Exodus 25:10-22

¹⁰ “They should make an ark of acacia wood. Its length should be two and a half cubits, its breadth a cubit and a half, and its height a cubit and a half. ¹¹ You should overlay it with pure gold, covering it inside and outside. And you should make on it a border of gold around it. ¹² You should cast four rings of gold for it and put them on its four legs, two rings on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. ¹³ You should make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. ¹⁴ And you should put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, using them to carry the ark. ¹⁵ The poles should remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken away from it. ¹⁶ And you should put into the ark the testimony that I will give you. ¹⁷ “You should make a mercy seat of pure gold. Its length should be two and a half cubits, and its breadth a cubit and a half. ¹⁸ And you should make two cherubs of gold; you should make them of hammered work, on the two ends of the mercy seat. ¹⁹ Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. You should make the cherubs of one piece with the mercy seat on its two ends. ²⁰ The cherubs should spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; the faces of the cherubim should be toward the mercy seat. ²¹ And you should put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you should put the testimony that I shall give you. ²² There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, I will speak with you about all that I will give you as commands for the sons of Israel from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony.

the ark of the testimony

The ark containing the testimony God gave to Moses was to have a central position in the sacred tabernacle – not spatially, but theologically. It had to be made out of the most precious material available because God’s interaction with his people is the most important reality. The testimony inside the ark was the symbol of that divine interaction, and the images of cherubs were facing that testimony, essentially providing a constant witness to its veracity. They were not facing outward, which would be the case if they were symbolizing the guarding of its contents.

The ark inside the tabernacle told the people of Israel that wherever they would go, God and his promises would go with them. Also, he would be among them to give them direction by providing commands. The people would not have to conjure up the LORD’s presence, nor speculate about his will.

Lord Jesus, you promised to be with us always, even to the end of the age. May we never doubt your presence, or feel the lack of your counsel all the days of our lives.