Box Office Success

Exodus 37
1 Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. 2 He overlaid it with pure gold, both inside and out, and made a gold molding around it.

What was the Ark of the Covenant? Well, simply put, it was a box built under the orders of God to house 3 specific sacred items. For years the Ark of the Covenant has been the source of archaeological debate and movie cinematography. We’ve all no doubt heard of Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, a fictional tale of adventure and peril during a time of war to find the ever-elusive Ark of the Covenant and hold the power of God. It was rumored (and loosely based on Biblical accounts) that whichever nation held the Ark would be the dominant nation in the world. While it makes for a good story and is easily digested with a tall soda and bucket of popcorn, it’s hardly the truth.

The Ark, according to the Bible, was a box made of wood, overlaid with gold, that was carried by the priests before the nation of Israel. It contained three things. It contained the laws of God written in stone given to guide His people. It held the bread of God given by Him, to His people, daily as the wandered in the wilderness as a symbol of His provisions. Finally, it contained the staff that Aaron used in the court of Pharaoh and in the desert to display God’s power.

So where is this Ark today? We are the Ark. Those who are in Christ (or more specifically have Christ in them) are the Ark carried in today’s world. We are all priests, so we are all called to this task. (1 Peter 2:9) Moreover, we are all covered in Christ’s sacrificial blood, and made to shine in the eyes of the Creator. (Malachi 3:17) Like old wood cut and sanded and hammered into place, then covered with gold, we have become the “box”. Furthermore, on the inside we carry with us the Word of God (Colossians 3:16), the Bread of Life (John 6:35), and the Power of Christ (Luke 10:19)

Hollywood has manufactured a story about the Ark of the Covenant, a fictional tale of adventure. Jesus has given us the cross, our redemption, and placed the true treasure within us.