The Ark of the Covenant

In short

Not Noah’s ark. This was a box, about the size of a small sofa, that contained the two stone tablets of the Ten Commandments. It was holy in every sense of the word – like, “touch it and you die” kind of holy.

(Yes, it looks like the one in Indiana Jones movie, though it might be a bit small in the film, judging by the pictures I saw.)

Why it is important

So, you have:

• The temple, which was sacred
• The Most Holy Place, a room in the temple that was even more sacred
• And then the ark, which was in the Most Holy Place, and was even more sacred

This top of it was called “the mercy seat,” and God himself would appear there (Ex 25:21-22)

It was carried on poles because you would die if you touched it* (next Friday’s lesson).

Get the idea yet? This is next-level holy.

What is the ark of the covenant?

“At that time the LORD said to me, Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and come up to me on the mountain and make an ark of wood. And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets that you broke, and you shall put them in the ark.’”

Deuteronomy 10:1-2

The Ten Commandments are often referred to as “the covenant” (Ex 34:28). Moses took a box up the mountain and put the Ten Commandments in it. It’s an ark containing the covenant.

Get it?

I’m telling you, I just learned that this year while doing these lessons.  

But was that THE ark of the covenant?

• Now, before this happens, Moses was told how to make the ark, and it is all very elaborate (Ex 25:10-21)
• Deuteronomy 10 is a retelling of Exodus 34
• After Ex 34, we read of another man, Bezalel, making the ark (Ex 37:1-9)
• And in Ex 40:20-21, we see that Moses “took the testimony and put it into the ark.”

The way I put all this together, it seems that Moses’ ark is not the same object as Bezalel’s ark. Bezalel’s ark seems to be THE ark, the one that eventually goes into the temple. But one seems to symbolize the other.

Deuteronomy 10 does not say that what Moses brought up the mountain was covered in gold; just that it was a box

Stories about the ark

There are several.

• It stops the Jordan River for Joshua to cross (Josh 3-4)
• It went on before the priests as they marched around Jericho (Josh 6)
• It was captured by an enemy in a rather funny story (1Sa 4-6)
• Uzzah dies, trying to stop it from falling (2Sa 6)
• And it was placed in the temple (1Ki 8)

After that**, there is only ONE verse about it in the Old Testament. And it is ominous. I am quite certain it is a prophecy of the church.

“And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. And when you have multiplied and been fruitful in the land, in those days, declares the LORD, they shall no more say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the LORD.’ It shall not come to mind or be remembered or missed; it shall not be made again. At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the LORD, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the LORD in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart.”

Jeremiah 3:15-17

Footnotes

* We assume this. Because when we read of Uzzah touching it, he died.

** Chronologically, I mean. Yes, there are mentions of the ark in 1 & 2 Chronicles, but the time of the stories overlap with 1 Kings.