What They Would Have Really Found on the "Lost Ark"
By Jon W. Quinn
(Reprinted from The Expository Files: http://www.geocities.com/w_berkley/)
There were a series of movies starring Harrison Ford as "Indiana
Jones", an archaeologist and adventurer. In the first movie,
"The Raiders of the Lost Ark", Jones battles the Nazis
in the days just prior to the Second World War. The Nazis had
found the Ark of the Covenant and were seeking to discover and
employ it's mysterious powers to help them one day conquer the
world. Interestingly enough, though the movie is fiction, there
was an army that really did foolishly try the same thing once.
The Philistines once took the ark in battle, but gave it back
when they began to be plagued with problems. But even Israel also
had some erroneous ideas about it. They thought it had some sort
of mystical power (much like the "Raiders" movie did),
not realizing that the power was God's and that without faith
and obedience it was just a box.
In the movie, when the lid is raised and the Nazis peer inside,
at first they see dust. The Gestapo agent sneers, thinking it
has all been wasted effort, but then the dust begins to swirl
and a light bursts forth up into the clouds. Then, spirits begin
to rise up out of the ark and the flesh of the Nazis begins to
melt from their bodies as they scream in anguish. Oops! Jones,
who has been tied up with a companion, closes his eyes and says,
"Don't look!" and so they are spared.
We do not know what became of the real Ark of the Covenant. It
became lost from history about six centuries B.C. when Babylon
conquered Jerusalem. But assuming it survived intact, and its
contents were left undisturbed (these are big assumptions. Again,
we do not know for sure what happened to it), what would a modern
day discoverer of the lost ark find if he or she was to raise
the lid and look inside?
The Last Place it Was
The last time the ark's location was known was about six centuries
before Christ. It was in Jerusalem, in the temple, in the most
secluded chamber known as "the most holy place." It
had been moved to Jerusalem about three centuries before by King
David. Previous to that, it had been located in the tabernacle
after its construction during the wilderness wanderings when Israel
had been freed from slavery in Egypt. (Hebrews 9:1-4; 11). We
note that three items were kept inside the ark. The Bible describes
the "most holy place" as "having a golden altar
of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with
gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron's
rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant." (Hebrews
9:4).
That makes three items: a golden jar holding manna, Aaron's rod
and the two stone tables of the covenant. Each of these three
items reminds us of God's character. Consider:
The Golden Pot of Manna
The manna reminds us of God's care and providence for His people.
God provides all with blessings such as sun, water, food and air
(Matthew 5:45; Acts 17:24-28). He also provides special blessings
for His people. He always has (1 John 3:22-24).
The manna reminds us to trust in God. After Israel left Egypt,
they lived in the wilderness for forty years before coming into
Canaan. There would not be nearly enough food for so many people
in such a desolate place. The Lord would cause manna to fall and
the people would gather it together and eat it. The first morning
this occurred, the Bible says, "When the sons of Israel saw
it, they said to one another, 'What is it?' For they did not know
what it was. And Moses said to them, 'It is the bread which the
Lord has given you to eat.' (Exodus 16:15). It was white in color
and tasted like wafers with honey. It was evidently very nutritional
because the people thrived and continued to increase in number
even in the wilderness. The people were instructed to keep a
serving of the manna throughout their generations to remind them
of God's care. He commanded, "Let an omerful of it be kept
throughout your generations, that they may see the bread that
I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land
of Egypt." (Exodus 16:32). This reminder was kept in the
ark.
It is always good for God's people to remember God's blessings
and to give praise and thanks unto God (1 Timothy 4:4-5). It is
also helpful to know God is trustworthy and deserves our absolute
confidence, no matter what present distress we may face (Romans
8:37-39; 2 Timothy 4:16-18).
Aaron's Budding Rod
The second item mentioned as being in the ark was Aaron's walking
staff. The rods of the leaders of the twelve tribes were gathered
together, and overnight God showed His selection of Aaron by causing
his to miraculously bud overnight. "Now it came about on
the next day that Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and
behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and
put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds."
(Numbers 17:8).
This had all occurred because of a man named Korah who had instigated
a rebellion against the leadership of Moses and Aaron. There had
been much bloodshed, and though Korah's rebellion had been put
down, the earth itself opening up and swallowing them, the people
began accusing Moses and Aaron of causing their deaths. This was
the Lord's demonstration to the people not to rebel. "But
the Lord said to Moses, "Put back the rod of Aaron before
the testimony to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you
may put an end to their grumblings against Me, so that they should
not die." (Numbers 17:10). Let it be remembered by us as
well to submit humbly unto our God as we faithfully obey His word,
and that to do otherwise is to forget this important lesson.
The Tables of the Covenant
The third and final item is actually two items; the tables
of stone upon which the Ten Commandments had been written. God
had instructed, "And you shall put into the ark the testimony
which I shall give you." (Exodus 25:16; see also 40:20).
The Lord wanted Israel to remember that these were the Laws of
God, not man. God's commandments are always important for the
people to whom He gives them, whether the old covenant written
on stones or the new covenant brought into force by the blood
of Christ (Psalm 119:9-16; see also Hebrews 9:15-16, 8:6; 10:28-30
and 2:2,3).
So there you have it. Not all that mysterious, but very powerful
to one who looks at the items, and remembers God's providential
care, the need to be loyal to Him and to respect His Divine will.
Good lessons from inside the ark!
"High Maintenance" by Greg Gwin (ggwin1@bellsouth.net)
From time to time you might hear someone described as "high
maintenance." It could be a man referring to his girlfriend,
or a husband discussing his wife (or vice versa). The phrase might
be used in regards to any person who shares a relationship with
others.
The meaning of this expression is this: this individual requires
constant attention. They expect and demand that others will attend
to their every whim and expectation. Typically, these people will
not do anything for others, because it seems that it never crosses
their mind to think about what someone else might want or need.
Their total emphasis is on "me, me, me!"
Unfortunately, there are some members of the church who are "high
maintenance." These are the folks who are always complaining
about things that they feel should have been done for them.
The Bible Is The Voice of God by Carlos Aguilar (http://www.churchofchristoroville.com)
Heb 1:1-2 states, God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds. We learn from this passage…the inspiration of both the Old & New Testaments…that God has spoken; God inspired the prophets of the OT and that the OT would give way to the New Testament. Come study with us.
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MONTHLY BIBLE READING: Lessons from the death and resurrection,
The Epistles.
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BIBLE INSIGHT is published for the members of, and visitors to,
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