The Ark and the Mercy Seat

The Ark of the Covenant shows the saving power of God - His presence, glory, and grace. A message preached on 12 January 2020. We know of Noah's Ark - Genesis 7:1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark… Eight were SAVED from the great flood. There's also Moses' Ark. Baby Moses' life was threatened. His mother took for him an ark of bulrushes Exodus 2:3, and he floated in this, on the river Nile. Moses was SAVED by this ark. Consider now: The Ark of the Covenant: Exodus 26:34 And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place. The Ark of the Covenant was the key piece of furniture in the tabernacle. It also declares the SAVING power of God - as Saviour and Lord. The Ark for us is Christ Himself and His redeeming work. On top of the Ark was the Mercy Seat, with two cherubim. God says: "There I will meet with thee." Exodus 25:22. The Tabernacle had two rooms, separated by a thick veil. Inside the Holy Place was the Holy of Holies. Only one piece of furniture was here - the Ark of the Covenant. It was a small chest made of wood. It was covered with gold. The Ark was a symbol that God was PRESENT among His people. It contained the tables of the covenant - the Ten Commandments that expressed the obligations of the chosen people of God. Christ is the only person who has ever lived up to the demands of the law. The Ark held a pot of manna as a testimony of God's provision for His people in their 40 year journey before they entered the Promised Land. The manna foreshadowed Christ, as the Bread of Life. The daily provision of manna was God's grace meeting the need of His people in the wilderness...