The Dwelling Place of God with man - The Ark
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Text: Exodus 25:10-16
Intro: The ark of the covenant was roughly 45” long, 27” wide, and 27” tall. It would be similar in size to a modern day hope chest. It was like a It was made from incorruptible shittim wood, and covered inside and out with pure gold. It had a crown of pure gold running around the top, and had four golden rings, two on each side. Through these rings were passed staves which were round wooden poles covered in gold. The staves served as a way to carry the ark without touching the ark itself. These staves were never to be removed.
The name ark of the covenant was meaningful. The ark contained the tables that had been written with the finger of God which represented the covenant of law that God had with His people at Sinai. It also eventually contained a golden pot of manna which never corrupted, and Aaron’s rod that budded. Heb. 9:4
The ark was God’s throne in the midst of the nation of Israel.
The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble:
He sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.
Names Given in Scripture:
The ark of the testimony: Ex. 25:22
The ark of the covenant of the Lord: Num. 10:33
The ark of the Lord: Josh. 3:13
The ark of God: 1 Sam. 3:3
The ark of the Lord God: 1 Kings 2:26
The holy ark: 2 Chron. 35:3
The ark of thy strength: Ps. 132:8
The ark was the perfect symbol of our Lord Jesus Christ as God manifested Himself in human form. The incorruptible wood speaks to Him as the sinless one, sinless in conception, sinless in life, and death. The pure gold above the wood both inside and out speaks to that nature that was above all humanity, yet it resided within Him. (His Deity)
The ark with its two materials and yet, the one chest, repeats the continuous testimony, the two natures and the one, un-dividable personality of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Law-
Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire;
Mine ears hast thou opened:
Burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
Then said I, Lo, I come:
In the volume of the book it is written of me,
I delight to do thy will, O my God:
Yea, thy law is within my heart.
Christ was under the law, circumcised the eighth day according to the law. He perfectly kept every aspect of God’s holy law and He did not only toward God but toward man as well. In all of this we see clearly that the law of God was written within His heart and in that we have the picture of the ark as Christ. The One that said, “I came down from heaven”
I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
Everything He did was to bring people to the Father, to glorify and honor the Father.
He showed Himself as distinctly different from mankind in this regard. “Not my will, but thine, be done” What an absolute contrast from natural man. It was this that required He keep that law of Sinai. It was not for a mere example, that through it the law might save men… The Scriptures are clear concerning this. God the Father took no satisfaction in the yearly day of atonement, and those sacrifices offered. The sacrifice of bulls and goats could not take away sin. For this, God became man, to be offered once for all, and to become the Saviour of men. (Heb. 10:3-4) The law was satisfied through Christ.
Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Our Lord Jesus offered His prepared body as a sacrifice for sin according to the will of the Father. It was the will of God, that He become incarnate, offer Himself as a whole burnt offering, and as the perfect sin offering. This is the will that our Lord Jesus Christ came from heaven to do. He hid the law in His heart just as it was hidden in the ark of testimony. Jesus fulfilled it to the letter!
For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
The Manna- is a symbol of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Bread of life, the bread from heaven. Exodus 16:11-15 As manna fed the children of Israel through their journey to the promise land, so does the bread of life feed us as believers.
I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
Both the manna within the ark and the ark itself are a picture of His incarnation. The fact that He became incarnate, that He might die, rise again, ascent to Heaven and from it become the very source of new and spiritual life!The golden pot, signifying His deity, the manna, signifying this perfect humanity.
The Rod- After the rebellion and destruction of Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and their followers, God is going to show the nation His established plan through Aaron’s rod. Twelve rods are required, one from every tribe and every man was to write his name upon the rod. They were required to lay the rod before the testimony (ark) and God would show them His choice by making one of those rods blossom.
Aaron’s rod had budded, fully blossomed, and it bore the fruit of almonds. (Num. 17:8) It had gone through three stages - bud, blossom, and fruit. God said that who’s rod blossomed He shall choose but God gave us more imagery that just a blossomed rod. The almond tree is the first to bud after the cold death of winter. Of course a picture of the Resurrection. The living rod blossomed, and confirmed God’s plan through Aaron as priest, in this we have Christ’s priesthood. In the fact that if bore fruit, we have the difference between Aaron’s priesthood and Christs. Aaron died, and bears no more fruit, but Christ is the eternal priest, and will forever bear fruit.
But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
The rod placed in the ark with its bud, blossom and fruit was a witness of the Son of God. That He should become incarnate, bring the throne of God from Heaven to earth, that with omnipotent power He would offer Himself in sacrificial death, rise again and from His home in Heaven be the continual source of live, strength and abounding hope to all who should believe on Him.
The Crown- The ark was equipped with a crown of gold. Of course this is prophetic of the fact that the incarnate Son of God is the King of glory! Mt. 2:2 He was born a king. He rode to Jerusalem and offered Himself as King. Jn. 12:13-15. He was offered by Pilate to the Jews as their King. Jn. 19:14. He was crucified as King and so God the Father took Him to heaven as a rejected King, placed HIm at His right hand and bade Him sit until His enemies were made His footstool. Ps. 110:1. In heaven He is seen as both the Lamb that was slain, and the Lion out of Judah. He will be King upon the Holy Hill of Zion. Ps. 2:6. He is coming as King of kings, and Lord of lords. Rev. 19:16.
In the ark we see much concerning our Lord.
The law being in His heart.
The prepared body.
The Bread of life.
The Everlasting Priest.
The King of the Jews.
The King of kings.
The Lord of lords.
Incorruptible Man
Eternal God