Ark of The Testimony

English Standard Version Chapter 25

They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 11 You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside shall you overlay it, and you shall make on it a molding of gold around it.

English Standard Version Chapter 25

12 You shall cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four feet, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it.

English Standard Version Chapter 25

And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you.

We are coming to the end of a 7 week series of messages looking at the Tabernacle God gave to Moses 3400 years ago. Hebrews 8:5 teaches us that God was the architect of the Tabernacle and that each piece was a Shadow on earth of Heavenly truths. The pattern laid out by God teaches us how to approach God and how to deepen in relationship with Him.

Now, think through this as if you were a priest walking up to the Tabernacle and let’s walk through each section together for one final time.

Gate - Jesus is our Gateway to God.

Altar of Burnt Offering - Jesus is our Sacrifice.

Bronze Laver - Jesus is our Sanctification.

Table of Bread - Jesus Sustains Us.

Lampstand - Jesus gives the Light to give us Spiritual Sight.

Altar of Incense - Jesus Intercedes for us.

Mercy Seat - Jesus offers us Fellowship with God.

Ark of the Covenant - Jesus is our TESTIMONY.

The Testimony of God in the Shadow of the Ark.

Ark - (tebah) = “Box or Chest”

When the priest walked up to the Ark, he knew that it was a symbol of the Covenant God made with His people through His Word, the 10 Commandments. That ark or chest also reminded him of the Testimony that God gave of Himself to the people. God had 3 items placed in the Ark that testified again and again of God’s character.

This is very important. Jude, one of the half brothers of Jesus wrote in Jude 1:20,

But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit...

It appears, that God knew that at times our faith would get weak on our journey and at times when we are weak, He wants us to remember that He is Strong! When we are fearful, He is Fearless! When we are unfaithful, He is Always Faithful. How? by reminding us of how He has proven Himself over and over again.

That is very important when you are facing a world-wide pandemic that doesn’t seem like it wants to go away anytime soon. When our world has been slammed with 13 hurricanes already and others are forming out in the ocean. Wildfires and earthquakes have been rampant in 2020. Add to that the division we are experiencing here in America. Is it any question as to why the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently published on their website that...

1 in 3 adults show symptoms of significant anxiety.

41 % of the 18-29 year olds show symptoms of significant anxiety

Of the 41%, 25.5% of them have already considered suicide.

God knows your journey will not always be easy and at these times we must come into HIs presence and remind ourselves about our God! Sometimes you have to STIR YOURSELF UP IN YOUR FAITH!!!

1. The Ark Testifies to CHRIST.

Look at Exodus 25: 10-12.

Wood = Humanity - 4 ft by 2/12 ft

Gold = Divinity - God

Crown Molding on the top for the lid = Crown

4 rings - 4 is the number of earth. (east, west, north and south) - 4 corners of the earth.

We see these shadows even in the one whom God appointed to be the master craftsman.

Bezalel - In the SHADOW of God.

Exodus 31: 2-5,

See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, 4 to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, 5 in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft.

2. The Ark Testifies to God’s PRESENCE with You on Your Journey.

The Tabernacle and the Ark was designed to be portable. God never asked to be placed in one specific spot in your life where you set an appointment each week to come meet with Him and then live the rest of the week as if He wasn’t there.

In fact, when the Israelites moved from one place to the other on their journey through the desert and heading to the land God promised, the Ark was to go in front of them. The same when they went into battle, the Ark was to go in front of them.

Numbers 10: 35-36, we read when the Ark lead out in front on their journeys.

And whenever the ark set out, Moses said, “Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.” 36 And when it rested, he said, “Return, O Lord, to the ten thousand thousands of Israel.”

As you travel, we are to follow Jesus. Let His presence be our guide.

3. The Ark Testifies of God’s PROTECTION.

Acacia Wood - (Picture)

a. Tannin:

One interesting fact is that when browsed on by, for example giraffes, some acacia trees release a toxin known as tannin. This makes the leaves inedible and causes the animal to seek ‘greener pastures’. The toxin can be quite dangerous to the animals if ingested and can be lethal.

b. Ethylene:

A zoologist from South Africa, Wouter Van Hoven found that acacia trees also have another chemical defense system, whereby they release a chemical called ethylene.  This chemical can travel up to 45m (50 yards), ‘warning’ other acacias in the vicinity.  Within 15 minutes all the neighbouring trees increase the tannin levels in their leaves, making the area pretty unappetizing to tree-browsing animals.

3. Stinging Ants:

A third manner the tree protects itself is at the end of its thorns, it produces a hollow bulb in which stinging ants live. The ants eat the sap from the tree and in turn attack and sting any herbivore that comes to eat the leaves.

4. Fire Resistant:

A fourth adaptation is that Acacia trees are fire resistant. Even if the tree is burned by a fire, its root are so deep that it continues to live and sprouts again.

Could these be the reason God specifically told Moses to use Acacia wood to build the Ark with?

Listen, you will have predators come at you on your life’s journey, especially as you strive to live for God.

2 Timothy 3:12,

English Standard Version Chapter 3

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

1`Peter 5: 8-9,

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith

Now consider this. The toxins that protected the acacia trees come from within itself. Remember that the Ark is made of wood, covered in gold - humanity enveloped by God. When you become a follower of Christ, you become a child of God. You become the Temple of the Holy Spirit. He lives in you. Where does your protection come from when the enemy attacks? Your protection comes from the Spirit of God in you.

This is why we are told by the Apostle Paul to...

Galatians 5:25,

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

Romans 8:11,

 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Ephesians 6: 10-11,

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

4. The Ark Testifies of God’s PROVISION.

Hebrews 9: 4,

having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant.

Look inside the Ark.

3 Items in the Ark

MANNA = SUSTAINS - PROVIDES

(Exodus 16: 34)

Remember how God provided daily, just enough manna from heaven as the people needed on their journey. Also, consider this, as long as they could provide for themselves, the manna did not show up, it only appeared when they could not provide for themselves - God stepped in and sustained them.

The Gospel writer John recorded in John 6: 32-33,

Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

AARON’S ROD = RESURRECTION - NEW LIFE

(Number 17: 10)

In the book of Numbers, we read that some of the Israelites began to rebel again Aaron being made High Priest. So God had Moses have the leaders of the 12 tribes bring their staff and each write their name on their staff and give to Moses. He placed them in front of the Ark and the staff that budded would be God’s chosen man.

Numbers 17: 8, 10,

On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds. ...10 And the Lord said to Moses, “Put back the staff of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebels

Why is this so powerful? Because a staff is a piece of dead wood. God made life come from that which was dead. in fact, to further show Christ, the staff budded with Almond Blossoms. Almond blossoms were called, the “Awakening Ones.”

When you are traveling your journey and your faith gets weak. Go look in the mirror and remind yourself of the New Life God has made come forth out of you. Jesus makes dead things come to life!

Ephesians 2:5,

even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved

2 Corinthians 5:17,

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come

10 COMMANDMENT TABLETS = GOD’S WORD - INSTRUCTION

(Deuteronomy 10: 4-5)

Jeremiah 31: 33-34,

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

MUSICIANS Play...

Big Take-Away:

Christianity is more than a Religion…it’s a RELATIONSHIP.

Christianity is more than a Discipline…it’s a DEVOTION.

It’s interesting to note that somewhere around the invasion of the Babylonians in 586 B.C. the Ark of the Testimony went missing.

Last week I shared with you when Jesus died upon the cross, the veil in the Temple ripped from top to bottom. Now understand this, when the Holy of Holies was opened on the earth, the Ark and Mercy Seat were not there. Yet the Scriptures declare that Jesus went into heaven itself and sprinkled His blood for your atonement on the Mercy Seat in Heaven.

In Revelation 11:19 we read that one day when the unbelieving world stands before the Great White Throne of Judgment that the Temple of God will open and within His temple was seen the Ark of His Covenant.

Why? because when mankind proves to be unfaithful, God is still faithful.

There was a time when the people of Judah took God for granted and forgot the covenant and lost their Ark, but remember, the tabernacle and all the furnishing were just replicas of the true tabernacle in Heaven and the furniture was just a replica of what we have in Jesus.

God Never Forgets His Covenant.

Response: