Joshua 4:15-18 Now the LORD said to Joshua, “Command the priests who carry the ark of the testimony that they come up from the Jordan.” So Joshua commanded the priests, saying, “Come up from the Jordan.” It came about when the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD had come up from the middle of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up to the dry ground, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place, and went over all its banks as before.
As the nation Israel further up and further in to God’s land of promise, something is very front and center. Have you noticed it? 17x in 3-4 (10x more in ch 6). It’s [TAOTCOTLOATE][aka The Ark Of The Covenant Of The Lord Of All The Earth][aron ha-berit adonai ha-eretz]. The Ark. Not [Noah’s]. This is the Ark 2.0, aka The [Ark of the Covenant], the Ark of the Testimony, the Ark... of Yahweh.
The Ark starts out as the sacred locus of God’s presence among His people. It’s the place where Moses and God meet and speak face to face. The people go to the Ark when they need to ask the Lord for guidance. Throughout this early history of Israel, the Ark of the Lord also goes before His people. It guides them in unfamiliar places, goes before them into battle, into wonders and miracles. And it’s reputation goes before IT. The AotL is so front and center that the enemies of God’s people come to fear it, seek to capture it, thinking this “Piece of Wood” is somehow the source of their power (cuz they don’t know the all-powerful God Whose power is behind said Ark). Enemies did believe that if they could possess this Ark that they themselves could access its power. But watch, as this [piece of wood] conquers cities, and topples idols. People who look inside it die. People who touch it die. It’s even inspired a [movie]. The Ark of the Lord:
Ex. 25:16,22 “They shall construct an ark of acacia wood two and a half cubits long, and one and a half cubits wide, and one and a half cubits high… “You shall put into the ark the testimony which I shall give you. “There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel.” Num. 7:89 Now when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim, so He spoke to him. Num. 10:33,35 Thus they set out from the mount of the LORD three days’ journey, with the ark of the covenant of the LORD journeying in front of them for the three days, to seek out a resting place for them. Then it came about when the ark set out that Moses said, “Rise up, O LORD! And let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before You.” When it came to rest, he said, “Return, O LORD, to the myriad thousands of Israel.” Heb. 9:4b …the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant.
But in other words, God’s people (learned to) never make a move without the Ark. And so it comes as no surprise that this is what we observe from the outset in Joshua: Josh. 3:3 and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God with the Levitical priests carrying it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it.”Josh. 3:11 “Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over ahead of you into the Jordan.”
What are some other things we observe about the Ark as the history of God’s people unfolds?
-In 1Sam 4, the Philistines actually do manage to steal it.
-Once the land of promise is taken and God’s people settle down, the Ark is placed at [Bethel]. But it comes to be rarely mentioned. Neglected [inconvenient]? Almost as if the Ark comes to be an afterthought. But in truth, God becomes the afterthought…
-Eventually lost? Solomon places it in the temple he builds [c 950BC] [2Chr. 6:10-11 “Now the LORD has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for I have risen in the place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built the house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. There I have set the ark in which is the covenant of the LORD, which He made with the sons of Israel.”]. Then there's no mention of it until Josiah [650BC? ~300 yrs later] [2Chr. 35:2-3 He set the priests in their offices and encouraged them in the service of the house of the LORD. He also said to the Levites who taught all Israel and who were holy to the LORD, “Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel built; it will be a burden on your shoulders no longer…] Apparently the Levites had removed the Ark sometime during the centuries of spiritual infidelity.
There’s one OT final mention of the Ark, by Jeremiah the prophet, who lived around the same time as Josiah [Jer. 3:15-17 “Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding. “It shall be in those days when you are multiplied and increased in the land,” declares the LORD, “they will no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the LORD.’ And it will not come to mind, nor will they remember it, nor will they miss it, nor will it be made again. “At that time they will call Jerusalem ‘The Throne of the LORD,’ and all the nations will be gathered to it, to Jerusalem, for the name of the LORD; nor will they walk anymore after the stubbornness of their evil heart.”]
There’s only one more mention of the Ark in the entire rest of the Bible, [Heb 9]. So much impact for just a piece of wood, and now it’s…lost? Today we would classify it as a relic: an ancient object which is esteemed/venerated because of its association with a certain individual/event. Sometimes, relics get neglected/lost [like w Indiana Jones - it winds up "lost" and filed away in a warehouse]. Sometimes relics turn into idols [famous relic]. Turns out, there are quite a few other pieces of wood which wind up as relics…
[Moses’ staff] - a piece of wood. Was used by God as a part of significant wonders. The plagues of Egypt, the Red Sea, water in the desert, the defeat of the Amalekites. His staff was Moses’ undoing tho, wasn’t it? [Num 20.8-12] God still provided water, but Moses relied on this piece of wood instead of the Lord. Ultimately it’s the sole reason why Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised land!
[Icons] (relics) - in Eastern Orthodoxy, you pray to pieces of wood to get grace and favor from God. But the point of any piece of wood should be to point us to the Lord. Don’t [trees] do that? [Is 44.23]
How ‘bout The Bible. It’s a piece of wood, isn’t it? Wood pulp. Is it a relic? Esteemed/venerated by quite a few, but for many more, it’s simply ancient, i.e. obsolete. Often neglected. Maybe we’re not sure where ours is. For some, it occupies the spiritual space that is meant for the Lord Himself. I read my verse, my passage for today - that checks off my "religious duty" box on my to-do list. But have I connected, communed with the Lord Himself? The Word of God is always intended to point us to the God OF the Word, the God Who IS the Word.
[The Ark of Noah] - it was a massive piece of wood. A relic maybe? But it certainly points us to Christ [1Pet. 3:18,20,21 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you — not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience — through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.] Christ Our Savior. The promise of a piece of wood.
Then there’s the [Cross] - the original, the ultimate piece of wood. Is it a relic? Who knows where the original may be? Certainly it is one of, if not THE most powerful images of our faith. As well as one of the most misunderstood, or misrepresented? To some, it can be like a spiritual good luck charm. For others, it symbolizes some of the worst ways that imperfect people implement their understanding of the Christian religion. But that old rugged Cross, that piece of wood, is a promise. A promise of life. Eternal life for all who believe.
As we close, let’s remember: the promise, the POWER to save, to guide, to defeat the enemy and forces of darkness, never resides in any piece of wood, or in any created thing. Only in the Creator Himself, the God Who saves. Yeshua. The True Promise of God. Is. 44:23 Shout for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done it! Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth; break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains, o forest, and every tree in it; for the LORD has redeemed Jacob and in Israel He shows forth His glory.
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