The Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:1-22)
A short sermon given (and transcribed from notes) in Morning Prayer on today's Old Testament reading from Exodus, together with a little help from the early chapters of 1 Samuel.
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May I speak in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Israelites decide to go to war. The Philistines have been readying themselves for a fight. There have been rumours that they were preparing for a conflict and the Israelites are afraid. So they make the choice to go to battle.
In this particular battle they incur a loss of 4,000 men. They turn back and head home dejected. They wonder what they will do. And then they happen upon a solution. The next day they will go back to war, but this time they will take the Ark of the Covenant with them. That will guarantee victory!
So they take the Ark from Shiloh and they head out. But the Philistines hear the uproar—the cheers as the Israelites assemble. They wonder what's going on. And then they get word that the Ark of the Covenant is heading out with the Israelites. And the fear this news incurs for the Philistines actually emboldens them such that they go forward with more courage and more strength. In the second battle, the Israelites are defeated yet again. This time at a loss of 30,000 men. Not only is this a far more devastating loss than the previous battle, but this time the Ark of the Covenant itself is taken captive. Not only did it not guarantee success, but they lost possession of it.
The Israelites had presumed on the grace of God by taking with them the presence of God in the Ark of the Covenant. Regardless of whether it was God's will.
The victorious Philistines take the Ark of the Covenant to Ashdod. Thinking that this is a god like any god they house it in the temple of Dagon. After setting it in place, they go to bed and arise the next morning but find a strange situation. Dagon is found, face down, prostrate before the Ark of the Covenant. While this is odd, they explain it away—find some kind of reason for their god to be out of place. Dutifully, they set up Dagon back upright. The day goes by, they go to bed, they get up and go to the temple again. But what do they find? Again, Dagon is laid down before the Ark. But this time he has also been beheaded and his hands cut off—a symbol of his powerlessness before the God of Israel.
Then things get worse: the people of Ashdod break out in tumours and sickness. The victory of possessing the Ark has turned into a curse.
The Ark of the Covenant is holy. Why? Because this is where God chose to dwell with His people. It is where God's presence has come down. In Exodus 25, in our reading today, we hear God giving instructions to Moses about how it might be built. And it is not to be taken lightly. The instructions for its construction and the tabernacle as a whole is not a simple revelation from the Lord that was shared in a dream or vision.
Moses gets called up along with seventy of his men. They journey up towards God, they have some kind of visionary encounter and they share a meal together. But afterwards, Moses presses on. He spends 6 days in a cloud after which, on the 7th day, he finally hears from God and is again called further up the mountain. A mountain which from the people’s point of view is ablaze with a great fire.
Moses is there for 40 days and 40 nights. A total of 47 days responding to God’s call and waiting for His voice. Then, finally, God speaks. Here's my instructions. Here's what you will do. This is the Tabernacle I want you to make. And his instructions begin with a description of the most holy of places: the Ark.
It will be fashioned not according to the will of man, but the design of God. The ark itself will be made of wood covered wtih gold. There will be poles attached to it because it will be too holy to touch. And atop the ark will sit the mercy seat, made of pure gold and flanked either side with cherubim, whose wings will cover it. Some say this is the throne of God. Some say it's the footstool. Either way, it is where God will make himself present.
This leaves us to wonder. Who is going to foot the bill for these materials? Who will provide the glorious and holy place that will be worthy of God’s descent to be with his people?
God makes it clear from the start: it will be made from gifts freely given. Gifts from members of the community whose hearts are stirred, for whatever reason. Gifts given out of a choice freely made. Perhaps motivated by their memory of their deliverance out of Egypt and slavery. Perhaps it's in recognition of who their God is in his glory. We don't know. But no one is compelled. No one is forced or coerced. The tabernacle will be built from gifts given from the heart.
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Let us remember today that we are people of a different covenant made with the same God. A holy God. A God on whose grace we should not dare to presume, like the Israelites against Philistines. God's presence does not guarantee the success of our plans. We take his grace for granted at our peril. He is a holy God.
But He is also a God who has come near, who dwells with, with us and in us. All made possible by a gift freely given. A gift given to us. A choice freely made. But by God Himself. A holy gift from the heart of God that provides a place in which He can come and dwell with us. Built on his gift, not ours.
Let us pray.
Heavenly and holy Father, we draw near in the knowledge of our unworthiness and in gratitude for your goodness. Remind us today both of Your holiness and your unending generosity and kindness that you would make it possible to dwell among us. In Jesus name. Amen.
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Photo by Igor Rodrigues on Unsplash
