The Ark of the Covenant Bible Study | Things Placed Inside the Ark

DEUTERONOMY 10

THE STONE TABLETS PLACED IN THE ARK 

 

“At that time the LORD said to me, ‘Cut two tablets of stone like the first, and come up to Me on the mountain and make yourself an ark of wood. And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke; and you shall put them in the ark.’

So I made an ark of acacia wood, cut two tablets of stone like the first, and went up the mountain having the two tablets in my hand. And He wrote on the tablets according to the first writing, the Ten Commandments, which the LORD had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly; and the LORD gave them to me.

Then I turned and came down from the mountain, and put the tablets in the ark which I had made; and there they are, just as the LORD commanded me.”

 

The Law Inside the Ark

 

The stone tablets—written by the very finger of God—were placed inside the Ark of the Covenant.

 

They represent:

• God’s perfect law
• His holy standard
• His covenant with His people

 

Broken and Rewritten

 

The first tablets were broken because of Israel’s sin. God then rewrote them.

 

This reveals:

• Man breaks God’s law
• God, in His mercy, restores

 

Even in judgment, there is grace.

 

The Law Hidden Within

 

The law was not displayed outwardly—it was placed inside the Ark and covered by the mercy seat.

 

This is deeply significant:

·  The law that condemns is covered by mercy

·  Judgment is hidden beneath the blood

 

When God looked down, He did not see the broken law—He saw the blood on the mercy seat.

 

A Picture of the Heart

 

This also points forward to a greater promise: God would one day write His law not on stone, but on hearts.

 

Hebrews 10:14-18, “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.”

Through Jesus Christ:

• The law is fulfilled
• The heart is changed
• Obedience flows from within

 

Final Truth

 

This is the message of the Ark:

·      Sin is real

·      God is holy

·      Judgment is deserved

 

But…Mercy covers it all through the blood

 

NUMBERS 4

The Sons of Kohath — Carriers of the Sanctuary and the Ark

 

The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the Levites, by their families and by their fathers’ houses, from thirty years old up to fifty years old—all who enter the service to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting.

This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of meeting, relating to the most holy things.”

 

The Covering of the Ark

 

“When the camp prepares to move, Aaron and his sons shall come and take down the covering veil and cover the Ark of the Covenant with it. Then they shall put on it a covering of fine leather, and spread over that a cloth entirely of blue; and they shall insert its poles.”

 

After this, the other furnishings of the tabernacle were also carefully covered (verses 9–14).

 

The Responsibility of the Kohathites

 

Once everything was covered and prepared:

• The camp was ready to move
• The sons of Kohath were called to carry the sacred items

 

However, they were given a strict warning: They must not touch any holy thing, or they would die

 

These sacred objects were to be carried only in the way God had prescribed.

Final Connection to the Ark

The Ark was:

• Covered
• Carried
• Protected
• Revered

 

Because it represented one thing above all: The presence of God among His people.

 

Connection to Christ

 

Even in this, we see a shadow of Jesus Christ:

• God’s presence among His people
• Carried, yet not controlled
• Approached only in the way God provides

DEUTERONOMY 10

The Tribe of Levi Appointed to Bear the Ark of the Covenant

 

The children of Israel journeyed from Beeroth to Moserah, where Aaron died and was buried. And Eleazar his son ministered as priest in his place.

 

At that time, the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to:

• Bear the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD
• Stand before the LORD to minister to Him
• Bless His Name

 

This remains their calling even to this day.

 

Set Apart for God’s Service

 

The tribe of Levi was not chosen at random—they were set apart by God for a sacred purpose.

 

Their calling was unique:

• To carry the Ark
• To serve in God’s presence
• To minister before Him

 

This shows that God appoints specific people for specific purposes in His plan.

 

Carrying the Presence of God

 

To bear the Ark was to carry the symbol of God’s presence among His people.

This was not just a task—it was a holy responsibility.

It required:

• Reverence
• Obedience
• Dedication

 

A Life of Service and Blessing

 

They were also called to bless His Name.

Their lives were meant to reflect:

• Worship
• Honor
• Devotion

 

Connection to Today — Set Apart for God’s Service

 

Through Jesus Christ, believers are now called into a similar spiritual role:

• Set apart
• Called to carry His presence
• Called to minister before Him

 

We are not Levites by tribe—but we are called to live lives devoted to God. 

 

The Call to Salvation

 

Acts 2:38–39 declares:“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all who are afar off—even as many as the Lord our God shall call.’”

 

Through repentance, faith, and obedience, we receive:

·       Forgiveness of sins

·       The gift of the Holy Spirit

·       New life in Christ

 

A Royal Priesthood

 

1 Peter 2:9–10 reminds us: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.”

 

What This Means for Us

 

As believers:

·       We are chosen by God

·       We are set apart for His purposes

·       We are called to live in His presence

·       We are called to reflect His glory

 

We no longer carry a physical Ark—We carry His presence within us.

 

Final Truth

 

What was once limited to a tribe is now extended to all who believe.

What was once external is now internal.

What was once carried on shoulders is now carried in the heart.

 

NUMBERS 10

THE ARK OF THE COVENANT GOES BEFORE ISRAEL

 

On the twentieth day of the second month in the second year, the cloud was lifted from above the tabernacle of the Testimony.

Then the children of Israel set out from the wilderness of Sinai and traveled from place to place until the cloud came to rest in the wilderness of Paran. (See verses 14–28 for the order in which the tribes set out, according to the command of the LORD through Moses.)

So they departed from the mountain of the LORD and journeyed for three days. And the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD went before them during those three days to search out a resting place for them.

And the cloud of the LORD was above them by day when they set out from the camp.

Whenever the Ark set out, Moses said, “Rise up, O LORD! Let Your enemies be scattered, And let those who hate You flee before You.”

 

And when it rested, he said, “Return, O LORD, To the many thousands of Israel.”

 

The Ark Went Before Them

 

The Ark of the Covenant did not follow the people—it went before them.

 

This shows:

• God leads, not follows
• His presence prepares the way
• The people were to follow where He led

 

Searching Out a Resting Place

 

The Ark went ahead to find a place of rest for the people.

This is a beautiful picture of Jesus Christ:

👉 He goes before us
👉 He prepares the way
👉 He leads us into rest

 

Led by His Presence

 

The cloud by day remained over them as they journeyed. Their movement was completely dependent on God:

• When He moved, they moved
• When He stopped, they stopped

This teaches us to:

• Trust His timing
• Follow His leading
• Not run ahead of His presence

 

Victory in His Presence

When the Ark moved forward, Moses declared:

“Rise up, O LORD! Let Your enemies be scattered.”

This shows:

• God’s presence brings victory
• The battle belongs to Him
• His power goes before His people

 

Rest in His Presence

 

When the Ark rested, Moses said:

“Return, O LORD…”

This shows the other side of God’s presence:

• Not only victory—but rest
• Not only movement—but peace

  

Connection to Today

 

Through Jesus Christ:

• He goes before us
• He prepares our path
• He leads us into true rest

 

Just as Israel followed the Ark—We are called to follow His presence

 

Not ahead of Him.
Not apart from Him.

But after Him—where He leads.

 

EXODUS 16

Manna from Heaven Placed in the Ark of the Covenant

 

Then Moses said, “This is what the LORD has commanded: Fill an omer of manna to be kept for your generations, that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.”

And Moses said to Aaron, “Take a pot and put an omer of manna in it, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations.” As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.

So the children of Israel ate manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.

 

(See also John 6 — Jesus, the Bread of Life)

 

God’s Provision Preserved

 

The manna was placed inside the Ark as a lasting testimony of God’s provision.

It reminded Israel that:

• God sustained them daily
• He provided in their need
• He was faithful in the wilderness

 

A Reminder of Dependence

 

Manna had to be gathered daily.

This taught the people:

• To depend on God each day
• To trust Him for provision
• Not to rely on their own strength

 

Man’s Response — Complaining

 

Even though God provided miraculously, Israel often complained about the manna.

This reveals:

• The weakness of the human heart
• The tendency to forget God’s goodness
• The struggle between provision and gratitude

 

Hidden in the Ark

 

The manna was placed inside the Ark—along with the law and Aaron’s rod.

Together they represent:

• God’s provision (manna)
• God’s standard (law)
• Man’s rebellion (rod)

 

All covered by the mercy seat.

 

Fulfilled in Christ

 

The manna points directly to Jesus Christ.

 

In John 6, Jesus said:  “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

 

Just as manna came down from heaven to sustain life:

• Jesus came down from heaven
• He sustains spiritual life
• He satisfies the deepest need of the soul

 

Final Truth

 

God provided bread in the wilderness—But in Christ, He provided the Bread of Life.

 

NUMBERS 17

Aaron’s Staff Placed in the Ark of the Covenant

 

The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the children of Israel, and take from them one rod from each leader, according to their fathers’ houses—twelve rods in all. Write each man’s name on his rod, and write Aaron’s name on the rod of Levi.

Place them in the tabernacle of meeting before the Testimony, where I meet with you. And it shall be that the rod of the man whom I choose will blossom; thus I will rid Myself of the complaints of the children of Israel.”

So Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and each of their leaders gave him a rod—twelve rods in all—and the rod of Aaron was among them. Moses placed the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.

The next day, Moses went into the tabernacle and saw that Aaron’s rod had not only sprouted, but had budded, blossomed, and produced almonds.

Moses brought out all the rods before the children of Israel. Each man took his own rod.

And the LORD said to Moses, “Bring Aaron’s rod back before the Testimony, to be kept as a sign against the rebels, that you may put their complaints away from Me, lest they die.”

So Moses did just as the LORD commanded him.

 

Hebrews 9:4 says that inside the Ark of the Covenant were:

• The golden pot of manna
• Aaron’s rod that budded
• The tablets of the covenant

 

Teaching & Reflection

 

A Sign of God’s Choice

Aaron’s rod was a confirmation of God’s chosen priesthood.

Out of twelve rods:

• Only one was chosen
• Only one came to life

This showed that God appoints whom He chooses.

 

Life from Death

 

The rod was a dead piece of wood.

Yet overnight, it:

• Sprouted
• Budded
• Blossomed
• Produced fruit

 

This is a powerful picture of life coming from death.

 

A Picture of Christ

 

This points directly to Jesus Christ:

• He was chosen by God
• He brought life out of death
• He is our true High Priest

 

What was dead now lives.

 

A Reminder of Rebellion

 

The rod was placed in the Ark as a reminder of Israel’s rebellion.

It represented:

• Complaining
• Resistance to God’s authority
• Rejection of His appointed leadership

 

DEUTERONOMY 31

The Book of the Law Placed with the Ark of the Covenant

 

When Moses finished writing all the words of the law in a book, he commanded the Levites who carried the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD: “Take this Book of the Law, and put it beside the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there as a witness against you.”

 

The Reading of the Law

 

Moses also commanded, “At the end of every seven years, during the Year of Release, at the Feast of Tabernacles, when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God in the place He chooses, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.

Gather the people together—men, women, children, and the stranger within your gates—that they may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God and carefully observe all the words of this law. And that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as you live in the land.”

 

The Law as a Witness

 

The Book of the Law was placed beside the Ark as a witness against the people.

It revealed:

• God’s commands
• Man’s responsibility
• Man’s failure to obey

Moses knew the condition of the human heart:

·      Rebellion

·      Stubbornness

·      A tendency to turn away

 

A Call to Remember

 

The law was to be read publicly every seven years so that:

• The people would hear
• The people would learn
• The people would remember

 

God desired not just knowledge—but reverence and obedience.

 

The Condition of Man

 

Moses spoke honestly about Israel’s future:

• They would rebel
• They would turn aside
• They would provoke God

 

This shows a consistent truth throughout this study—Man cannot keep God’s law perfectly

 

Inside and Beside the Ark

 

• Inside the Ark → the stone tablets (the law written by God)
• Beside the Ark → the Book of the Law (the written witness)

 

Both testified to the same reality:

·      God is holy

·      His standard is perfect

·      Man falls short

 

Covered by Mercy

 

Yet above all of this sat the mercy seat.

 

This is the beauty of the Ark:

• The law condemns
• The witness testifies
• But mercy covers

 

Fulfilled in Christ

 

All of this points to Jesus Christ:

• He fulfilled the law
• He satisfied its demands
• He removed the condemnation

 

What the law revealed, Christ fulfilled.

 

Final Connection to the Ark

 

Everything surrounding the Ark reveals the full picture:

• The law → God’s standard
• The manna → God’s provision
• The rod → God’s authority
• The witness → man’s failure