Ark of the Covenant - Bible Story

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Ark of the Covenant - Bible Story

The Ark of the Covenant in the Bible

In Exodus 25:10, Moses receives the command to build an ark of acacia wood. Within this ark were to be placed the tables of the law which God was about to give to Moses. Upon the top of the ark, probably not as a lid but above the lid, was a golden plate upon which two cherubim, with raised wings and facing each other, covered the ark. From the place between the two cherubim, God promises to speak to Moses, as often as He shall give him commands in reference to the Israelites. 

The ark was designed to be a symbol of the presence of God in the midst of His people is the common teaching of the Old Testament. This place on the lid was also referred to as the “Mercy Seat”. Once a year a priest would enter the holy tent and sprinkle blood from a sacrificed animal to atone for the sins of Israel. This old covenant on the Day of Atonement is no longer needed as Jesus Christ became a new covenant in which His sacrifice on the cross was a complete atonement for sins.  

According to the statements in the Priestly Code, the ark of the covenant was a chest made out of acacia wood, 2 1/2 cubits (about equal to 4 ft.) long, 1 1/2 cubits wide and 1 1/2 high. It was covered with gold within and without and was ornamented with a molding of gold running all around it. At its four feet, rings were added, through which the gold-covered carrying-staves were put.

Other contents to believed to have been in the ark of the covenant were: a pot of Manna from when Israel was in the wilderness to remind them of God’s love, provision and care; and the rod of Aaron to symbolize God’s given leadership and priesthood.

According to the tradition contained in the Pentateuch the sacred ark was built at Mount Sinai and was taken by the Israelites along with them to Canaan. When Israel had been conquered by the Philistines, the ark was taken from Shiloh in order that Yahweh should aid His people. When Philistines yet conquered and captured the ark, the many misfortunes that overtook them made them think that the possession of the ark was destructive to them and they sent it back. The ark then settled in a holy tent for priests until King Solomon placed the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies of this temple, where it was placed under the wings of two mighty cherubim images. The ark is believed to have been destroyed with the destruction of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar.

Photo Credit: painting by Benjamin West, Joshua passing the Jordan River with the Ark of the Covenant, 1800

What Was the Significance of the Ark of the Covenant?

When the word ark is mentioned in correlation to the Bible, many picture Noah’s ark, the gigantic boat housing two of every animal before the big flood. The picture of the Ark of the Covenant can be less common in Christian culture. What was this ark and what was its significance? Let’s see what the Bible has to say about this important artifact in history.

What Was the Ark of the Covenant?

In Exodus 25:10, the Lord told Moses to instruct the Israelites to build an ark. The Message translation identifies this creation as a chest. The chest was to be made of acacia wood measuring “two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.” Today, a cubit is equal to about 18 inches. The Ark was highly adorned, gold plated in and out, with a golden band around the outside. It held four gold rings on the bottom, each with a gold-plated rod inside used to carry the Ark. It also had a golden lid with two wide-winged angels facing one another. The Lord said he would come to speak to the people between the placements of the two cherubim.

The Ark of the Covenant held three important items. The first contents were the tablets with the 10 Commandments the Lord gave to Moses. Secondly, the chest held a jar of manna as a sign of remembrance when the Lord provided bread in the wilderness after the Israelites escaped Egypt. Lastly, in Numbers 17, we find the miracle of Aaron’s budding rod, confirming his divine priesthood. His rod was placed in the front of the Ark. Matthew Henry states these three items were preserved “to show to after-ages how the ancient church was taught, and fed, and ruled.”

What Was the Meaning of the Ark?

Before Jesus died on the cross, the Holy Spirit didn’t come into the hearts of believers. Today Christians are continuously in the presence of God and can call on him anytime. The Israelites didn’t have that luxury. The Ark of the Covenant represented God’s presence. There are several examples of this in Scripture.

In Joshua 3, the Israelites needed to cross the Jordan River to get to the Promised Land. Orders were given to follow the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant. In verse 5, the Bible says “Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” The next day, the Lord proclaims “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses” (Joshua 3:7). The priests brought the Ark into the river and the waters were stopped to allow the Israelites to cross. After everyone made it to the other side, the chest was removed and the waters again filled the river. The Ark, representing God’s presence, allowed the people to safely cross the Jordan.

As the Israelites continued on their journey, the Ark became instrumental again in Joshua 6. The people were up against Jericho’s wall where no one came in and no one came out. The Lord told Joshua to have armed men march around the wall for six days. Priests in the procession blew trumpets followed by the Ark of the Covenant. On the seventh day, the marching army was instructed to give a loud shout and the walls of Jericho came tumbling down. The people did what the Lord instructed and took over the city. The chapter ends with verse 27: “So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.” God’s presence and power, seen in the Ark-marching army, caused the walls of Jericho to collapse.

The meaning of the Ark is confirmed in 1 Samuel 4. The Israelites were fighting against the Philistines and losing terribly. They decided to get the Ark, hopeful its presence would help them defeat their enemies. When it arrived, the Philistines became weary that a god had entered the camp. They fought and overcame the Israelites stealing the holy artifact. They put the prize in the Dagon’s temple, but the statue of their false god kept falling before the Ark. The Lord brought more devastation on the Philistines, and they decided to get rid of the stolen possession, moving it to the city of Gath. However, Gath experienced the same horrible hardship and relocated the chest to a third city, where again devastation afflicted the people. Finally, after seven months, the Philistines decided they’d had enough. They needed to return the Ark to the Israelites.

Why Did God House Himself in the Ark?

The Ark was housed in the tabernacle where Israelites brought offerings to God. Before God gave instructions to build the tabernacle, he told Moses “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8). Part of the sanctuary included the Ark of the Covenant which had an atonement cover. Two angels sat on top of the chest’s cover, with a Mercy Seat in between them. The Lord said he would come to the Mercy Seat to give the Israelites the commandments.

God came to the Ark when priests were present. They carried the sacred object with poles. Because of his holy nature, the priests would die if they touched the place God resides. Crosswalk.com explains “The reason for this is because God's glory and presence cannot be touched by man. Our sinful natures cause us to keel over if we come into the presence of the Lord, without the Holy Spirit residing within us.” As mentioned above, because these traditions took place in the Old Testament before the birth and death of Jesus, the Israelites did not have direct access to the Holy Spirit.

What Happened to the Ark throughout History?

In 1 Samuel 6, the Philistines decided to return the stolen Ark by placing it on a cart with golden guilt offerings. The cows hitched to the cart headed toward Beth Shemesh, and the people rejoiced at its return. The cart stopped in the field of Joshua near a large rock. The Levites took the Ark and put it on the rock, presenting sacrifices and burnt offerings to the Lord. However, because they looked directly at God’s presence, 70 people were put to death. Not knowing what to do, they sent a message to Kiriath Jearim asking its people to come to take the Ark. 1 Samuel 7 goes on to explain the people of Kiriath Jearim came for the chest, bringing it to the house of Abinadab. His son guarded the Ark and it remained in the city for 20 years.

In 2 Samuel 6, King David summoned troops to retrieve the Ark from Kiriath Jearim, also known as Baalah. Two of Abinadab's sons, Uzzah and Ahio, started to drive the Ark to Jerusalem. During the journey, the cart and its contents faltered when the oxen stumbled. Uzzah reached out to catch the Ark and died when he touched the sacred possession. This location was named Perez-uzzah which means “outbreak against Uzzah.” Nervous to have the powerful object continue toward Jerusalem, David placed it in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. During the three months the Ark stayed there, the household of Obed-edom was blessed, and David’s fear diminished. He fetched the Ark to continue the journey to Jerusalem, the city of David. The sacred object entered the City of David amidst rejoicing and dancing and was placed in a designated tent.

Skip ahead to 2 Chronicles 35 where we find the last mention of the Ark of the Covenant’s location. In this chapter, Josiah was celebrating Passover. The priests were prompted to take part in the observance in the Lord’s temple. In verse 3, Josiah instructed the Levites to "Put the sacred ark in the temple that Solomon son of David king of Israel built.” It’s thought the artifact was demolished afterward when King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem. The chest went missing after the destruction of the temple, however, John states in Revelation 11:19 that the Ark will be seen again after the second coming of Christ.

The journey of the Ark of the Covenant among the Israelites and Philistines is clearly laid out in Scripture, while its disappearance is more ambiguous. We can see this artifact played an important role in biblical history, representing God’s presence and helping the Israelites overcome trials. While there’s a large gap in Scripture when the Ark disappears, we can be confident that along with many other things, this precious artifact will be restored when we see Christ again.

Read the full Bible passages of this story below and find related articles, podcasts, and sermons to better understand its meaning.

Exodus 25:10-31

10 “Have them make an ark of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.
11 Overlay it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it.
12 Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other.
13 Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
14 Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it.
15 The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed.
16 Then put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law, which I will give you.
17 “Make an atonement cover of pure gold—two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide.
18 And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover.
19 Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends.
20 The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover.
21 Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law that I will give you.
22 There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the covenant law, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.
23 “Make a table of acacia wood—two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high.
24 Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding around it.
25 Also make around it a rim a handbreadth wide and put a gold molding on the rim.
26 Make four gold rings for the table and fasten them to the four corners, where the four legs are.
27 The rings are to be close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table.
28 Make the poles of acacia wood, overlay them with gold and carry the table with them.
29 And make its plates and dishes of pure gold, as well as its pitchers and bowls for the pouring out of offerings.
30 Put the bread of the Presence on this table to be before me at all times.
31 “Make a lampstand of pure gold. Hammer out its base and shaft, and make its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms of one piece with them.

Hebrews 9:1-10

1 Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary.
2 A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place.
3 Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place,
4 which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.
5 Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.
6 When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry.
7 But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.
8 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning.
9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper.
10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order.

Exodus 33:6-15

6 So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb.
7 Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp.
8 And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent.
9 As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses.
10 Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent.
11 The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.
12 Moses said to the LORD, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’
13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”
14 The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.

Deuteronomy 10:1-5

1 At that time the LORD said to me, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones and come up to me on the mountain. Also make a wooden ark.
2 I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Then you are to put them in the ark.”
3 So I made the ark out of acacia wood and chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I went up on the mountain with the two tablets in my hands.
4 The LORD wrote on these tablets what he had written before, the Ten Commandments he had proclaimed to you on the mountain, out of the fire, on the day of the assembly. And the LORD gave them to me.
5 Then I came back down the mountain and put the tablets in the ark I had made, as the LORD commanded me, and they are there now.

2 Samuel 6:1-17

1 David again brought together all the able young men of Israel—thirty thousand.
2 He and all his men went to Baalah in Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim on the ark.
3 They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the new cart
4 with the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it.
5 David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals.
6 When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled.
7 The LORD’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the ark of God.
8 Then David was angry because the LORD’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.
9 David was afraid of the LORD that day and said, “How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?”
10 He was not willing to take the ark of the LORD to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.
11 The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed him and his entire household.
12 Now King David was told, “The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.” So David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing.
13 When those who were carrying the ark of the LORD had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf.
14 Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the LORD with all his might,
15 while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.
16 As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.
17 They brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the LORD.

1 Kings 8:1-13

1 Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the LORD’s covenant from Zion, the City of David.
2 All the Israelites came together to King Solomon at the time of the festival in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month.
3 When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests took up the ark,
4 and they brought up the ark of the LORD and the tent of meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The priests and Levites carried them up,
5 and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted.
6 The priests then brought the ark of the LORD’s covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim.
7 The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its carrying poles.
8 These poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today.
9 There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.
10 When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the LORD.
11 And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled his temple.
12 Then Solomon said, “The LORD has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud;
13 I have indeed built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever.”

2 Chronicles 5:1-11

1 When all the work Solomon had done for the temple of the LORD was finished, he brought in the things his father David had dedicated—the silver and gold and all the furnishings—and he placed them in the treasuries of God’s temple.
2 Then Solomon summoned to Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the LORD’s covenant from Zion, the City of David.
3 And all the Israelites came together to the king at the time of the festival in the seventh month.
4 When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the Levites took up the ark,
5 and they brought up the ark and the tent of meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The Levitical priests carried them up;
6 and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted.
7 The priests then brought the ark of the LORD’s covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim.
8 The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and covered the ark and its carrying poles.
9 These poles were so long that their ends, extending from the ark, could be seen from in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today.
10 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.
11 The priests then withdrew from the Holy Place. All the priests who were there had consecrated themselves, regardless of their divisions.

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