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Answer
The first mention of the ark of the testimony is in Exodus 25:10. God gave Moses specific instructions for building a tabernacle as they traveled in the wilderness. The tabernacle would be the place where the glory of God would dwell among His people (Exodus 25:8-9). Among hundreds of other descriptive instructions for this tabernacle, God told Moses to build an ark of the testimony, also known as the ark of the covenant (Exodus 25:21-22). The terms testimony and covenant both refer to the conditional agreement made between God and the children of Israel at Mount Sinai. An ark is essentially a box or chest. Therefore, the ark of the testimony is referred to as the “box of the agreement.”
The ark of the testimony was a wooden box covered in gold inside and out. It had four exterior rings through which poles could be attached for carrying. Only the high priest was allowed to touch the ark «And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation. », (Numbers 4:15). Touching it would lead to immediate death, as seen with a man named Uzzah (2 Samuel 6:1-7). God was starting to educate His people about His holiness and their unworthiness. He showed them that His commands were not open to negotiation. He aimed to instill in them the importance of obeying Him in all matters, regardless of whether they comprehended the rationale behind the regulations.
The lid of thThe ark was also made of gold and formed a seat between two cherubim, called the mercy seat. It was there that God would meet with His people “And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.”, (Exodus 25:22). Inside the ark of the testimony, Moses placed the tablets of the Law that God gave him on the mountain. The ark was placed inside the tabernacle in the most holy place, where only the high priest could go once a year “And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.”, (Exodus 26:34). Through it all, God was painting a picture to help us understand what is required for sinful man to come into the presence of a holy God.
The ark of the testimony got its name from the fact that it would be the housing for God’s testimony to His people. His Law was not only verbal, but written, etched in stone (Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 5:22), so there could be no excuse for disobedience. Hebrews 9:4 tells us that, later, the Israelites added to the stone tablets within the ark of the testimony a jar of manna (Exodus 16:32-33) and Aaron’s rod that budded (Numbers 17:8-10).
The ark of the testimony represented the presence of God with His people, and His power went with them wherever they took the ark (Joshua 3:6; Numbers 10:33-35). The enemies of Israel, the Philistines, stPole the ark once «And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Eben-ezer unto Ashdod. », (1 Samuel 5:1), hoping its power would help them. They placed it in their idol’s temple and waited for the good fortune it would bring. However, disaster struck among the Philistines, leading them to implore their leaders to return the ark to Israel (1 Samuel 5:4,6, 9, 11-12). God showed that He was not a talisman whose power could be obtained by whoever seized His ark. The power did not reside in the ark of the testimony itself; the ark merely symbolized God’s presence with His people.
Since the death and resurrection of Jesus «For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. », (Romans 14:9), God no longer employs an ark of the testimony to reside with His people. We are under a new testament or covenant. On Pentecost, He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within every believer (Acts 2:1-4, 38-39). We become His temple «What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? », (1 Corinthians 6:19). When we have been born again through faith in Jesus Christ «Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. », (John 3:3,16) «For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. », (John 3:3,16), we carry God with us wherever we go. The Philistines gained no benefit from keeping the ark because it held no power without God on their side. Similarly, we do not require physical objects—such as crosses, images, or holy relics—to bring God’s power with us, as He already resides within us. This awareness of His presence, known as the fear of the Lord (Psalm 19:9;Proverbs 15:33), guides us in making decisions that bring Him honor.
