Topical Bible: Law: Preserved in the Ark of the Covenant

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The concept of the Law being preserved in the Ark of the Covenant is a significant theme in the Old Testament, reflecting the centrality of God's commandments in the life of Israel. The Ark of the Covenant, a sacred chest made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold, was constructed according to divine instructions given to Moses on Mount Sinai (Exodus 25:10-22). It served as the physical manifestation of God's presence among His people and a symbol of His covenant with Israel.

The Tablets of the Law

The most important contents of the Ark were the two stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments, also known as the Tablets of the Covenant. These commandments were given by God to Moses and represent the core of the Mosaic Law. According to Exodus 31:18, "When the LORD had finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God" . These tablets were placed inside the Ark as a perpetual reminder of the covenant between God and Israel.

Significance of the Law in the Ark

The placement of the Law within the Ark underscores its divine origin and authority. The Ark was housed in the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle, and later the Temple, signifying the Law's central role in the worship and governance of Israel. The Ark's presence in the Tabernacle and Temple symbolized God's throne on earth, with the Law serving as the foundation of His rule.

The Ark's role as the custodian of the Law also emphasized the need for Israel to live in obedience to God's commandments. Deuteronomy 10:1-5 recounts how Moses was instructed to place the tablets in the Ark: "At that time the LORD said to me, 'Chisel out two stone tablets like the originals, and come up to Me on the mountain. Also make a wooden ark. I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke, and you are to place them in the ark'" . This act of preservation highlighted the enduring nature of God's Law and its unchanging requirements for His people.

The Ark as a Witness

The Ark, with the Law inside, served as a witness to the covenant relationship between God and Israel. It was a tangible reminder of God's promises and the people's obligations. In Deuteronomy 31:26, Moses instructed the Levites, "Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may remain there as a witness against you" . This placement reinforced the idea that the Law was not only a guide for righteous living but also a standard by which the people would be judged.

The Ark in Israel's History

Throughout Israel's history, the Ark and the Law it contained played a crucial role. During the conquest of Canaan, the Ark went before the Israelites as they crossed the Jordan River and marched around the city of Jericho (Joshua 3:3-17, 6:6-20). Its presence signified God's guidance and power in fulfilling His promises to the patriarchs.

In the period of the Judges and the early monarchy, the Ark continued to be a focal point of Israel's religious life. King David brought the Ark to Jerusalem, establishing the city as the spiritual center of the nation (2 Samuel 6:12-17). Later, Solomon placed the Ark in the newly built Temple, where it remained until the Babylonian conquest (1 Kings 8:1-9).

Theological Implications

The preservation of the Law in the Ark of the Covenant carries profound theological implications. It underscores the holiness and sovereignty of God, who graciously provided His Law as a means for His people to know His will and live in fellowship with Him. The Ark, as the repository of the Law, symbolizes the unbreakable bond between God and His chosen people, a bond that is ultimately fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ, who perfectly embodied and fulfilled the Law (Matthew 5:17).

In summary, the Law preserved in the Ark of the Covenant represents the heart of God's covenant with Israel, serving as a perpetual reminder of His holiness, the people's calling to obedience, and the enduring nature of His promises.

Nave's Topical Index

Exodus 25:16
And you shall put into the ark the testimony which I shall give you.
Nave's Topical Index

Deuteronomy 31:9,26
And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it to the priests the sons of Levi, which bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.
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Library

Formation and History of the Hebrew Canon.
... of the law at the side of the ark, so as ... is to us a reasonable evidence that they
preserved them from ... a man who "had prepared his heart to seek the law of the ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xv formation and history.htm

Importance of Small Things in Religion
... the house of Abinadab, where it was preserved till the ... gather yourselves together,
and bring up the ark of the ... But forgetful of the divine law, they took up ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 6 1860/importance of small things in.htm

The Levites Ought to be Utterly Free from all Earthly Desires. ...
... there is can be put away, whatever law there is ... art placed there to watch over the
ark of the ... Good Levites have ever preserved the mystery entrusted to them ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter l the levites ought.htm

Importance of the Time of Youth; Difficulties and Dangers that ...
... Their hearts, like the Ark of the Covenant, have preserved intact those tables of
the divine law which admonish men of their duties, and inspire them with a ...
/.../sainte-foi/serious hours of a young lady/chapter i importance of the.htm

Whether Christ Ought to have Suffered on the Cross?
... ci De Tempore), an ark of wood preserved the human race from ... forth his arms with
rod in hand; lastly, God's law is entrusted to the wooden Ark of the ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether christ ought to have 2.htm

Perpetuity
... He desires that all His words be preserved for ever ... that His book be placed in the
Ark of the ... temple proved false by Maccabees: "Jeremiah gave them the law.". ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pascal/pensees/section ix perpetuity.htm

Jeremiah
... response from men who have the divine law written in ... and the people who followed
them, the ark, the temple ... an imitation of the old oracle preserved in Isaiah 15 ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/jeremiah.htm

Covenanting Provided for in the Everlasting Covenant.
... his family, had been, by some at least, carefully preserved. ... That is implied in the
law which was written on ... The Ark of the Covenant, containing the book of ...
/.../cunningham/the ordinance of covenanting/chapter vi covenanting provided for.htm

Folly of the Arguments Derived by the Heretics from Numbers ...
... and, above all, in the case of the Ark of the ... to maintain] that the types were not
preserved in the sublime and more imposing enactments of the law; but in ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xxiv folly of the arguments.htm

The Israelites
... as it were, the private chapel of his descendants; here were preserved the rites
and traditions of the Mosaic Law, and the ark of the covenant between Israel ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter i the israelites.htm