89_Ark- A meeting place of God and man

Ex 25:10-22 “They shall make an ark of acacia wood. Two cubits[b] and a half shall be its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height. 11 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. 12 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. 13 You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 14 And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry the ark by them. 15 The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. 16 And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you.

17 “You shall make a mercy seat[c] of pure gold. 18 And you shall make two cherubim of gold on the two ends of the mercy seat. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. 20 The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another. 21 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. 22 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.

If you were a builder, tasked with constructing a magnificent building, you would naturally begin with a strong and secure foundation and build upwards. The house would be up before the furnishings were specified. However, the building of the Tabernacle began with the Ark of the Covenant, the innermost object in the structure, and the most holy. This was not an oversight or a random decision. It reveals God’s priorities and represents his way of bringing his people near. The Ark was not just another piece of furniture; it was the very heart of the Tabernacle, the place where God met with the Israelites in the person of their high priest. If we are to understand what it means to be in fellowship with God, we must start where He started: with the Ark, the meeting place of God and man.

The Ark was placed in the Most Holy Place, a room with three walls of wood overlaid with gold. On the fourth side was the thick veil that separated it from the Holy Place. This veil was woven with images of cherubim, who guarded the way to paradise from fallen man and woman. They reminded everyone of the fall, and of man’s separation from God. Sin had created this barrier between God and humanity. On Mount Sinai, when God gave Moses the covenant of the law, he warned the Israelites not to come near the flaming mount. In the temple, nobody was to enter the Most Holy Place except the high priest. Even he entered only once a year, on the Day of Atonement, that too only with the blood of a sacrifice. The Ark was not just a symbol of God’s presence; it also represented the unconquerable barrier before the presence of God posed by our sin.

The Ark itself was a wooden chest overlaid with gold, an object of both beauty and significance. The wood, known as acacia wood, was chosen for its durability and resistance to decay. It represents well the incorruptible humanity of Jesus Christ. The pure gold overlay symbolized His divine nature. In Jesus Christ, humanity and divinity were perfectly united. He is the single mediator between God and man.

The Ark was designed to be carried by the priests on poles, passing through the rings on its sides. When traveling, the Ark was covered and kept out of sight. No one was allowed to touch the Ark. It had to be borne with reverence, for it represented the very presence of God. It reminded the people of the reverence due to God’s name and presence. As Psalm 50:16 says, “But to the wicked God says: ‘What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips?’”

Inside the Ark were three objects. The first was the jar of manna, a reminder of miraculous wilderness sustenance for 40 years. For forty years, God alone was their provider. In John 6, the Lord declared that He is the true Bread from heaven, the Bread of Life. Unlike the manna in the wilderness, which could sustain only physical life, Christ gives eternal life to all who follow him.

The second object was Aaron’s rod that budded. This rod was a testimony against the kind of so-called rebellion that seeks personal profit. In Numbers 16, Korah and his followers rose up against Moses and Aaron, challenging their leadership. In answer, God confirmed Aaron’s priesthood by causing his staff to sprout, bud, blossom, and bear almonds overnight. The almond is the first among fruit trees to flower in spring, signifying the firstfruits of resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus Christ declared him to be the Son of God, Romans 1:3-4. He is not only the firstfruits from the dead (1 Cor. 15:20), but also appointed high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek by the power of an indestructible life, Heb. 7:16.

The third object in the Ark was the tablets of the Law. These stone tablets were a record of God’s covenant with Israel, a reflection of His holy character. In Jesus Christ, the righteousness of the law was fulfilled. “Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” (Rom. 10:4). By sharing in his death for sin, everyone who comes to him is set free from the righteous demands of the law forever. Our faith is imputed to us for righteousness, as it was to Abraham. And everyone who has died with Christ is dead to sin as well.

The Ark was covered with a solid gold lid, flanked on either side by two cherubim, made of one piece with the lid. This was called the mercy seat. The Hebrew word for mercy seat is “kapporet,” in Greek “hilasterion”, both meaning “place of atonement.” The same word is used in 1 John 2:2: “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” This seat was the meeting place between God and His people. Once a year, the high priest sprinkled the blood of the sin offering on the mercy seat. The carcass was then burnt outside the camp. This foreshadowed the true sin offering of the cross, where Jesus Christ offered up his own body in love and obedience to the will of God. He entered not into an earthly sanctuary but into heaven itself, presenting His own blood as propitiation.

The way into the Holiest was closed, and there was no access to God, under the old covenant. But when Christ died, the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom, not by human hands. No longer do we stand outside, fearful and guilty. The command now is to come with repentance and faith. No longer is the earthly Ark hidden. Christ is our Ark, our meeting place with God.

It is not only one day that we have to come near the mercy seat, but whenever we need grace to resist temptation. Hebrews 4:16 encourages us, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Too often, we hesitate because of guilt, shame, or a sense of unworthiness. But the Ark reminds us that the blood has already been sprinkled, our sin atoned for. Let us repent when we sin, and constantly follow our Lord.

Because of Christ, our relationship with God is not based on rituals or human effort, but on grace. Just as the Ark was central to the Tabernacle, so Christ is central in our lives. We cannot build our lives around outward religious activity while neglecting the most important thing—obedience to Christ. True worship begins at the mercy seat, Christ our redeemer and mediator.

Let us not neglect this immeasurable privilege but remain confidently before our God, strong in his grace. The Ark was once hidden, but today, through Jesus Christ, God’s presence is open to all who believe. Let us dwell moment by moment in His presence with joy, knowing that He welcomes us as His own. God bless.