Dr Paul Allen

What was the ark of the covenant? You’ve heard of it. You’ve read of it. Maybe you even saw it in Raiders of the Lost  Ark,  but  what was it really? What did it look like? And why was it so important? In the desert, after the Exodus from Egypt, the Lord told Moses to make a ceremonial ark or aron – a wooden chest – as a sign of the covenant made at Mount Sinai.[1] The ark was made of acacia wood—a box within a box within a box—a metre long, and overlaid with gold.[2] On top was a solid-gold cover called the kapporet , where two golden keruvim or ‘cherubim’ faced each other, wing-tips touching. WHAT IS A KERUV? The keruv or cherub is a being whose general type is well known to us from ancient eastern iconography. It was not a winged man; much less a little flying putto or baby boy . Rather it was a being combining human characteristics with those of fierce animals and birds, and representing a solar or stellar deity. The best-known example is the great man-headed lion t...

We’ve answered the question, “ What was the ark of the covenant? ” The next question we must ask is “What happened to the ark of the covenant?” Specifically, what happened to it from the time it was made until the time it disappeared. As we have seen, from the day of its construction, the ark was the central object of Israel’s faith. The second commandment prohibited Israel from having images of the deity, as other nations had. Instead, Israel had the ark, the invisible deity’s footstool. But what was its story in Israel’s national life? And what happened to the ark of the covenant in the end? FROM TABERNACLE TO ZION TENT Where the ark went, the Lord went (Num. 10.34); its presence ensured his (1 Sam. 4.3). He spoke from between the keruvim on the ark, amidst a glowing cloud (Exod. 25.22; 30.6; 40.35). The honour due him was paid to the ark. When the ark appeared in public, sacrifices were offered before it, people bowed to it and cried on every side, Yehovah Ts’vaot! Yehovah Ts’vaot!...

What happened to the ark of the covenant? There are theories galore. Here’s a quick rundown.  Let’s start with Egypt. After Solomon died, his son Rehoboam became king, and Pharaoh Shishak invaded Jerusalem. He carried off treasures from the temple (1 Kings 14). That theory, of course, lies behind Raiders of the Lost Ark. Others think that when King Jehoash from the northern kingdom invaded Jerusalem and plundered the temple treasury, he took the ark as spoils of war (2 Kings 14). Both theories run into a snag. There is evidence that the ark was restored to (or still present in) Jerusalem generations later during the reign of Josiah ( 2 Chronicles 35:3). That brings us to the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Nebuchadnezzar razed the temple and carried many sacred objects away to Babylon. Some think the ark was destroyed then or taken into exile. Here’s the problem: Jeremiah 52, which we read today in Bible in One Year, gives a long inventory of temple items taken by th...

Y eah, the first guy died, but the next guy got SUPER blessed! Most people remember the story's frightening part: Uzzah touches the Ark of the Covenant and dies instantly. But here's what you missed! People often talk about this passage in hushed tones because it doesn’t fit the idea of a “safe” God. But there’s a bigger lesson in what happens next. The Ark doesn’t disappear; it still needs somewhere to stay. After Uzzah dies, David becomes afraid. He was FREAKING OUT! As the nation's leader, he suddenly feels that God’s presence is dangerous. Like many people today, David pulls away. He stops what he was doing and delays obeying because he’s scared. The Bible says David was afraid and wouldn’t bring the Ark into the City of David, so he sent it to the house of a man named Obed-Edom. Obed-Edom isn’t well-known. He isn’t a king or a famous priest. He’s just willing and available. This next part challenges simple thinking. The Ark stays in Obed-Edom’s house for three months, ...

“For nearly 3000 years man has been searching for the lost Ark. It’s not something to be taken lightly. No one knows its secrets. It’s like nothing you’ve ever gone after before.”  So Dr. Marcus Brody warned Dr. Henry Jones, Jr., aka “Indiana.” That was in Raiders of the Lost Ark, probably the single best adventure movie ever made. But its success, and cultural influence, has indeed proved Brody right. Many do now take the most fearsome object in biblical history too lightly. How could they not? The legion of parodies practically assures it. (Although some, like this famous Simpsons one, are priceless.) The Ark in Reel, and Real, Life The Ark is now back in the news. Both cinematically, and in real life. It was 40 years ago this week that Raiders premiered. And now the fifth Indiana Jones movie has commenced filming. But much more importantly, blood has been shed, again, over Ark.  Earlier this year, a story surfaced that over 800 Ethiopian Christians had been killed protectin...

Then He struck the men of Beth Shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the LORD (1 Sam. 6:19a). The Israelites’ joy over the return of the ark of the covenant is replaced by grief and fear when some of the people of Beth Shemesh take an improper liberty. The text indicates they “look into” the ark, perhaps out of a desire to see the tablets of the testimony, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the jar of manna that is kept within the ark (Heb. 9:4). However, the Hebrew grammar indicates that the people simply gaze at the ark. As strange as it may sound, doing so is improper. The ark usually sits concealed within the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle, where it is seen only once a year by the high priest. Even during Israel’s wilderness wandering, the tabernacle furnishings were covered by the priests before the people began a march so that the Kohathites, the Levitical family assigned to carry the furnishings, would not see them (Num. 4:1–20). When the ark arrived in the f...

Then the cows headed straight for the road to Beth Shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right hand or the left (1 Sam. 6:12a). The Philistine leaders follow the suggestions of their priests to the letter. They place the ark of the covenant on a newly built cart, along with their “trespass offering” of golden rats and tumors, and hitch the cart to two never-before-yoked milk cows. Then they step back, leaving it up to God to take the ark by miraculous means if He wants it. Surprisingly, He does just that. The cows, which have never pulled a burden before, are able to work in tandem, and the cart begins to move forward smoothly. The cows could go in any direction, of course, but they make a beeline for the road to Beth Shemesh, a city of the tribe of Judah in southern Israel—the very city to which the Philistine priests had said the cart must go as proof that God was guiding it. The cows aren’t happy about this—their low...

“Therefore you shall make images of your tumors and images of your rats that ravage the land, and you shall give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps He will lighten His hand from you, from your gods, and from your land” (1 Sam. 6:5). The ark of the covenant bounces around the cities of Philistia for seven months, bringing affliction wherever it goes. In Scripture, the number seven typically denotes completeness. In this case, it appears that, after seven months, God’s anger against both the Israelites and the Philistines is complete. The Philistine leaders finally realize what their people already have seen—the ark must go back to Israel. But sending it back is problematic. The Philistines are dealing with their enemy’s God—the return of the ark must be handled properly lest He is angered further. There is also the practical problem of transferring a national treasure during wartime. So the lords of the Philistines turn to their “priests and diviners” for guidance. These ...

English: Ananias restoring the sight of Saint Paul (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel .” ( Philippians 1:17 )   Many Christians today decry the use of apologetics or evidences in Christian witnessing, feeling it is somehow dishonoring to the Lord or to the Scriptures to try to defend them.   But as our text indicates, the apostle Paul did not agree with this. The gospel does need defending, and he was set for its defense against the attacks of its adversaries. He also told his disciples that “in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace” ( Philippians 1:7 ).   The Greek word translated “defense” is  apologia , from which we derive our English word “apologetics.” It is a legal term, meaning the case made by a defense attorney on behalf of a defendant under attack by a prosecutor. Thus, the apostle is saying: “I am set to give an apologetic for the...