The word “Ark” as particularly known in the Bible was that ‘Big Boat’ made by Noah during the ‘flood’, thereby his family boarded safely, together with the saved animals, while people outside were drown to death.
During the time of Moses, when the Israelites came-out from the bondage of slavery of Egypt, in the wilderness, God commanded him to make a sanctuary that He may [duel among them] (Exo. 25:8). God’s instructions of the whole structure were specific from dimensions, materials used, and all the instruments and furnishings within and without, according to the pattern shown to him. (verse 9)
One of the most important furnitures within, is the ‘Ark’, or called “the Ark of the Covenant”. The “Ark of the Covenant” is a piece of beautifully sculpted furniture which, in the midst of it is the ‘mercy seat’, where two cherubims stands at guard between the two ends. Inside the ark also, is the ‘testimony’ or the Two tablet of stones of the Ten Commandments. (verse 10-20) The mercy seat wherein covered by the wings of the two cherubs, represents the throne of God; His availability at all time to always commune with them through the Urim and Thummim and the testimony that is placed within the ark. The ark is the most holy thing, placed in the most holy compartment of the sanctuary or tabernacle.
God, through the sanctuary assured His people of His presence, security, blessings, and salvation. God implicate His people that He duels among them, that He is their God and they are His most favored, people. With His presence, nobody could touch or harm anyone!
Therefore, based on the two settings where the ‘ark’ was made, it only clearly emphasize to us that ark denotes the presence of God, assurance of His promise, blessings, protection, healing, power and victory over their enemies.
Why God used that most simple kinder-like illustration to commune with His people Israel? Its because the world darkened by sin that includes His professed people was so far, far away from perceiving the slightest truth about Him being their God. Even the tribe of Israel whom God closely followed to preserve His entity, has lost their way.
God, aside from His visible presence through the ark, gave them the Decalogue (ten commandments) as their basic guide to a life, in harmony with God and of man. He also continuously giving them the counsels and reproofs to remind them always of His enduring love through the judges and prophets in every generation, keeping up His promise.
That is why the Bible was given and is become our source of light and truth in this world of confusion and fallacy. “The Bible is like a window in this darken earth in which we can peep into the glorious eternity.”
I would like to reiterate, less we forget that those avenue of God’s presence, the ‘ark’ was originally given to reach-out the lost-minded darken world, in order to bring back God into their lives. Unfortunately, during the time of Noah’s Ark, the world did not endure to the end, after helping Noah build the ark for a time, all of them fall short to the final day of the flood, finding only Noah’s family saved in the ark.
Sad to note also that not all believe in the ‘Ark-Bible’ today. Even those who professed to believe God, most of the time refused to ride on the truth of Him. I just hope and pray, that history of the flood will not repeat itself when, only Noah’s family were saved to the end, but the whole world will be saved.
However, to the faithful ones who with all the sincerity and selflessness, giving their lives to intimate relationship with God, who live up to the standard of the biblical righteousness, living a holy life of Jesus, God make them ‘Ark of salvation’ to the dying world. Wherever he/she may be, his/her presence becomes a blessing to everyone. Whatever he/she do or wherever he/she goes, becomes a glorious light radiating as the noonday sun. Because they become “Ark-God”, or the entity of God’s presence, saving mankind, , they finally become true Jesus and Jesuses to enter into fellowship with God forever and ever.
