The Ark of the Covenant

[The Lord said] “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. 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. 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. You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them. The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you. You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.” (Exodus 25:10-22 ESV).

 

To learn about the Ark of the Covenant, we need to look to the authority of the Bible. We won’t find the right information in movies like Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, or in other stories or legends. Our reading today gives us the first instruction in the construction and purpose of the Ark. Some translations of the Bible call the Ark a “chest” so that young readers won’t confuse it with Noah’s ark, which was huge (Genesis 6:15). Others call the cover “the mercy seat” because God is described as enthroned there between the cherubim, or angels, (cf. 1 Samuel 4:4). Other translations call it “the atonement cover.” And once a year the high priest would enter the Most Holy Place and sprinkle blood on the cover of the ark to make atonement for the people’s sin.

 

Forgiveness and mercy were central to God’s relationship with his people. And to this day Jews celebrate the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), as one of their most holy days. In the ark were the Ten Commandments. These laws show us our need of a Savior. We need atonement and forgiveness. When Jesus, our ultimate High Priest, shed his blood for us, he made the ultimate atonement, fulfilling the requirements of the law “once for all” (cf. Hebrews 10:10). God is indeed forgiving and merciful. We need look no further. Have you looked to Jesus?