For the Israelites, the Ark of the Covenant meant God’s presence. The mercy seat was made to fit on top of the Ark, and also coated in gold. C.S. Another reason for the Ark’s construction was political. “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” Consecrate means to set aside or sanctify. Throughout the Old Testament, we see stories of how God provided safety and success using the symbol of the Ark. From the place between the two cherubim God promises to speak to Moses, as often as He shall give … Moses was invited into the presence of God at the burning bush, but was instructed to remove his sandals before walking on holy ground. The Israelites believed in God’s Word. We come into His presence through Christ. the Jordan river was witness to the might of the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the Covenant was a gold-covered wooden chest with lid cover described in the Book of Exodus as containing the … Lewis called this the great exchange: Jesus took on our sin and shame, and gave us His righteousness. The Ark of the Covenant (Ex 25:10-22). There is no detail about God that is not important, and there is no detail of instruction from God that is not significant. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. In Joshua 3:6, “Joshua said to the priests, ‘Take up the ark of the covenant and pass before the people.’” When the priests came to the Jordan, just as was commanded the waters were “completely cut off and the people passed over opposite Jericho” when the Ark neared. “You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and one and a half cubits wide. Numbers 10:33 And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days' journey: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them in the three days' journey, to search out a resting place for them. God will always lead us, and Christ is our strength, even in the struggle. God blessed the farmer and his entire household because of the Ark. “However, there shall be between you and it a distance of about 2,000 cubits by measure. But then something went wrong: But when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out toward the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen nearly upset it. Joshua 7-8. When John saw Jesus, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” (John 1:29). At Joshua’s command, the priests took up the ark of the covenant and carried it to the front of the people (3:1-6). Jesus laid down His life for us as an innocent sacrifice so that God would look on us and see His perfection. Question: "What happened to the Ark of the Covenant?" “And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.” King James Version (KJV) 6 So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark … God designed the Ark as place for His presence to dwell. Today His presence dwells in us by the Holy Spirit. When God looks at us, He doesn’t see our sin, but the provision: His own Son. But the mercy seat was only a foreshadow of Jesus Christ, who has become our permanent atonement cover. This was the same veil that was torn at the crucifixion of Christ, and inside the Holy of Holies was where the Ark would be found. Our God is perfect, and there was only one way to build His tabernacle. The term mercy seat comes from a Hebrew word meaning to cover, placate, appease, cleanse, cancel, or make atonement for. In the Book of Joshua, we learn of the safety the Ark provided the Israelites as they passed over the Jordan into the Promised Land. There were two reasons for this. Sinai, the people were not to come close to the mount. During the reign of Moses, the cloud was their guide, but now, in Joshua’s reign, the ark; both were visible signs of God’s presence and presidency, but divine grace under the Mosaic dispensation was wrapt up as in a cloud and covered with a veil, while by Christ, our Joshua, it is revealed in the ark of the covenant unveiled. “There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat…” (Exodus 25:22). '". When God’s presence was on Mt. 2) The people were to follow and stay at 1000 yards from the Ark (Joshua 3:4). As the Online Etymology Dictionary explains, the word "ark" comes from the Latin word arca, meaning "big box. Being in the presence of God is a holy thing. When their sins were covered by blood, God temporarily overlooked their sins. They were there for three days before officers went through the camp and proclaimed it was time to cross. According to Exodus 19:5-6 Yahweh made a covenant with the Israelites: “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. “They shall construct an ark of acacia wood two and a half cubits long, and one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high. The Ark was a box designed by God Himself, and would hold the 10 Commandments. And Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. “You shall, moreover, command the priests who are carrying the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan. They told the people to follow the Ark of the Covenant, but to stay back a distance of 2,000 cubits, or a 1,000 yards, the length of 10 football fields. Now the LORD said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you. The Ark was a 2 ½ x 1½ cubit rectangular wooden chest with its lid being the Mercy Seat with the Cherubim of glory facing one another with wings outstretched. Joshua said to them: “Go to the bed of the Jordan in front of the ark of the LORD, your God; lift to your shoulders one stone apiece, so that they will equal in number the tribes of the Israelites. This was no ordinary box. 8 And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan. Remedy is about loving Jesus and loving others. After the invasion and destruction of Ai, an altar was built to the Lord on Mount Ebal. Joshua said to the priests, "Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people." “Joshua passing the River Jordan with the Ark of the Covenant” The Ark was brought by the Israelites throughout their travel in the desert and during wars. Heb. Moreover, the movement of the ark as the leader of the people leads to a speech from the Lord to Joshua. “Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at its two ends. Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor all who enter Dagon’s house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day. Joshua told his priests to take up the Ark of the Covenant and let seven priests with trumpets march before the Ark around the city. So they took it up and went ahead of them. Christ died one time, in one perfect sacrifice for all time. God made a covenant (a conditional covenant) with the children of Israel through His servant, Moses. Upon the top of the ark, probably not as a lid but above the lid, was a golden plate upon which two cherubim, with raised wings and facing each other, covered the ark. “The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be removed from it. 2 Samuel 6:6-7. He promised good to them and their children for generations if they obeyed Him and His laws, but He warned of discipline and dispersion if they were to disobey. Joshua told the people to set themselves apart and make themselves holy. "Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth"; so the ark is called in the Holy Scriptures (Joshua 3:11).This most holy object was made of acacia wood, completely covered with fine gold, and decorated with a golden wreath. The men of Beth-shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the LORD, this holy God? In Joshua 4, the twelve men selected in 3:12 will set up twelve stones to serve as a memorial the events of this day. Then he said to the people, “Go forward, and march around the city, and let the armed men go on before the ark … Background And Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, “Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over ahead of the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people. The Israelites believed … Just as Israel was called to keep their eyes on the Ark, the call for us is to keep our eyes on Jesus. The ark moves at Joshua's command. “Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over ahead of you into the Jordan. God designed the Ark to His specifications, both the material and size, and He also described the purpose of the Ark and how the Ark should be approached. “There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel. We exist to glorify Him through our gatherings and in our lives. Already in awe of the treasures he and his team had stumbled upon, there in front of him was something that resembled the Ark of the Covenant. Ark of the Covenant. The Philistines took the Ark of God and set it up next to their god, Dagon. We have been consecrated in Christ and His call for us today is to walk worthy of our calling. First, there were 1 million to 2.5 million people crossing the river, so they were to leave some distance so that they could see the Ark up ahead. “You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark with them. 6 And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.” It was believed this covenant brought about the construction of the Ark. We do not follow God at a distance; Christ made a way on the cross for us to be in the very presence of God. “You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and you shall make a gold molding around it. “Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them. Download file | Play in new window | Duration: 36:11, Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and he and all the sons of Israel set out from Shittim and came to the Jordan, and they lodged there before they crossed. We are now the tabernacle or dwelling place of God, and we are holy because Christ in us is holy. In the first passage, the Ark had been taken by the Philistines in battle: Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it to the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon. In 1772, West was appointed offical history painter to the court and Surveyor of the King’s Pictures. And the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. He is perfect and demands perfection. Inside the Ark of the Covenant were the two tablets of law, known as the Ten Commandments, which God gave to Moses, Aaron's rod which budded, and a jar of manna. Joshua 3:11-17 English Standard Version (ESV) 11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth[ a] is passing over before you into the Jordan. In the next few passages, we will see examples of when the Ark was approached incorrectly. He leads us into His promises today, through the word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Ark of the Covenant was a sacred chest built by the Israelites, under exact specifications given to them by God. Joshua passing the River Jordan with the Ark of the Covenant by Benjamin West, 1800. It included a pledge by God that he would dwell among his people and give them guidance from the mercy seat on the top of the Ark. The ark of the covenant is carried around the city of Jericho. “You shall cast four gold rings for it and fasten them on its four feet, and two rings shall be on one side of it and two rings on the other side of it. move. The men of Beth-shemesh recognized that no one could stand in the presence of the Lord. The Hebrew aron, by which the Ark of the Covenant is expressed, does not call to the mind, as that used for Noah's Ark, a large construction, but rather a chest.This word is generally determined in the sacred text; so we read of the Ark of the Testimony (Exodus 25:16, 22; 26:33, etc. God is our lamb and this is permanent: For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins…By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. What does this mean for us today? God gave very specific instructions about the size and material of the tabernacle, and it was surrounded by a wall with only one way, one gate, by which to enter the courtyard. As part of the sign of His covenant, God instructed the Israelites to build a sanctuary, a tabernacle, a tent, a place where He would dwell. We follow Him as He leads: He led the children of Israel through the river Jordan, and they followed Him into His promises. When Moses was leading Israel out of Egypt, God did not take them on the short route through the land of the Philistines, lest they see the giants and return to Egypt. “You shall make two cherubim of gold, make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat. At the end of three days the officers went through the midst of the camp; and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God with the Levitical priests carrying it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.” Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” And Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, “Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over ahead of the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people. The blood was sprinkled between the judgment angels who were looking down and … The real significance of the Ark of the Covenant was what took place involving the lid of the box, known as the "Mercy Seat." 9:4, "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." Joshua 3:14-16 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. God has always expected man to demonstrate faith in Him. Numbers 14:15 Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying. God is God of Gods, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords…you simply cannot put Him next to any other god. “You shall put into the ark the testimony which I shall give you. Joshua 3:3 And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. Joshua 3:11 Context. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people. This veil was so heavy that it required 300 priests to move it. 9 The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. The purpose of the Tabernacle was to house the Ark in which the tablets of the Ten Commandments were placed. In Exodus 25:10, Moses receives the command to build an ark of acacia wood. The first battle after the crossing of the Jordan was the Battle of Jericho. Instead, God took them on the long route to the Red Sea, so they wouldn’t encounter the Philistines. 2. He arose early in the morning and went to the Jordan River to prepare the people to cross. 3) The priests were to step into the waters of the Jordan river before they were held back (Joshua 3:8). 8 When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the Lord went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the Lord ’s covenant followed them. In 1400 B.C. But Dagon fell to his face on the ground before the Ark of the Lord. Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: 'When you reach the edge of the Jordan's waters, go and stand in the river. And that authority is compared directly to the authority Moses held before Israel. The Ark was an important foreshadowing of Jesus Christ as the sole place of atonement for sins. God is Holy: He is our Father, our Abba, He is King, He is faithful and full of grace and mercy, but He is also a Holy God. http://remedylodi.com/podcast-player/11097/joshua-ark-of-the-covenant.mp3. When your children ask you what these stones mean to … In 2 Samuel, David was transporting the Ark on a new cart. The Ark was to be housed in the inner sanctum of the tabernacle in the desert and eventually in the Temple when it was built in Jerusalem. Joshua led the Israelite in the destruction of Jericho. We are right standing before God, and we have the right to be in His presence because Christ paid for our sin. The Ark of the Covenant Through Jesus’ blood, our sins have been covered over forever. When the Ark nearly fell off the cart, Uzzah reached out to take hold of it, yet God’s anger burned against him and God struck him down for his irreverence. These areas were separated by a thick veil separating sinful man from a holy God. Our God is a holy being, and being in His presence is a serious thing. New Living Translation. “It shall come about when the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan will be cut off, and the waters which are flowing down from above will stand in one heap.” Joshua 3:1-13. After Sir Joshua Reynolds, West was the RA's second president. Within this ark were to be placed the tables of the law which God was about to give to Moses. The priest sprinkled the blood of a sacrificed animal onto the Mercy Seat to appease the wrath and anger of God for past sins committed. The Mercy Seat The Ark was designed to communicate the need for absolute obedience to a holy God. According to the Book of Exodus, God instructed Moses on Mount Sinai during his 40-day stay upon the mountain where God was and he was shown the pattern for the tabernacle and furnishings of the Ark to be made of shittim wood to house the Tablets of Stone. 9 And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God. So they took Dagon and set him in his place again. The movement will exalt Joshua before Israel. 13 And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off … Joshua -- 'the LORD is salvation', Moses' successor, also the name of a number of Israelites, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular, Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural, Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct, A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock, Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural, OT History: Joshua 3:6 Joshua spoke to the priests saying Take (Josh. As a result of Israel’s defeat at Ai, Joshua falls down before the ark in supplication to the Lord because of the sins of the people. 1) The priests were to carry the ark (Joshua 3:3). 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