BLOG 7 - THE ARK, MY HEART

I just love how the Lord always uses pictures to paint powerful truths. The one about which I love to meditate is the Ark of the Covenant. A small box (about 4' x 2'x 2') covered in gold, with a solid gold lid, called the Mercy Seat bearing two angelic creatures bowing to the center, where the very presence of God on earth came to speak with man. It was hidden away in the Holy of Holies, the most holy part of the temple of the Lord. This was a place where no man could enter unless chosen by God and sanctified; cleansed by a blood sacrifice of an innocent and perfect animal picturing the substitution death of our Savior on the cross; taking the wrath of our holy God on our behalf to vindicate both God's holiness and mercy at the same time. This blood was required to be sprinkled on the Mercy Seat on behalf of the people once a year. Inside the Ark of the Covenant, were the stone tablets bearing the 10 Commandments written by the finger of God, a golden jar of manna and Aaron's rod that blossomed with flowers and grew ripe almonds. The Ark was placed behind a veil, screen or curtain so thick it took 300 men to hang it. This very same veil was supernaturally ripped from the top down at the moment Jesus died.

This is such an awesome picture of what God wants us to know about Him. God went to great lengths to tell us by this symbolic dramatization, that the highest experience man can have on earth is communion with Him. For sin-stained people, this was an impossible experience, until God provided the way by sending Jesus to be our blood sacrifice. The veil which was symbolic of Jesus flesh was ripped for us, allowing us to enter into the Holy of Holies and commune with God himself.

The Ark of the Covenant is a picture of my heart. In order to receive the inheritance after someone has died, there has to be a covenant, agreement or contract. Jesus died making the payment. But His blood is not applied in my name unless I enter into a covenant with Him. It is not forced upon me. All He asks is that I earnestly ask Him with all of my heart. The place of God's covenant with man is in our hearts. When I call on Him, He sprinkles the covering of my heart with the purifying blood of the perfect sacrifice, Jesus. He takes away the law-laden stoney tablets of my heart that brought only guilt and condemnation, a debt I could not pay. He now gives me a new heart, no longer stone, a heart of flesh and writes His law of love (the new commandment) upon the tablet of my new heart and gives me His Holy Spirit that causes me to desire His will and want to keep His Law.

I now am able to commune with Him about anything, anywhere, anytime, in the very Holy of Holies, where God is present all the time. He feeds me with the pure manna, bread from heaven, His Word, the Bible, that is better than food to me. He causes my life to blossom and bear fruit like Aaron's rod, proof that He is with me. The presence of this Ark of the Covenant in this world is the restraining hand of God upon the tide of evil that would destroy all mankind if it were not there. We are now the temple of God on earth, a city on a hill to draw men to Him by the fragrance of our prayerful communion with Him (the incense) and the light of His Holy Spirit shining radiantly out from us as we bear the fruit of the Spirit like Aaron's rod: love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. These are the proof to the world that God is with us. His new commandment of love now written on our heart fulfills the entire law, as it causes us to have His heart for the world. We receive His heart as our birthright, our inheritance. We now desire what He desires, that all, everywhere be filled with the fullness of God and come to the unity of faith. God's building of living stones, fitly united together by Him, the master builder, to bring glory to His name forever. His royal priesthood, bearing on our hearts and shoulders the names of those He desires to bring into the fold. They are the Silver, gold and precious stones to adorn His temple forever.
My heart is almost exploding as I contemplate the majesty and beauty of God's plan.

As Jesus asked in the garden of Gethsemane on the night before He laid down His life on the cross for me and you: "Is there any other way to redeem mankind to yourself? If there is any other possibility, let this cup pass from me." God remained silent because there was no other way. And Jesus endured the shame of the cross for the joy set before Him of this living temple, this covenant between God and me, sealed in His indelible blood, forever. I now walk in the very presence of God, with the Ark of the Covenant, in my heart, where God dwells.

Agape