The Ark of The Covenant

The Furniture in The Tabernacle

The Ark of  The Covenant
Exodus 25:10-16

“And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.  And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.” (Exodus 25:10-11)

The word translated ‘ark’ means a box. The ark of the covenant is the box which would contain the record of the contract or covenant between Israel and God.  The Ark itself was a wooden box about forty five inches long, and twenty seven wide and twenty seven inches high.  It was then to be gilded or have gold leaf  applied inside and out and a gold rim or crown attached to the top edge to keep the lid on.

“And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.  And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.  And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.  The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.” (Exodus 25:12-14)

Because it would be necessary to transport the Ark from place to place, Gold rings were attached to each side to hold poles for carrying it.  The poles were to be gilded as well and were to remain in place at all times.  This design made it a simple matter for four men to carry it.

“And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.” (Exodus 25:16) 

The testimony or tables of stone were in effect, Israel’s Constitution, their basis of government and law.  The Ark itself was designed to protect and transport the document while constantly reminding them of God’s standard.  Every action was to be measured by that standard.

Just as the Ark was the  basis for the Jewish system, Christ is the basis of Christianity.  He is the standard by which every person according to Acts 17:31.  “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”

Even the materials selected depict Christ, with the wooden box demonstrating his human nature and the gold representing his divinity.  He is both God and Man.

About seven hundred years later, the ark would be placed in the temple.  It was carried to Babylon and returned and again placed in the temple where it remained until Jerusalem was destroyed by Rome. It’s present whereabouts is unknown.  Unfortunately, in Eli’s day, the nation of Israel forgot that the box was only a representation, and would begin focus on the box rather than what it represented, and God allowed it to be taken away for a brief period.