zion’s fire magazine preview
INSIGHT FEATURE
The Ark of the Covenant
Written by Kevin Howard
As part of the design for the Temple of the Lord, God commanded Israel to make a box. It was to be modest in size, made of wood, and covered with pure gold inside and out. Astoundingly, this wooden chest, called the Ark of the Covenant, was the most valuable and most sacred object in the Temple. Israel still considers it to be their greatest national treasure. The primary instructions for building the Ark of the Covenant are contained in Exodus 25:10-22. The Lord gave the Ark top priority in His design. It was listed first even before the sacrificial altar and the Tabernacle tent. This supports King David’s view that the primary purpose of the Temple was to provide a resting place for the Ark (1 Chronicles 28:2), the symbol of God’s earthly throne. Furthermore, the Ark was most likely the first Tabernacle item constructed since it was already available as a repository for the stone tablets when Moses returned from his second Mount Sinai meeting (Deuteronomy 10:1-5). The supreme importance of the Ark is also seen in the care and precedence that it was given in transportation. The Ark travelled ahead of the people in their sojourn (Numbers 10:33; Joshua 3:3-4). During transportation, the Ark was always wrapped with the curtains of the Tabernacle (the veil, the skins, and a blue cloth; Numbers 4:5-6) so that even the Levites who carried it did not profane it by touching it or gazing at it (Numbers 4:20). The Ark was the holiest object in the Temple. It was the resting place of the Shekinah glory and was the solitary article in the Holy of Holies. The Ark was so holy that it was the source for the supreme holiness of the Holy of Holies and every other location at which it rested (2 Chronicles 8:11). . .
The Ark of the Covenant
Written by Kevin Howard
As part of the design for the Temple of the Lord, God commanded Israel to make a box. It was to be modest in size, made of wood, and covered with pure gold inside and out. Astoundingly, this wooden chest, called the Ark of the Covenant, was the most valuable and most sacred object in the Temple. Israel still considers it to be their greatest national treasure. The primary instructions for building the Ark of the Covenant are contained in Exodus 25:10-22. The Lord gave the Ark top priority in His design. It was listed first even before the sacrificial altar and the Tabernacle tent. This supports King David’s view that the primary purpose of the Temple was to provide a resting place for the Ark (1 Chronicles 28:2), the symbol of God’s earthly throne. Furthermore, the Ark was most likely the first Tabernacle item constructed since it was already available as a repository for the stone tablets when Moses returned from his second Mount Sinai meeting (Deuteronomy 10:1-5). The supreme importance of the Ark is also seen in the care and precedence that it was given in transportation. The Ark travelled ahead of the people in their sojourn (Numbers 10:33; Joshua 3:3-4). During transportation, the Ark was always wrapped with the curtains of the Tabernacle (the veil, the skins, and a blue cloth; Numbers 4:5-6) so that even the Levites who carried it did not profane it by touching it or gazing at it (Numbers 4:20). The Ark was the holiest object in the Temple. It was the resting place of the Shekinah glory and was the solitary article in the Holy of Holies. The Ark was so holy that it was the source for the supreme holiness of the Holy of Holies and every other location at which it rested (2 Chronicles 8:11). . .