The Ark of the Covenant: Where heaven touches earth.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
[Taj Mahal]
[pyramids]
[Parthenon]
[NY’s Freedom Tower]
Out of all the glorious structures man has ever designed or built, there is one that stands above them all in importance.
{replica at Timna]
The Tabernacle stands as the most glorious structure ever built for its designer was God and the details are significant. God created the heavens and the earth and all that is on and in them in six days, yet it takes 40 days for God to reveal all the details of the Tabernacle and its important parts.
By man’s standards the Tabernacle didn’t seem so significant. It wasn’t large in size. The tent would fit inside a decent sized church building, being only 15 feet wide and 45 feet long. The total area including its courtyard surrounded by a tall fence enclosed an area of about 10,000 square feet.
The tent structure was divided into two rooms: the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, where the LORD came down among His. But the Tent itself was not especially ornate; it was beautiful but not dazzling.
However, it is the only structure designed by God and constructed according to His pattern. More uniquely, it was designed in such a way to teach the way of salvation.
In verse 9, the tabernacle and all its furniture are to be built exactly like the pattern God shows Moses, suggesting that there is a model that God showed Moses, suggesting this is an earthly replica of a heavenly reality, (Heb. 8:5).
who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, “See,” He says, “that you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.”
So what is the structure’s purpose?
to teach about the LORD’s character.
to teach what it means to have a relationship with the LORD
to be used in the worship of the LORD.
Details of the Ark of the Covenant, 25:10-16.
Details of the Ark of the Covenant, 25:10-16.
With all the detail given in the tabernacle instructions, there is still a great deal of information that we do not have. Those who received the instruction clearly knew what was being talked about, and needed no more directions.
A. The Ark (chest, box), 25:10-11.
A. The Ark (chest, box), 25:10-11.
We read in v. 10 that the ark (literally chest or box) was made of Acacia wood, growing to a height of about 20 feet, and plentiful around the area of Mount Sinai.
[picture of acacia tree]
It was a wood well-suited for its use in the construction of different elements of the Tabernacle, since the wood was durable and resistant to disease and insects
The length of a cubit is the length of an average forearm, approximately 17.5 to 20.5 inches. Let’s be on the shorter end of this and say 18 inches. This would make the ark in our measure 45 inches long, 27 inches wide and 27 inches high. It was in the shape of a rectangular box.
[Ideas of what ark might have looked like, with mercy seat atop]
[Another picture]
Being first in the instructions, it is the most important. It is the only furnishing in the Holy of Holies. It was symbolic of God’s throne and the focus of God’s presence with His people, it is the central point of contact between heaven and the tabernacle, the earthly symbol of heaven. The tabernacle was built according to God’s pattern to house the ark of the covenant, so that God could dwell among his people.
The overlay, which is mentioned here in verse 11, on the basis of Egyptian archaeology, is understood to probably refer to thin sheets of hammered gold held in place by small nails.
The wood of the ark was not to be evident as a result of the overlay.
Since God is a God of beauty, the moulding around the top edge may have been both utilitarian as well as aesthetically pleasing.
This ark of wood overlaid with gold typifies the the union of Jesus’ divine and human natures (Phil. 2:6-11). The Scriptures teach us that Jesus had two natures but not two personalities. Christ is the God-Man (2 Cor. 5:19), the express image of God (Heb. 1:3), and both the embodiment and expression of His fullness (Col. 1:15-19). The gold gave a glow to the wood in the ark, just as the deity of Christ glorified His humanity during His earthly ministry (Acts 2:22; 10:38).
The ark in the holy of holies was symbolic of the Lord's glory in two ways:
The ark dwelt among mankind; Christ was manifested to mankind during His earthly pilgrimage.
The ark represented the throne of God where He manifested His glory; Christ is seated at the right hand of God in all His glory (Eph. 1:19-23).
B. The Rings and the Poles, 25:12:15.
B. The Rings and the Poles, 25:12:15.
Verse 12 tells us of the casting of four pure gold rings.
These four rings were to be attached to the feet (KJV; corners) one ring for each foot, two rings on each side of the ark. These were necessary for the transporting of the ark from place to place during the wanderings of the children of Israel. Into these rings were to be inserted two poles with which to transport the ark.
Now verses 13-16 give us details about the poles used to carry the ark. The poles that were to be used were not just any two poles. They were to be of the same durable acacia wood and each pole was to be overlaid with gold, no wood exposed.
The poles were to be inserted through the gold rings, one pole through two rings on the sides of the ark. The purpose was to use the poles to carry the ark. No one was to manhandle the ark by grabbing the chest, nor was it to be transported by any means other than by carrying it with the poles that were not to be removed from the rings attached to the ark.
The holiness of the ark is no doubt why it is not to be touched. Remember when David tried to return the ark to Jerusalem on a cart, and when it looked about to fall out of the cart, Uzzah placed his hand on it to steady it and was killed instantly (see 2 Samuel 6:3-7). This was because the Israelites had instructions given to them by God on how the ark was to be treated.
C. The Ark’s contents, 25:16.
C. The Ark’s contents, 25:16.
Verse 16 tell us that the ark was not meant to be an empty box. Moses is told that he is to put in the ark the Testimony, i.e., the tablets containing the law, which God will give to him. This depositing of the law in a sacred place is also known from other ancient sources of that time.
Later it would hold “a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod which budded” as well as “the tables of the covenant” Hebrews 9:4
The manna foreshadowed Christ and His ministry in many ways. The Lord referred to himself as “the true bread from heaven.”
He is the true manna and is sufficient to meet the needs of all people (Phil. 4:19),
And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
to satisfy hungry souls (Matt. 5:6),
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
to strengthen believers for service (Phil. 4:13)
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
and to sustain them in that service (1 Cor. 10:13).
No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
The budding rod was a picture of Christ’s resurrection, Just as a dead rod not only budded, blossomed and yielded almonds, Jesus was resurrected after three days, breaking the bars of death and validating His resurrection by appearing alive ten times over a forty day period. He alone is “the resurrection and the life.”
It is only through Jesus that we can have have resurrection life; only though Him that we can bear fruit that will bring him glory (John 15:5)
“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
-- godly character as we appropriate the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23);
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
as we walk with Him, the fruit of our conduct which brings glory to His name (Eph. 4:17-32); the fruit of our witness --new followers of Christ (Rom. 1:3-5).
The tablets of the Law, engraved on stone. The first set was broken by Moses, but a second set was graciously made and put into the ark.
Christ’s life and ministry were in definite fulfillment of the Law.
But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,
He had the law written within His heart.
I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart.”
“Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (In the scroll of the book it is written of Me) To do Your will, O God.’ ”
After saying above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have not desired, nor have You taken pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the Law),
then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second.
Jesus said of Himself,
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.
He bore the curse of the law by being made a curse for us.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”—
Paul wrote,
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Each of these items is a perpetual memorial to God’s care for his children Israel.
2. Details of the mercy seat, 25:17-22.
2. Details of the mercy seat, 25:17-22.
A. Material and size, 25:17.
A. Material and size, 25:17.
Verses 17-22 describe the item that was to be the top of the ark, the propitiatory, or mercy seat. the Hebrew word for it is the kapporet, the place of atonement. This term may have a double emphasis or meaning; its root, kpr, has to do with a literal covering, the symbolic use has to do with covering over or blotting out sin.
This seat, the same length and width of the ark, was a solid slab pure gold--nothing else. But it wasn’t the only part of this piece of work.
B. The Cherubim figures, 25:18-20.
B. The Cherubim figures, 25:18-20.
Verses 18-20 tell us of the gold work fashioned into the mercy seat. The LORD told Moses that there was to be two cherubim on the top two ends of the mercy seat. They were to be made of Gold, hammered work in a form or shape that probably was standing rather than crouching. Their look came from the pattern Moses had seen since there is no description of what they look like except that they have wings. Ezekiel 1:5-11 may give us an visualization of what they may have looked like.
These two Cherubim were all a part of the one piece mercy seat.
Verse 20 describes the positioning of the cherubim. Their wings were to face upward, toward each other so as to form a cover over the mercy seat as the cherubim face each other and the mercy seat.
C. The placement of the mercy seat, 25:21.
C. The placement of the mercy seat, 25:21.
According to verse 21, the mercy seat was set upon the ark. We do not know whether there was a separate door into the ark itself, or if entrance to the inside was by removing the mercy seat -- what we do know is that Moses is once again commanded to place the testimony (tablets of stone) which God Himself will give him, into the ark.
D. The purpose of the mercy seat, 25:22.
D. The purpose of the mercy seat, 25:22.
For Moses, these final words in verse 22 spoke of where he would meet with God to hear all that God would command him. No longer would he have to climb up the slopes of Sinai, but he would have the unique privilege of entering into the Holy Holies to meet with the LORD Himself, who would speak to Moses face to face from above the cherubim on the mercy seat. There, God would speak to Moses about all that He would give to Moses in commandment for the sons of Israel. No one else, not even Aaron, was so privileged.
In the time of the Tabernacle, the mercy seat was made a place of propitiation when the sacrificial blood was sprinkled on it once a year on the Day of Atonement. Typifying the divine throne of God among His people, the mercy seat was transformed from a throne of judgment to a throne of grace when it was sprinkled with the atoning blood. Today, sinners have a mercy seat in the blood-sprinkled body of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross as an atonement to expiate sin.
It is because of His love for mankind that God initiated a a plan by which people could be reconciled back to Him. It is God who initiated this: 1 John 4:10.
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
The concept of propitiation in the NT has the idea of satisfying the righteous demands of a holy God, thereby making it possible for the removal of sin that stands between God and mankind. This was accomplished by Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross for sin. It was His shed blood which completely satisfied all the demands of a holy God for the judgment of sin, making it possible for God to declare and treat as righteous all those who come to Him.
The propitiation offered by the high priest, had to be done every year. In contrast, Jesus, “having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God (Heb. 10:8); Jesus’s one offering “perfected for all time those who are being sanctified” (Heb. 10:10).
The extent of this propitiation through Christ is universal. John stated, “And he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world”(1 Jn. 2:2).
and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.
The Lord’s propitiatory work is sufficient for everyone but is only efficacious to those who willingly receive it. Today, people do not have to continually beg God to forgive their sins, because God has once and for all been propitiated through Jesus’ blood. All people have to do to be reconciled to God is receive the finished work of the Lord Jesus on their behalf. Paul summed it up well when he wrote,
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;
whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;
for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
If you have not been reconciled to God, why are you waiting? Right now, recognize your sinful condition; by faith, come to the mercy seat through the shed blood of Jesus Christ and be declared righteous through His grace.