Ark אֲרוֹן

We are in chapter twenty-five of Exodus with our word for today. אֲרוֹן chest, ark, coffin, money chest. It is used 202 times in the Old Testament, 8 times in our chapter. Let’s look at our chapter today since it is used so much and also the first time it is used in the Bible. Exodus 25:10, 14-16, 21-22 They shall make an אֲר֖וֹן ark of acacia wood … And you shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of הָאָרֹ֑ן the ark to carry הָאָרֹ֖ן the ark by them. The poles shall remain in the rings of הָאָרֹ֔ן the ark. And you shall put into הָאָרֹ֑ן the ark the testimony that I shall give you … And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of הָאָרֹ֖ן the ark, and in הָ֣אָרֹ֔ן the ark you shall put the testimony. There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on אֲרֹ֣ן the ark of the testimony. Right away we see that this was to be no ordinary box. It was so special that God designed it to be carried in a very specific way with poles so that no one would touch the actual ark. The fact that it was to be overlaid with pure gold both inside and out emphasizes how unique and special it was. We will talk more about this especially when we look at the phrase ark of the covenant or testimony in the days to come. For today let’s look at how set apart or holy this was. A good example of this is in Leviticus 16:1-2 After the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they approached the Lord. The Lord said to Moses: “Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on הָאָרֹן֙ the ark, or else he will die. For I will appear in the cloud over the atonement cover. Aaron’s sons died because they did not respect God and how he set up this sacrificial system. So he communicates how things need to be around his ark. We see this happen again later with Uzzah. When David and his men were bringing the ark back after the Philistines had captured it, this happened. 2 Samuel 6:3, 6-10 They set the אֲר֤וֹן הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ ark of God on a new cart ... Uzzah and Ahio ... were guiding the new cart … When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the אֲר֤וֹן הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the אֲר֥וֹן הָאֱלֹהִֽים ark of God ... David was afraid of the Lord that day ... He was not willing to take the אֲר֥וֹן יְהוָ֖ה ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. Did you notice that the reference of the ark of God later became the ark of the LORD or YHWH or reality God. This emphasizes just how holy this ark was and why it had to be treated a special way. The reason for all of this is because God was going to meet them there in a special way. And God himself is holy in his character. It is who he is set apart from sin and sinners. We become used to sin because it is around us everyday and we struggle with our sin nature so we forget how dangerous it is to ignore holiness and fail to treat God and his will as holy. It is a deadly thing to treat God’s grace and his holiness in a disrespectful way. Hebrews 12:14-17 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. The good news is that Jesus died to make us holy. Colossians 1:21-23 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. I’ll close with this reference to the ark being in John’s vision of heaven. Revelation 11:19 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant.