The Ark of the Covenant and what it really means - Day 16: Thirty Day Meditations to Abundant Life!

The world craves the presence of the Almighty. Some have made religion out to be antiquated and a fad of the past, but the truth is that religion is alive and kicking like it never has, globally speaking that is. People everywhere are praying their knees out, fasting their stomachs empty, crying their eyes dry or cleansing their bodies in deluges of water. They are attending church, mosque, temple, synagogues, etc in record numbers. Someone has astutely once said that "religion sells"... the observation that there is great (business) demand in religion means that it's more popular than ever. 

People are desperate to be close to God ever since the days of Adam. Ironically, it was Adam and Eve that hid from God... God never built the walls between Him and His beloved children; rather, it was their own shame and guilt that made people hide from the loving gaze of their Creator.

But something happened during the times of Moses - God instructed him and his people to make an Ark. On top of this Ark, was literally His 'Throne of Mercy'. In other words, this Ark was literally carrying around the presence of God. So powerful was this box that even the enemies of the ancient Israelites sought control of it (and Indiana Jones can vouch for that!).

Courtesy of mharrsch (text by D.R.)

Look how this box was powerful. It bought victory to the Israelites wherever they went. It seemed to be such a holy thing that it's dwelling place (whether it was a mobile tent or stone temple) could only be entered only once a year, by a single, high priest. That's it. If someone had the thing in their house or land, suddenly they'd find themselves prospering in every way. Some feared the Ark and wanted it to be as far away from as possible from it, but others wanted it all for themselves! "I got to have it!"

How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Ps 84:1,2

What people don't realize is that the "Ark", was really a "coffin"! I.e. the same box you put dead people in. What was in the Ark? The 10 commandments! Along with a jar of manna and Aaron's rod - but I won't address the latter two things here. Think about that for a second. The 10 commandments are damning to anyone. Who has never broken one of them? It's a list of just ten laws, and yet there isn't a person on planet earth who can claim to have kept them all, infallibly, all the time. Now people all over the place like to display the ten commandments. They fight to make sure that statues of this list are made in stone and placed in schools. They want to remind their young ones "This is the way." And yet God... the One who wrote them in the first place... puts them in a coffin! He wants to bury it!!! And we want to be grave robbers and dig it out.

You see, Jesus has forever wiped away these laws (Col 2:13,14) - that though were holy, condemned us to death, bought guilt and shame on us and drove us from His presence. On top of that all, these laws bought the worst curse - the curse of the Law (see Deut 28) to anyone who lived by them and broke them (and none can live by them and keep them). He has moved it out of the way, so that now He is able to sit and reign, where? On top of this lost artifact?

Today, God's presence is not found on the Ark - wherever it is. God's presence will never ever be represented in a box, let alone a coffin, to be placed in a temple made of stone and assembled by human hands, no God's throne and temple are now in you, in your human heart! 

In the Old Covenant, God's presence was on a coffin entombing the Law. In the New Covenant, God's presence is in you,  a new creation, made holy and righteous forever by something One has done that can never be undone by anything you do. This is a powerful, powerful truth. Realize that you are the equivalent of the Ark - you have died to the Law and are now alive in Christ and His presence, flows within you. 

Before you desire people to see the Lord in you, you see the Lord in you. You take solace that He is always with you, nay, not merely with, but IN, in you... ALL the time, whatever you feel, whatever you do, ALL the time. What a place of majesty, holiness, strength, light, wisdom and joy you must be? I know... you're saying, like I am, "I wish!" 

Realize that you are the temple of the Lord, the very presence of the Almighty and then begin to think and act on this truth. This is what it means to renew your mind. You don't try to live a holy life because you have to; you simply be what you are... 

You are holy, because He is holy. 

You are righteous, because He is righteous. 

You are alive, because He is alive.

You are strong, because He is strong.

You are full of love, because He is love.

You are Light, because He is Light.

You are His child, and He your Father. Like Father, like son.

Today, revel in this truth. Treasure His presence above all... His presence within you. Commune with Him like this, in Spirit and Truth, worship the splendor of His majesty. (I am not saying worship yourself, but Him alone!) He is always with you, in you and for you. Be blessed in this truth. Amen.

"...as He is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:17, emphasis mine)

Previous day's post: Fighting God & Loosing Life - Day 15: Thirty Day Meditations to Abundant Life!

David Roiel

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