The Ark of the Covenant

You’re probably seen the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark. Have you ever wondered why God told Moses to make the Ark of the Covenant? Hebrews 9:4 tells us “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.” Each thing represented something about God.

The tablets of the Ten Commandments that Moses received on Mount Sinai = God’s Law

The jar of manna from the wilderness = God’s provision

Aaron’s rod that miraculously budded = God’s miracles. Aaron was the first high priest who would represent Israel before God.

The cover (or lid) of the Ark was called the mercy seat = God’s mercy.

The mercy seat had two golden cheribum (angels) with outstretched wings = God’s presence. The Ark was the connection between God in heaven and man on earth.

One day out of the year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle and would sprinkle blood on the top of the Ark of the Covenant—the mercy seat. The mercy seat was over the tablets of the Ten Commandments, which were inside the Ark. When people sinned the Law was broken, which required God’s judgment. But when the blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat, this act demonstrated that the blood activated God’s mercy, and that mercy triumphed over judgment (James 2:13). Without the blood there would be no mercy.

The Ark in the Old Testament was an object lesson to teach us about Christ’s redemption in the New Covenant. We have all broken God’s Law and need forgiveness. Immediately after Jesus died on the cross, He took His blood into the Holy of Holies in heaven and placed it on the Mercy Seat to obtain eternal redemption for us. (Hebrews 9:11-12). Now salvation is available to everyone who will receive Jesus Christ as their Lord. For more on the Ark, read the sermon “Don’t Touch That Ark!” and Where is the Ark of the Covenant today?

NEW STUDY: Where is the Ark of the Covenant today? The Ark disappeared from the tabernacle in 587 B.C.  In 1981, three rabbis claimed they found it under the Temple Mount. This study includes a video of their discovery! MUST WATCH

SERMON: “Don’t Touch that Ark!” Why did God kill Uzzah for touching the Ark? This message shows how need to learn from his mistake.

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Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net 

Thank you to all who support this discipleship ministry. 

Contributions to Making Life Count Ministries are tax-deductible.

Blessing Those Who Sneeze?

Not long ago I was in a meeting when someone sneezed. Three people said, “God bless you!”

Have you ever wondered why people say “God bless you” after someone sneezes? It’s even weirder when someone speaks the German word “Gesundheit.” We’ve learned to bless people who sneeze because we were taught growing up that it’s the polite thing to do.

So where did this idea come from? The custom of blessing people who sneezed goes back to the Dark Ages when people believed that sneezing was expelling a demon from one’s body. Speaking God’s blessing supposedly prevented the evil spirit from re-entering the person. Pope Gregory the Great popularized the “sneeze blessing” to ward off the bubonic plague, where sneezing was a symptom of the disease. Of course, blessing the sneezer is a superstition and the practice is not found in the Bible.

It just goes to show that we often do things out of tradition and never think, “WHY am I doing this?” Even in church we can follow the traditions of men instead of God’s Word. If you try to break the man-made tradition to follow a new way where God is leading, some people will protest, “We’ve never done it that way before!”

The Pharisees revered their traditions over God’s Word. Jesus rebuked them, “And why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?” (Matt. 15:3). Jesus never said to bless those who sneeze, but He did say, “Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:28). That’s the command we need to obey, not the other.

www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net

NEW BIBLE STUDY: What does it mean to “bless those who curse you”?

The Sure Cure for Worry proves that GOD IS IN CONTROL and you can trust Him to take care of the things that worry you.

Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net

Thank you to all who support this discipleship ministry.