Christ in all the scriptures The Ark of the Covenant part 5

 Christ in all the scriptures

The Ark of the Covenant part 5

INTANGIBLE HOLINESS

"And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.  And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.  And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the Ark, that the Ark may be borne with them.  The staves shall be in the rings of the Ark; they shall not be taken from it"-Exodus 25v12-15.

In reconciling us, God still remains apart (not aloof) from us, and steps are taken to present His holiness.  The camp of Israel had to maintain constant movement to retain pilgrim character, as they could not settle in a wilderness.  They were described as "strangers and pilgrims", as some put it, strangers away from home, pilgrims on their way home.  These journeys involved moving the tabernacle, and strict rules applied in the movements.  This pilgrim character is emphasised by the staves of wood and gold kept permanently in place on the Ark.  They were not to be moved, they had to be ready to journey at the call of God.  Only the descendants of Kohath could convey the Ark in its journeys, and even they could not touch it on pain of death-Numbers 3-4.  The sons of Kohath, the second son of Levi were chosen to serve in "the most holy things"-4v4; they were not to touch any holy thing, which were covered and secured in the staves-4v5-15.  The handling of sacred vessels demanded due reverence and care-4v16-20.  Those, whom God has chosen, today, to handle holy things, should do so with similar reverence.  God remains God, and we remain men, albeit in fellowship with God.  Our nearness to God should not result in familiarity, rather in due reverence toward Him.  When Jesus sent Mary with a message to His brethren (note the nearness), He also distinguished His own relationship from ours to God-"...go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God and your God"-John 20v17.    

The awesome holiness of God is known by angels who live in His presence-Isaiah 6 and others.  By stooping to save men, His holiness is not compromised in any way.  In Christ, He can be "JUST and the JUSTIFIER of every one who believes in Jesus".  There is, however, a danger of becoming complacent, even irreverent in handling the things of God, as Paul remonstrates in Romans 6.  We can only truly understand the holiness of God when it is placed against the background of ungodly men, as it was in the days of the prophet Samuel, among the Philistines, and, as it will be in the great tribulation in the kingdom of the Beast.  

Israel came under discipline, and lost in battle to their enemies-1st Samuel chapter 4-(30,000 of their army were slain.)   God will not tolerate perpetual sin amongst His people.  As a result the Ark of God was taken, and remained in the hands of the Philistines, and was ultimately lost to Israel for many years.  During this time we learn the effects of this on infidels.

The Philistines placed the Ark of God beside the statue of their god Dagon-1st Samuel 5v3-9.  The statue fell twice and the people were smitten with emerods (tumours, probably bleeding piles) over a wide area.  The Ark of God, containing an unbroken law, placed beside idolatry, results in Divine judgment.  Those who did not die, were diseased bodily, and lived in terror of the God of Israel.  This lasted for 7 months and they sent it away from their cities.  Gath, Ashdod, and Ekron all suffered the same fate. The narrative reveals they were a religious people in their own way, but they were in awe of the "Ark of the God of Israel".  They even shewed respect to it by offering a trespass offering, providing a new cart, and by the men of the lords of the Philistines conveyed it to neighbours.

The Ark came to rest in a field of Beth-Shemesh (which means house of the sun), another idolatrous, religious people, who treated the Ark as common and looked into it in curiosity, thus exposing themselves to the unbroken law of God.  The result was disastrous, and 50,080 men died of their population.  The cry went up "Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? and to whom shall He go up from us?" 

They called for the men of Kirjath-Jearim, who came and removed it to a secluded place on a hill where it rested for 20 years, and was tended by the priesthood.  When King David finally removed the Ark to Jerusalem, the chronology suggests the Ark was 60 years away, during which time Israel were persecuted, and there was a national lament for the Ark.  There was a sense of emptiness in Israel.  A nation, called of God, without the presence of God for all that time.  

Many of these Old Testament stories are ridiculed as having no relevance to modern times.  Yet what happened in the Middle East will happen again on a global scale, when the Ark of God is exposed to a godless, rebellious world.  Revelation 11v19 declares "And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple the ark of His covenant: and there were lightnings and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake and great hail."  The Ark therefore is associated with wrath, as it will be opened to the world in a day yet future.  God will have the final say in the affairs of this world.

"The temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: and the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.  And one of the four living creatures gave unto the seven angels SEVEN golden VIALS full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever"-Revelation 15v5-7.  These are called the SEVEN LAST PLAGUES in verse1, which shall fall on the earth, and bring all rebellion to an end.  

The only response to this is to "flee from the wrath to come" and accept God's mercy in the present.  At this point we come to the infinite resources of mercy offered in Christ as the only alternative to wrath.