"the Ark Of The Covenant”

"THE ARK OF THE COVENANT”

INTRO: The Ark was placed in a room that was called the HOLY OF HOLIES because in there, it was found to hold the very presence of God Himself!

It was the place of God's dwelling under the Old Covenant ... and so the room held great awe and fear.

Only the High Priest was allowed to enter this room and then only once a year, and if any sin was in his heart he would be killed on the spot!

During certain reigns they had learned to put bells around the ankle of the High Priest and to even tie a rope around him in case he died when he entered, they would remove his body by pulling it out!

If they suddenly heard the bells stop, they knew he had died in the presence of the Lord, and they pulled his body out!

I’m sure many of people held their breath to see if the High Priest returned from the Holy of Holies some years.

The outer court represented the believer's separation from the world, and the Holy Place represented the place of fellowship with God ... this room called the Holy of Holies represented the place of Worship!

The inner room was veiled off by a thick curtain under the Old Covenant, but we see that the curtain was torn in two in the great earthquake when Jesus died which gave us the New Covenant, now through Christ the room is open for all, not restricted to one!

This room was a perfect cube 15' by 15' by 15' ... one room with 3 equal dimensions, which we now can understand that that represents a symbol of the Trinity of God. (Father, Son and Holy Spirit)

The room was blocked by that large veil or curtain.

To enter you had to be the right person, at the right time, and in the right way, or death resulted.

(N.T.) In Christ we now can enter anytime as the right people, always the right time, and with our sins washed away by Christ we can enter always in the right way ... the result, LIFE, not death!

The Bible teaches us the Holy of Holies through GRACE is through Christ. We now have access to God; the way for us is open to those who come through Christ our High Priest our Holy of Holies.

Let us look at the items that were stored in the Ark of the Covenant.

The items inside the Ark.

Hebrews 9:4

9:4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

Items were placed inside the Ark of the Covenant.

Three items were placed inside there and this morning I would like for us to examine, to look at those three (3) special and holy items.

1. MANNA

That Manna was God’s Heavenly Provision!

1. A gold jar full of the manna Israel had during their desert wanderings.

a. The gold was the symbol of deity ... Jesus.

b. The manna was the heavenly bread ... again Jesus!

Hebrews 10:19- 20

10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,

10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

We can see under the New Testament the Holy of Holies is Jesus.

2. The unique feature of this sample of manna was that it never spoiled ... as long as it remained a part of the ark it was fresh forever! It was EVERLASTING BREAD!

a. The symbol of Jesus here is powerful ... HE IS THE EVERLASTING BREAD OF LIFE!

b. This bread symbolized God's heavenly provision for their life!

3. This Ark was a symbol of LIFE to God's people in the Old Testament, but if treated improperly it was an Ark of death ...

(The time the Philistines possessed the Ark, they began to die from tumors ... so much death resulted that they gave it back to Israel!)

a. It was life to those who respected it and handled it properly ... death to those who misused it!

b. God had provided for them everlasting bread ... now that is fulfilled in Christ!

c. Jesus is called the "BREAD OF LIFE."

John 6:31-35

6:31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.