The Ark of the Covenant has been the subject of much study and speculation over the millennia. Hebrews 9:3–5 gives us insight into its important place in Moses’ Tabernacle…
And behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.
Now the Tabernacle was a temporary, movable structure that was the center of worship for Israel during their 40 years in the wilderness and as they entered the Promised Land. Later on, these items were incorporated into the temple in Jerusalem.
One rule was that only the high priests could enter the Holiest of All place, where the Ark was kept, once a year to offer a sacrifice to cover the people’s sins.
The Ark served as the carrier of God’s presence. His Shekinah glory rested above it.
When Christ died on the cross, there was a great earthquake and the veil that separated the Holiest of All from the rest of the temple was torn from top to bottom. It was 30 feet high and 4 inches wide. It was torn from top to bottom by invisible hands (Matthew 27:51), symbolizing that God was no longer separated from people.
No longer was God’s presence only to dwell in this holy place. Something changed when Christ died. So what was it? Well, 1 Corinthians 6:19 is pretty clear…
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
You and I are now His Tabernacle. We are the carriers of God’s presence.
There is so much we learn about the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence within us as we study the Ark of the Covenant. For example, one of the things God specifically told Moses to put inside the Ark was the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments.
The tablets’ presence in the Ark tells us today that God’s Word needs to be in the heart of every believer if they’re going to flourish in the things of God. Paul summed it up very well in 1 Timothy 1:5…
Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith…
In other words, the purpose of the commandment (or God’s Word that we teach you) is to produce in you a pure heart, a clean conscience, and genuine faith.
A friend called me some time back and said, “Pastor, I have health issues and doctors say they can’t be fixed. I’m trying to trust God, but I feel like a ping-pong ball just getting bounced from one side of the table to the other. How do I believe?”
I said, “Listen, stop trying to believe. Just feed on God’s Word.”
In times of need, go through God’s Word and reflect on His promises to meet your needs. Read through the stories of how Jesus dealt with the sick and had mercy on them. Then realize He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
If you feed upon the Word without trying to believe or trying to have faith, faith will come unconsciously. The Word will do its work. It will produce a genuine faith in you.
Friend, no matter what you face in life, remember you are indwelt by the Spirit of the Living God—and nothing can take that away.
