The Ark

The Ark
Words of Faith 1-30-2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2023
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Exodus 25
[10] "Have them make a chest of acacia wood--two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. [11] Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it. [12] Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other. [13] Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. [14] Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the chest to carry it. [15] The poles are to remain in the rings of this Ark; they are not to be removed. [16] Then put in the Ark the Testimony, which I will give you.

The central object of the Tabernacle was a chest called "the ark of the Testimony" or "the ark of the covenant of the Lord." It was also called by the name of God. The Ark was the point of contact between God and humanity.
The directions given were clear. Based on the cubit as 18 inches, the Ark was to be a rectangular chest-- 2' 3" wide, 3' 9" long, and 2' 3" high. The chest was to be made of acacia wood and overlaid inside and out with gold. It was mounted on four legs and was to have four rings for two gold-covered poles for carrying.
Within the chest, Moses was to place the two stone tablets, with the Ten Commands written on them, which he was to receive on the mountain. According to Hebrews 9:4-5, the Ark also contained a jar of manna and Aaron's rod.
There is little doubt that the Ark would represent the single greatest archaeological discovery in history. It was certainly the central treasure of the Tabernacle and later the Temple of Jerusalem. The Ark stayed within the Holy of Holies and was sprinkled with blood on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
The Ark was a perfect symbol of the presence of God dwelling with man. As a mixture of wood and gold it represents the meeting of that which is divine and that which is created. In the same way, it is an image reflecting the Lord Jesus Christ in His deity and humanity. Jesus Christ was the God-man; His deity was represented by the gold, and His humanity was represented by the wood. It required both gold and wood to maintain the symbolism pointing to Christ as the God-man.
The gospel of John declares that "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (1:14)." The word translated "dwelling" is the same as the verb "to tabernacle."
There is no doctrine in Scripture so filled with infinite mystery yet also greatly removed from the realm of explanation as the union in Christ of the divine and human.
There is no symbol so simple as the Ark that describes this union of God and man in one body. This box made of wood and gold speaks of things unfathomable that are more than a meeting place.
Truly God chooses the simple things to confound the wise. That simple box tells the whole story, as far as man can take it in, of the unsearchable riches and mystery of the blessed person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Dear Father, reveal to me the great mystery of your incarnation and atonement. Reveal the vast wonder by which You chose to dwell among humanity to bring salvation. Show me how I am to live in response to this great gift. In the name of Jesus.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2023 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.