Bible Word of the Day
Ark of the Covenant (Where God met with Israel)
Meaning
The Ark of the Covenant was built by Moses after God had given him specific instructions on its construction. The Ark of the Covenant was a holy vessel that was kept inside of the Tabernacle and later the Temple. It was kept in the innermost chapter called the Holy of Holies. This was the location and vessel God used to meet with His people Israel. The High Priest once a year after making sacrifices for himself could then make a sacrifice for the people and place a few drops of blood on the corners of the Ark of the Covenant. This annual ceremony helped cover the sins of the nation and kept the people in fellowship with God for another year. The Ark of the Covenant was almost four feet long a little over two feet wide and a little over two feet high. It was constructed of wood and overlaid with gold.
The Ark had loops on both sides which allowed the people to stick two gold covered poles through the loops to carry the Ark of the Covenant on the poles. Since God met with the people using the Ark of the Covenant it was considered Holy by God. Therefore, no person was allowed to physically touch it. The most important aspect of the Ark was the top cover. It was called the “Mercy Seat” and there were two statues of cherubim angels with their heads bowed and wings facing forward covering their faces. And through the annual ceremony the Ark became the place of atonement between God and Israel. The Ark of the Covenant contained the Ten Commandments, Aaron’s rod which budded, and a jar of Manna the “food of angels” as it’s called. This is what God fed the people with during their wilderness wanderings.
“And they shall make an ark of acacia wood; two and a half cubits shall be its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height. And you shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and shall make on it a molding of gold all around. You shall cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in its four corners; two rings shall be on one side, and two rings on the other side. And 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, that the ark may be carried by them. The poles shall be in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. And you shall put into the ark the Testimony which I will give you. You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width. And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat. And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat. You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.” (Book of Exodus 25:10-25)