Ark of The Testimony (chapter 13-16)
The Ark is the center theme from chapter 13 to 16.
In the days of Eli the ark was in the Tabernacle at Shiloh (1 Sam 3:3). Eli’s sons took it into battle against the Philistines who captured it. For this reason, it was said, “The glory has departed from Israel” (1 Sam 4:22). The Ark stayed with the Philistines for seven months (1 Sam 6:1), where ever the Ark was, it brought tumors to the Philistines and many died. (1 Sam 5:6,9,11).
The Philistine returned the Ark back to the Jews, the Ark stayed in Kiriath Jearim, in the house of Abinadad and his son Eleazar ( 1 Sam 7:2) until David came to take the Ark to Jerusalem.
When the priests brought the ark into the inner sanctuary of the temple, only the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb (1 Kings 8:9).
Hebrews 9:4 tells us that at one point, the ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.
The Ark represents the presence of God. Rom 3:25 tells us the Lord Jesus is the mercy seat that covers the top of the ark. The ark was a foreshadow of the Lord Jesus. Whenever Jesus is present, God is present. Today God is present in men by the presence of His Son.
However not many people desire the presence of the Lord. Praise God that King David was thinking about the ark. He desired the presence of the Lord.
However David made a mistake by taking the easy way to carry the ark, by using a cart. It was the way of the Philistines (1 Sam 6:7,10). The command of God is that the ark needed to be carried by the priests.
It pleases God when we desire His present, however we need to be careful not to follow the way of the world (Philistines) to bring the presence of God into men. The ark must be carried exactly the way God commanded the Jews. In the same way, the presence of the Lord Jesus in the Church must be carried out by the way of God. All believers of Jesus Christ are priests, we are holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5). Holy means separated from the world and dedicated to God. Thus God is looking for holy priests to carry the ark of the testimony in the church today. These are the people who have the responsibility to carry the ark of the testimony, to bring the presence of the Lord Jesus among God’s people. Are you willing to be the holy priest to carry the ark?