What Do We Know About The Ark, Is There Only One?

No doubt many people have heard about The Ark. But what is The Ark, really? Is it more than the Old Testament story about a man who built a boat and put a bunch of animals on it before a great flood? What is or was the purpose of The Ark? We will take a few moments to go back and see what we can find out about The Ark.

The First Ark.

In the book of Genesis, chapter six, we find the first account of The Ark. Man began to multiply; sin began to overcome the earth. God noticed that the wickedness of man was great, and every imaginable evil though was on the minds of man. This grieved the Lord, and he said that he would destroy man.

* Genesis 6:18, But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee. *

However, by verse eight we see that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was a just man and he walked with God. can the same be said about any of us in today’s society? Have we found grace in the Lord’s eyes? Are we just and walk with God daily?

God told Noah that man had become evil and that he would destroy man, but Noah had a job to do. Genesis 6:14, “Make thee an ark…” God gives Noah directions on what to use and how to build The Ark. The same can be said for us today. God has given us directions on what to do and how to do it, but how many of us have actually paid attention and are following those directions?

* Genesis 6:18, “But with thee will I establish my covenant...” *

God has made a covenant with man and all creatures. This covenant is an agreement, an assurance the God would provide for man.

By chapter 8, the rain has fallen, the flood waters have risen and covered the earth. Apart from Noah and his immediate family, and the animals that were brought aboard The Ark, all of humanity and living things on the earth have perished in the flood. The Ark finally came to rest upon dry land, and Noah and his family and all the animals from The Ark walked out to restart man-kinds existence.

So, what does this story tell us about The Ark? God designed it to provide protection for a just man and his family, as well as for the animals that would repopulate the earth. It was then sealed by the Lord (Genesis 7:16).

The Second Ark.

In Exodus, Chapter 25 through 31, God gives bearings for building the Tabernacle. Chapters 35 through 39 tell how these guidelines were done. In any case, what can every one of these old, development details show us today? In the first place, the superior quality of the valuable materials making up the Tabernacle shows God's significance and greatness. Second, the shroud encompassing the Most Holy Place shows God's moral flawlessness as represented by his detachment from the unclean and common. Third, the portability of the Tabernacle show's God's desire to always be with the Israelites as they journeyed (Exodus 25:8).

* Exodus 25:8, “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.” *

In Exodus 25:10, instructions are given on the making of The Ark. In most of the contents of the Tabernacle, including The Ark and the furniture, was made from the shittim wood, which is customarily known as acacia wood. The acacia tree was extremely hard which made for sturdy and magnificent furniture. Exodus 37:1-16 describes the actual building of The Ark.

The tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written, were placed within The Ark. The Ark was intended to be an image of the presence of God amidst the Israelites. The lid was alluded to as the “Mercy Seat.” Every year a priest would enter the holy tent and sprinkle blood from a sacrificial creature to offer penance for the transgressions of Israel. This old-style covenant on the Day of Atonement is no longer required as Jesus Christ became the new covenant when he sacrificed himself upon the cross was an expiation for our sins and transgressions.

God would come to the Ark when the priests were there. Because of the holy nature of the Ark, it had to be carried with poles. No one could touch the place where God’s presence is. Why is that? God himself and his glory cannot be touched by sinful man. Only if the Holy Spirit resides within us can we even come near to the Throne of Grace.

In Joshua 3:1-17, the nation of Israel needed to cross the Jordan River. Joshua commanded the people that when they saw the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord being carried by the Levite priests, they were to follow it. In verse five the people were told to “Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.”