Contents of the Ark

I think it's a precursor of Christ.

Aaron's rod symbolizes the priesthood. Jesus is our high priest.

The tablets represent the law. Jesus is our eternal Word.

The manna is bread for the body. Jesus is the Bread of Life.

 

Aaron's Rod

We should also remember Aaron's rod "brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms and yielded almonds." Numbers 17:8
I see this as representative of life from the dead. We could also talk about the fruit of a submitted life.

 

I am preaching a series on this subject and here is what I found out.

There is a double meaning here:

1. Manna represents Israel complaining and God Providing
2. The law represents God's standards and Israel unable to keep those standards
3. Aaron's rod means God's direction and Israel Rebelling. (Can't remember the reference)

The last one was an interesting one because God directed Aaron to be the High Priest, but the children of Israel didn't like that. Each tribe had to present a rod with the name of the head of their tribe on there. In the morning, the rod that has budded is God's direction for the High Priest.

 

Could be, and I'm sure these concepts will preach, but do you rule out that these things are also types of the Christ?

 

Not at all. I believe the whole Tabernacle shows a Type of Christ. This is something that I learned while studying the subject.

 

I will relate something that perhaps will bless your soul as it did mine , when first I was taught, and realized, the following truth about the Ark.

The Cherubim, with their overspread, arched wings, facing one another, are symbolic of the place or 'throne' of God. It is the place where God is seated, ergo, a "mercy seat." Obviously, this seat is also a lid, to a box, wherein we find the manna, Aaron's rod, and the stone tablets -- all of which represent the law and/or our rebelling from God. When God looks down from His "seat", He sees how woefully we fall short of this law - our sinfulness condemns us by it.

Once a year, the High Priest would come into the "Holy of Holies" - where the Ark was kept - and offer blood from the spotless, sacrificial lamb. This blood would be sprinkled over the top of the Ark. Now, when God looks down from His place of enthronement -- all He can see is the blood!

Let that sink in!

This is a type, or better, a prophecy, of the coming Paschal Lamb, slain before the foundation of the world, whose blood would cover both the law, and our sins!

There are more details that you would probably want to check first, so as to be precise when relating this to a class, if you were to. But that is the gist of it, and I truly can't think of this prophetic picture without getting goosebumps all over again!

This is one of the many examples - and I think a great one, obviously - of the fact that Jesus was prophesied to the Jewish people for hundreds (thousands?) of years, before He was incarnated. This is one of the reasons that God instructed Israel to go thru these motions over & over again, year after year. So that these truths would ever be before every generation.

This is also one of the things that Jesus probably(?) referrred to on the road to Emmaus:

Luk 24:25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
Luk 24:26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
Luk 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

Israel, and other ancient peoples, all had opportunity to know about the coming Messiah and believe. We today have opportunity to know about the Messiah who has come, and believe. Same Messiah, same gospel, same salvation, one & only way to heaven.

Hope this helps and is a blessing to all. It may not be new to you - but it thrills me to share it once again anyway, thanks!

 

Great post ! That spoke to me. Thanks for sharing.

 

I would totally disagree with the second answer you gave. Israel certainly chose not to obey God, but it was not because they could not. 1 Cor. 10:13. God does not hold people responsible for what they cannot do! That would make Him unjust. We sin because we love sin rather then rightousness, not because we are helpless in the area.

 

The law is a schoolmaster to show us that we are unable to keep the whole law. Basically, the law shows us that we are lost in order for us to come to Christ.

 

That is very incorrect! The law IS a schoolmaster, but not to show us we cannot keep it, but that we have not kept it. There is a big difference. Today so many want excuses as to why they sin and so they blame God as giving a law that cannot be kept. Nothing could be further from the truth. He gave a law that we are perfectly able to keep, but our wicked hearts stop anyone from doing so. We simply choose to sin. No one ever committed a sin that was not their free will choice. No one has to sin.

1Cor 10:13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it].