They shall
construct an ark of acacia wood two and a half cubits long, and one and a half
cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high. You shall overlay it with pure
gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and you shall make a gold molding
around it. You shall cast four gold rings for it and fasten them on its four
feet, and two rings shall be on 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. You
shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark
with them. The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be
removed from it. You shall put into the ark the testimony which I shall give
you
Exodus 25:10-16
In the English Bible there are two different ways the word “ark” is used. 1) The “ark” of Noah that
saved he and his family from the great divine, just deluge that wiped out the
disgraceful humanity living in Genesis 6-9; and 2) the “ark” of the covenant
which is a very specifically designed and created holding vessel for the laws
and commandments of the Lord given to the Israelites at the foot of Mount Sinai
in Exodus 25. Ark is a very interesting word to study. Depending on the context
it can be translated “box,” “chest,” or even “large boat.”
What is even more
interesting is that the narrative of Moses being placed in a basket on the Nile
River during the great Egyptian infanticide also uses a Hebrew word for “ark”
when referring to the vessel Moses was placed in. So in this case “ark” is used
as a basket made of bulrushes (Exo. 2:3).
The text is very
straight forward in that the term “ark” is a box. We typically associate the
ark of Noah with some kind of boat-shaped object with curved bow and stern,
perfect for navigating the swells of the flood. However, if we take a very
literal approach to the text it was not such in the least. The ark of Noah
would have looked very similar in geometry to that of the Ark of the Covenant;
more or less a very rigid, 90 degree cornered rectangular box.
What is placed in an
ark? Hebrews 9:4 tell us that the ark of the covenant contained “a golden urn
holding the manna, and Arron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the
covenant.” Genesis 7:13-14 tell us exactly what entered the ark the Noah built.
The eight persons God wanted to save, a pair of every unclean animal and seven
of every clean animal. And finally, in the case of the ark of bulrushes Moses
himself was placed inside. These are all things that reflect the faithfulness
of God to his people. Noah and his family was faithfulness to establish a
people on this earth. Moses was an answer to take the Hebrews out of Egypt and
into the promise land (although Moses was never told he would enter). The
tablets of the law, the urn of manna and the rod of Aaron all refer back to the
time in the wilderness as the Israelites were wandering to and fro when Yahweh
established and revealed his faithfulness to his people through physical
intercession for them.
In the situations in
the Bible, namely the Ark of Noah and the Ark of the Covenant, the Lord is
very, explicitly clear about the specific geometry of the arks being created.
In other words, there were rules and regulations involved in the construction
of these objects. There was formality and specifications to not only its
appearance but also its function.
Let us take now what
the text says and apply it to our lives and souls. How can the biblical texts
of Noah, Moses, and the Ark of the Covenant constructed by the people of Israel
affect our spiritual lives in 2015? One common theme traces through the Bible
as any type of ark is spoken of; this theme is the faithfulness of God, His
promises and fulfillment of those promises. What an incredible thing it would
be for the people of Israel in the mighty United Kingdom under Saul, written
about in the books of 1 and 2 Samuel. They would literally be able to remember
where the Lord brought them and the obstacles and trials the Lord brought them
through by thinking about the Ark of the Covenant and the objects that lie
within it.
Has the Lord answered
any of your prayers? Can you look back in your life and see clearly how the God
provided for your needs? I believe there are certain things and certain events
that forever mark our souls which are never forgotten. Being careful here not
to say our minds and souls are like the Ark written about in the biblical
text, I do believe our minds and souls function in a similar way.
The ark Noah built
would forever be a reminder of what the Lord brought him and his family
through, almost a year of cramped quarters and animal smells would then sit on
the summit of Mount Ararat being a visual reminder to all those who saw it that
God was faithful in providing protection.
In like manner the Ark
of the Covenant containing its contents of historical and spiritual
significance would always be a reminder to the Israelites that their God is
altogether unique from the gods of their surrounding nations. They can
experience things that immediately bring them back to when God was faithful.
Our minds, hearts, and
souls bear witness to the faithful character of the Lord and forever we will be
able to proclaim his goodness in our life as we think back on how his
faithfulness was shown to us.
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