BUILDING THE ARK
(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)
In building the tabernacle and all the items that went inside it; God was giving Moses divine patterns. Many people believe Moses saw the actual area of the heavens in the form of a vision as God spoke to him and gave him these very specific instructions. So we know that these patterns were divine because they were fashioned after a heavenly reality. This tabernacle was to be a type and shadow of the area around God's Throne in Heaven.
Perhaps the divine aspect of the project was why it took so long for God to give Moses the instructions. God created the earth in just six days; but he took 40 days to instruct Moses on the specifics of building the tabernacle. The Book of Genesis only devoted one chapter to the Creation. There were six chapters written to give the instructions for the tabernacle. This lets us know for sure that we are dealing with some pretty important stuff in this study!
In all the building that Moses did from God's patterns, everything was to scale. When we do this in the architectural world in which I work every day, we call it "building a model." A model is a scaled down replica of something real. You can look at the model and see what the real thing will be like. In order for something to be properly built to scale all the measurements have to be exactly accurate.
After God instructed Moses about the pattern for making the tabernacle; He gave Moses instructions for the items that would go inside the tabernacle. The first thing God told Moses to do on the inside was to build an ark. This ark was to be the most important item inside the tabernacle because it was molded after God's actual throne and that was to be the place where God would rest when He met with the priests of the tabernacle. The ark was the point of man's connection with God. God instructed Moses to follow a very exact pattern for building this ark.
The ark was to be made of acacia wood. Acacia is a wood that is harder than oak and it is very durable because the wood-eating insects avoid acacia. At the time of the giving of the instructions for building the ark, Moses and the people were camped in the Arabian desert. During this time period and in this area of the desert acacia wood was plentiful and easy to find.
This ark was to be two and one-half cubits long and a half high. It was to be overlaid with pure gold both on the inside and the outside. It was to have a gold molding around it’s sides. Moses was to cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet with two rings on one side and two rings on the other.
Perhaps the divine aspect of the project was why it took so long for God to give Moses the instructions. God created the earth in just six days; but he took 40 days to instruct Moses on the specifics of building the tabernacle. The Book of Genesis only devoted one chapter to the Creation. There were six chapters written to give the instructions for the tabernacle. This lets us know for sure that we are dealing with some pretty important stuff in this study!
In all the building that Moses did from God's patterns, everything was to scale. When we do this in the architectural world in which I work every day, we call it "building a model." A model is a scaled down replica of something real. You can look at the model and see what the real thing will be like. In order for something to be properly built to scale all the measurements have to be exactly accurate.
After God instructed Moses about the pattern for making the tabernacle; He gave Moses instructions for the items that would go inside the tabernacle. The first thing God told Moses to do on the inside was to build an ark. This ark was to be the most important item inside the tabernacle because it was molded after God's actual throne and that was to be the place where God would rest when He met with the priests of the tabernacle. The ark was the point of man's connection with God. God instructed Moses to follow a very exact pattern for building this ark.
The ark was to be made of acacia wood. Acacia is a wood that is harder than oak and it is very durable because the wood-eating insects avoid acacia. At the time of the giving of the instructions for building the ark, Moses and the people were camped in the Arabian desert. During this time period and in this area of the desert acacia wood was plentiful and easy to find.
This ark was to be two and one-half cubits long and a half high. It was to be overlaid with pure gold both on the inside and the outside. It was to have a gold molding around it’s sides. Moses was to cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet with two rings on one side and two rings on the other.
Moses was to make poles with acacia
wood and overlay them with gold. These
poles were to be inserted into the rings on the sides of the ark and used to
carry it. The poles were to remain
within the rings of the ark and not be removed.
Moses had everything that was needed right where they were camped. The people had lots of gold that they had brought from Egypt. It has been said that altogether they had 1,900 pounds of gold, 6,437 pounds of silver, and 4,522 pounds of bronze. In today's world that would translate to about $13 million dollars worth of valuable items that they were storing in little tents as they camped in the wilderness. It must have been fun for them to lug all of that around!
God was the architect of all of this, and God had provided the people with exactly what they needed to carry out his own specific design. Not one man put his own design on anything in the Tabernacle. God was the ONLY architect.
You might say Moses was God's construction/project manager. A good project manager always knows how important it is to stick to the original blueprint and listen and communicate with the original architect. Many times over in these scriptures we hear of God speaking to Moses and saying "make all things according to the pattern."
It was important to God that the ark be covered with gold, both inside and outside. The purity of the gold is symbolic of God's holiness, and the acacia wood is symbolic of mankind. The gold and the wood combined represent symbolism of how God can make men perfect and useful. It is the gold covering that makes the wood special and valuable.
Moses had everything that was needed right where they were camped. The people had lots of gold that they had brought from Egypt. It has been said that altogether they had 1,900 pounds of gold, 6,437 pounds of silver, and 4,522 pounds of bronze. In today's world that would translate to about $13 million dollars worth of valuable items that they were storing in little tents as they camped in the wilderness. It must have been fun for them to lug all of that around!
God was the architect of all of this, and God had provided the people with exactly what they needed to carry out his own specific design. Not one man put his own design on anything in the Tabernacle. God was the ONLY architect.
You might say Moses was God's construction/project manager. A good project manager always knows how important it is to stick to the original blueprint and listen and communicate with the original architect. Many times over in these scriptures we hear of God speaking to Moses and saying "make all things according to the pattern."
It was important to God that the ark be covered with gold, both inside and outside. The purity of the gold is symbolic of God's holiness, and the acacia wood is symbolic of mankind. The gold and the wood combined represent symbolism of how God can make men perfect and useful. It is the gold covering that makes the wood special and valuable.
God instructed Moses that He would
give him tablets containing the written laws that God and the people had
covenanted to place inside the ark.
Then Moses was to make an atonement
cover of pure and solid gold two and one half cubits long and a cubit and a half
wide. This was what has been called "The Mercy Seat." This is the place where the high priest would go later, on the Day of Atonement and sprinkle the blood as a covering for the sins of the people.
The Hebrew word for Mercy seat is Kapporeth. It actually has nothing to do with mercy, but means "atonement." Atonement and mercy are not the same. Mercy is complete forgiveness; and the Hebrew word for God's mercy is "Checed." Atonement is a covering and it means to condone, placate or set aside. The children of Israel who did not yet have Messiah needed to have atonement. The coming of Christ, much later would bring complete mercy. The Mercy Seat will later become very significant when the law inside which men have broken is sprinkled with the covering of the blood of Jesus Christ as a perfect sacrifice. It is the ONLY perfect sacrifice for the forgiveness of the sins of mankind. Until this happened, the people had to continue to bring sacrifices of animals and receive atonement.
During this beginning of the building of the Tabernacle the Ark sat in The Holy of Holies behind the veil. Men could not enter this space. Only the sanctified high priest could enter and only once a year with great caution. Little did they know that the day would come when God would rip the veil from top to bottom and open up the way allowing mankind direct access to God's mercy seat.
In the days of the wilderness tabernacle the high priest would be very careful to make sure that the proper incense was burned and he would allow it time to cover the mercy seat before entering. This was the preparation for entering the presence of God back then. Today it is our prayers, praise and worship that act like the sweet incense that allows entrance before the mercy seat where you can enter into the very presence of God.
The Hebrew word for Mercy seat is Kapporeth. It actually has nothing to do with mercy, but means "atonement." Atonement and mercy are not the same. Mercy is complete forgiveness; and the Hebrew word for God's mercy is "Checed." Atonement is a covering and it means to condone, placate or set aside. The children of Israel who did not yet have Messiah needed to have atonement. The coming of Christ, much later would bring complete mercy. The Mercy Seat will later become very significant when the law inside which men have broken is sprinkled with the covering of the blood of Jesus Christ as a perfect sacrifice. It is the ONLY perfect sacrifice for the forgiveness of the sins of mankind. Until this happened, the people had to continue to bring sacrifices of animals and receive atonement.
During this beginning of the building of the Tabernacle the Ark sat in The Holy of Holies behind the veil. Men could not enter this space. Only the sanctified high priest could enter and only once a year with great caution. Little did they know that the day would come when God would rip the veil from top to bottom and open up the way allowing mankind direct access to God's mercy seat.
In the days of the wilderness tabernacle the high priest would be very careful to make sure that the proper incense was burned and he would allow it time to cover the mercy seat before entering. This was the preparation for entering the presence of God back then. Today it is our prayers, praise and worship that act like the sweet incense that allows entrance before the mercy seat where you can enter into the very presence of God.
There were instructions for Moses to make two
cherubim of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. One cherub was to go on one end and the
second cherub was to go on the other end.
The cherubim were to be one piece with the cover at the two ends, and they
were to have their wings spread upward overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim were to face each other, looking
toward the cover.
Moses was to place the cover on top of
the ark after he put the tablets containing the covenant of the law that God would give to him
inside the ark.
God told Moses He would meet him there
above the cover of the ark, between the two cherubim that were over the ark of
the covenant law. Whenever God met Moses
in this place He would give Moses all of His commands for the Israelites.
Wow! There is something amazing going on with the instructions for this ark! Are you getting a picture in your mind of how things are going to be? Do you see how God has made a way to come and dwell among the people?
Wow! There is something amazing going on with the instructions for this ark! Are you getting a picture in your mind of how things are going to be? Do you see how God has made a way to come and dwell among the people?
