The Ark Placed in a Tent

 

1 Chronicle 16:1-7

 

March 14, 2023

 

The Ark Placed in a Tent

And they brought in the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God.  And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord and distributed to all Israel, both men, and women, to each a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins.

Then he appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the Lord, the God of Israel.  Asaph was the chief, and second, to him were Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, who were to play harps and lyres; Asaph was to sound the cymbals and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God.  Then on that day David first appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the Lord by Asaph and his brothers.

Often, as I look into Scripture my thoughts go to how should I apply this in my life.  It has become apparent to me that reading has little value without application.  How can you and I use these verses in our daily lives?

First, what was in the Ark of the Covenant; Hebrews 9:4, "The ark of the covenant [was] covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron's rod, which budded, and the tablets of the covenant." 

Two questions came to my mind, first, why was the ark so important to the Jewish people?  It held the history of God’s faithfulness to the Jewish people, God’s chosen people, then and now.  They could look back to a time when they we slaves and how God sent His man Moses to lead them, how they never went without food, and how their shoes and garments did not wear out in 40 years.  So it became clear that the manna that God sent 6 days each week was a great reminder of God’s provision, the tablets of His commandments but why Aaron’s staff?

 

We find the answer in Numbers 17 and the people were ready to go back to Egypt or kill Moses and Aaron.  Picking up the account in verse 3-11,

On the staff of Levi write Aaron’s name, for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe.  Place them in the tent of meeting in front of the ark of the covenant law, where I meet with you.  The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites.”

So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their leaders gave him twelve staffs, one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes, and Aaron’s staff was among them.  Moses placed the staff before the Lord in the tent of the covenant law.

The next day Moses entered the tent and saw that Aaron’s staff, which represented the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed, and produced almonds.  Then Moses brought out all the staff from the Lord’s presence to all the Israelites. They looked at them, and each of the leaders took his own staff.  The Lord said to Moses, “Put back Aaron’s staff in front of the ark of the covenant law, to be kept as a sign to the rebellious. This will put an end to their grumbling against me so that they will not die.”  Moses did just as the Lord commanded him.

Now that should answer the one question, but why do so many people who claim they are followers of Christ, follow the foolishness of this world?  When we had the China vires called Covet release on our nations and the world, my wife, daughter myself, and many others, asked the Lord what we should do, and the answer was not mask, nor listen and do what the government and medical personal were pushing, trust in Jesus to provide as He did for the Jewish people coming out of Egypt.

So what is our ark, the cross, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit that indwells us, and Truth, Jesus is the Truth.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice