simply means a box – the same word is also used for a coffin; it is simply a chest.

Moses was commanded to make a box!

You sometimes hear people say that you cannot put God in a box – and neither can you.

Unfortunately, that is what some tried to do with this box – which is really idolatry – we will have a look at that tragedy a bit later on.

I have done things in reverse order – the very first instruction יְהוָה gave about the tabernacle concerned this object.

The tabernacle was built around the ark – it is the heart, the centre, the raison d’être.

The tabernacle was the dwelling of יְהוָה among His people – this is where the presence of God was!

That is the heart of the issue – that is what we need, what we need to seek above all else: the presence of God! *[P]* The Shekinah!

Here you enter through the veil to the most holy place, before the glorious presence of יְהוָה Himself!

There is a box – gold inside and out *[P]* – that is the glory of יְהוָה!

*[P]* There is gold, the cherubim, holy, glorious angelic creatures – that is what you expect in this inner sanctum.

But it is made of acacia wood!

Here in the very presence of God what do we find?

A wooden box!

The very last thing we would expect to find! Wood is what?

*[P]* Humanity in the most holy place – It is astounding – God took on human form!

It is a foundational doctrine, we are so familiar with it – but it is utterly staggering!

Here is יְהוָה!

And we find a human form!

Who is that?

We find JESUS!

*[P]* Overlaid with gold inside and outside – completely God!

Divine!

Glory!

It had a moulding of gold around it – what the KJV calls a “crown” – a crown of gold – man crowned Jesus with thorns, now He is crowned with glory.

“/The head that once was crowned with thorns is crowned with glory now/” Here we are, right there in the presence of יְהוָה!

And there is Jesus!

Jesus is יְהוָה – He is God!

If you want a Biblical proof to show the J.W.s read [*Isaiah 6:5* /For my eyes have seen the King, יְהוָה of armies/.]

then John 12 which quotes that passage in Isaiah 6 [*John 12:41*/ These things Isaiah said because he saw His/ (that is Jesus’) /glory, and he spoke of Him/.]

Yes, the Sunday school interpretation is right again – the ark is Jesus *[P]*.

On the box was a lid – called in the translation I read a “mercy-seat” – that is a huge topic in itself so, God willing, I will speak about it next time.

So, leaving that aside for now, let’s look at what was in the box: *[P]* [*Hebrews 9:4*/ the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant;/]

*Contents of the Ark:*

The testimony, *[P] *the 10 commandments written by the finger of יְהוָה on stone [*Deuteronomy 10:1-5* /“At that time יְהוָה said to me, ‘Cut out for yourself two tablets of stone like the former ones, and come up to Me on the mountain, and make an ark of wood for yourself.

‘I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered, and you shall put them in the ark.’ “So I made an ark of acacia wood and cut out two tablets of stone like the former ones, and went up on the mountain with the two tablets in my hand.

“He wrote on the tablets, like the former writing, the Ten Commandments which יְהוָה had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly; and יְהוָה gave them to me.

“Then I turned and came down from the mountain and put the tablets in the ark which I had made; and there they are, as יְהוָה commanded me.”/]

These were the terms of the covenant.

The ark is the “ark of the testimony” – these terms testified whether Israel was keeping the terms of the covenant or not.

It is also the “ark of the covenant” – here is the presence of God, you are near to Him, in relationship with God!

And יְהוָה only relates to man by a covenant – a binding agreement of loyalty and faithfulness by two parties.

God made a covenant with Abraham (different to this covenant – based on a promise not on a law), He made a covenant with Noah and with David – both different to this one.

We come to God’s presence only on the basis of a covenant – not this covenant, a covenant of law but a covenant of promise – the new covenant.

A covenant relationship was extremely serious and binding, it was always made with the shedding of blood, a death [*Hebrews 9:11-10:22* /Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it.

For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives.

Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood.

For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.”

And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood.

And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.

For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own.

Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their heart, And on their mind I will write them,” He then says, “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”/

(that is the new covenant)/ Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, let us draw near/.]

– right into יְהוָה’s presence!

We only enter into the holy presence of יְהוָה by a covenant, through the death of Jesus.

Not a law written on stone tablets but a law written on our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

The basis of covenant is חֶסֶד – loving-kindness, loyalty and faithful commitment.

If you are not in covenant relationship with יְהוָה you are not one of His people, you cannot come near.

Aaron’s rod that budded *[P]* – The leader of each tribe had a rod – it was the symbol of his authority to lead.

You recall how Moses did signs in Egypt and the wilderness through the rod he carried, through the authority of יְהוָה vested in him.

There was a time when the people rebelled against Moses and Aaron, they thought that they had just as much right to be leaders as them.

When יְהוָהkilled the ringleaders of the rebellion the people complained.

יְהוָה was angry and sent a plague which killed 14,700 people.

יְהוָה then told the leaders of each tribe to bring out leaders’ staff, mark it with his name and put it in front of the ark of the covenant.