There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a promise to the Israelites after they left Egypt.
Then they brought out the king’s son, gave him the crown and the religious instructions, and Jehoiada and his sons made him king by anointing him. They said, “Long live the king!”
Put the altar in front of the canopy which ⌞hangs⌟ over the ark containing the words of my promise. I will meet with you there in front of the throne of mercy that is on the ark.
Then he will put the incense on the fire in the Lord’s presence. The cloud of incense will cover the throne of mercy, which is over the words of God’s promise, so that he will not die.
The Lord said, “Tell your brother Aaron that he cannot go into the holy place whenever he wants to. If he goes up to the canopy and stands in front of the throne of mercy on the ark, he will die, because I appear in the smoke above the throne of mercy.
Whenever Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the throne of mercy on the ark containing the words of God’s promise, from between the two angels. This is how the Lord spoke with Moses.