The carrying of the Ark- a strong warning

          Carrying the Ark is mentioned next: "And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them"(Ex. 25:14). The Ark, to be carried by Israel as they journeyed through the wilderness assured them of God's presence. Today we journey as pilgrims and strangers through the wilderness of this world; we also are assured of God's presence with us, for our bodies are "the temple of the Holy Spirit". The staves (v. 15) were never to be taken out as long as they were still traveling in the wilderness. So, as long as we are in the world we have the assurance that the Holy Spirit will abide with us (see Jn 14:16).

 

          When the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines (1 Sam. 4), Eli's daughter-in-law gave birth to a son and named him Ichabod, meaning "the glory is departed" (vv. 19-22). Because God plagued the Philistines so severely, they sent the Ark back to Israel, where it remained in the home of Abinadab in Kirjath-jearim. Many years later when David had established his throne in Jerusalem, he placed the Ark on an ox-drawn cart contrary to the instructions in Numbers 4, to take it up to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6). During the journey, one of David's men was killed by the Lord when he touched the Ark to steady it. David, fearing the Lord's wrath would not take the Ark into Jerusalem; therefore, he put it in the house of Obed-edom. It remained there three months and Obed-edom and his household were blessed by God. Reassured, David had the ark carried up to Jerusalem by bearers, with sacrifices and great rejoicing

 

          David was so overjoyed that he girded himself with a simple loincloth and danced in front of the procession.  His first wife, Michal, was disgusted with him and berated him for his unkingly behavior. He told her that he was willing to humble himself even more in order to celebrate before the Lord, to whom he owed his position as king. It was the custom that at the head of any parade, usually a slave "danced" in honor of the one the procession was made. David humbled himself and danced before the Lord in honor of the God of Israel. As punishment for her scorn, Michal remained childless to the day of her death..

 

          Today we need to yield to the Holy Spirit to do all that He urges us to do "before the Lord," and not be stopped by criticism or scoffing we receive. This is not at all to endorse wild fanaticism or disorderly behavior; but, as Vance Havner said, "Too many go to the ball games and act like a bunch of wild men and then come to church and sit like a bunch of wooden men." With a heart of love and devotion to the Lord Jesus, controlled and motivated by the Holy Spirit, we should so walk in the Spirit as to do even the unusual to the glory of God.

 

"Whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God" 1 Cor. 10:31.

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'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is

handsomer than Robert Redford.' a 7 year old girl

The construction of the Ark. A fantastic builing. Gold everywhere- see why

          The construction of the Ark is given; it was to be made of "wood." This speaks of the humanity of Christ, as a "root out of a dry ground" (Is. 53:2). If He were no more than a mere man, there would surely be "no beauty that we should desire him" (v. 2). One thing made a difference, however, for God said, "And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about' (Ex. 25:11).

 

          Christ was a man in every sense of the word, except that He did not sin, but above all, He was "God...manifest in the flesh" (1 Tim. 3:16). The wood speaks of His humanity and the gold of His deity. From this we see "the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow" (1 Pet. 1:11). The wood furniture outside the tabernacle proper was covered with brass, which speaks of judgment. In the holy place or "heaven itself" the wood was covered with gold, speaking of glory to follow. Also there was the "crown of gold round about." One day He shall wear the crown and be rightfully worshipped as the King of kings ad Lord of lords.

 

Prov. 5:21 "For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings". An awesome thought Sumner

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"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day" an 8 yr old.

The preparation of the Ark, the house of God where God met with His preachers

The Preparation of the Ark, the house of God, where God met with His "preachers"..

 

          Directions for the Ark's preparation are given in Exodus 25:10-15. This chest was three feet nine inches long, two feet three inches wide, and two feet three inches high, making it about the size of a small cedar chest. It was made of acacia wood with an overlay of "pure gold, within and without" (v. 11). Four rings of gold were on the sides to hold staves of wood, also covered with gold, by which to carry the Ark on the Israelites' journeys through the wilderness.

 

The Ark's top was a slab of solid gold called the Mercy Seat, with two cherubim at the ends,all made of one piece of beaten gold. The cherubim faced each other, with their wings stretched out over the Mercy Seat and touching each other. Here, God said "I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim with are upon the ark of the testimony" (Ex. 25:22).

 

The command for the Ark's construction.

 

          Note God's command: "And they shall make an ark of shittim wood" (v. 10). The way to approach God and the place to meet Him come as a revelation from Him, not from the reasoning of man. "There is none that seeketh after God" (Rom. 3:11) except by the divine "drawing" of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 6:44). Man left to his own devices and wisdom will change "the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things" (Rom. 1:23). The tragedy is that,with all his wisdom and logic, man cannot realize his folly in turning to false gods, as God says in Isa. 44:14-19.

 

          Noah was commanded, "Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch" (Gen. 6:14). Reason said this was foolishness, for it had never rained and there was no place to float such an ark. But "by faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of righteousness which is by faith" (Heb. 11:7).  

 

          One other ark is mentioned in Scripture, the ark made by Moses' mother when she hid him from Pharaoh's death penalty upon all Israelite children. She covered this ark with pitch, even as Noah did; the Hebrew word root for "pitch" is also the root for "redemption".    What a salvation! ABC Sumner

 

"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!" Rom. 11:33.

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Love is, an 8 yr girl said 'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones'