Title: The Presence of God (Ark)
Exodus (70) God's Presence (Ark) (Exodus 25:10-22)
< Ark >
The object that the Israelites regarded as National Treasure No. 1 was the ark. The name ‘Ark of the Covenant’ means the ark containing the laws of the Ten Commandments. There are several different names for the ark: the ark, the ark of the covenant, the ark of the testimony, and the ark of God. 'Ark' means an ordinary ark that contains things, 'Ark of the Covenant' means an ark containing the two stone tablets of the covenant in which the Ten Commandments were written, and 'Ark of the Testimony' means an ark containing the two stone tablets of the evidence where the Ten Commandments were written , 'Ark of God' is the name given to the meaning of the ark symbolizing the presence of God.
The ark consists of the ark, the mercy seat, and the cherubim. The ark was the part that contained the goods, and was 2.5 cubits long, 1.5 cubits wide and 1.5 cubits high (verse 10). A cubit is approximately 45 centimeters from the tip of the finger to the elbow, so the length of the ark is 112.5 centimeters, and its width and height are 67.5 centimeters. The mercy seat was the lid of the ark, and the high priest sprinkled the blood on the mercy seat. The cherubs face the mercy seat with the angelic images on the left and right side facing the mercy seat (verse 20).
<Three holy things in the ark>
There were three blessed holy things in the ark. These three relics have their own profound symbolic message. What is it?
1. Two stone tablets of the Ten Commandments (Ex 32-34)
After the revelation of the tabernacle, God gave Moses two stone tablets of evidence that he had written and made on Mount Sinai. But when Moses came down slowly from the mountain, Aaron made an idol of a golden calf and had him serve it. When Moses saw this, he got angry and threw the stone tablets in his hand down the mountain to break them. He severely rebuked Aaron and killed about 3,000 people involved in the Golden Calf incident.
Then God spoke. “Moses! Carve two stone tablets like the first one! I will write the words on the first board on the board. Go up alone to the top of Mount Sinai in the morning (Exodus 34:1-3).” After that, Moses spent 40 days fasting on the top of Mount Sinai, and God wrote the Ten Commandments on the tablets. In the process, the two stone tablets of the covenant were placed in the Ark of the Covenant as great relics to the Israelites. The two stone tablets of this testimony symbolize God the Father, the creator of the law.
2. A jar of manna (Exodus 16)
Manna is God's supernatural food given in the wilderness. The miracles associated with manna are countless. Manna came down every morning, but because the Israelites were afraid that the manna would not come the next day, they collected two days' worth of manna and left it until the next morning. However, on the sixth day, they harvested double and left it until the next morning, but there was no worm or odor, and on the seventh day, no manna fell.
What a miracle it has lasted for 40 years. And, miraculously, from the day after they entered Canaan and ate the produce of the land, the manna ceased, and the Israelites could not see the manna forever. To commemorate that great event, he took an omer of manna, put it in a jar, and placed it in the ark. This manna symbolizes God the Son, the bread of life.
3. Aaron's rod that budded (Numbers 16-17)
Numbers 16 records the rebellion of the Korahites. The Korahites were a tribe of Levites who were in charge of the service of the tabernacle. However, they were not satisfied with that work alone and wanted to serve as priests (verse 10). So Dathan, Abiram, and On, the sons of Reuben, formed a party and started a rebellion. Then a fire from the LORD killed 250 men, and the earth opened its mouth and devoured Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and all that belonged to them.
The next day they shouted again. “You have killed 250 of Jehovah’s people.” Seeing this, God struck the people with a plague. Then all the people would die. Then Moses commanded Aaron to put fire on the altar in the censer and make atonement for the people. Aaron grabbed the censer and just ran and stood between the living and the dead. At that time, the plague stopped, but 14,700 people died as a result.
After this, God told Moses to take the staff of the heads of the 12 tribes of Israel and write their names on the staff and put them in front of the ark of the testimony. The next day, only Aaron's rod sprouted, sprouted, blossomed, and the apricot fruit was produced. Through that event, God confirmed Aaron's authority over the priesthood. Remembering that amazing miracle, the Israelites kept Aaron's rod that budded in the ark so that there would be no more rebellion. Aaron's budded rod symbolizes God the Holy Spirit, who breathes life into the dead.
The two stone tablets of the Ten Commandments challenge the obedient life that puts God's will first, and the life of gratitude to live in admiration for God's grace to meet. It is a symbol of challenge. Always put a life of obedience, a life of gratitude, and a life of missionary life in front of you, and become blessed hearts who experience the blessings of God's presence.