The Ark of God is sometimes called the Ark of the Covenant. Do you remember what a covenant is?
Covenant
A covenant is like a special promise or agreement that people make with each other or with someone important, like God. It's like making an important and unbreakable promise to do something or to follow certain rules. Covenants can be simple, like promising a friend that you'll share your toys, or they can be big, like promising to always be kind and loving to your family. In the case of the Ark of the Covenant, it's the special promise and agreement that the Israelites made with God to follow His rules and be faithful to Him.
Now, we make promises and commitments all the time but not like God. When God makes a promise, He keeps it.
Inside the ark are three things:
The Ten Commandments: These represented God's law and the rules that God gave to Moses for the people to follow. They were like a guide for how to live a good and righteous life.
The Jar of Manna: The manna represented God's provision and care for the Israelites during their time in the wilderness. It was a reminder of how God provided them with food when they were in need.
Aaron's Staff: Aaron's staff represented God's choice of leaders and authority. Aaron was the first high priest and a leader among the Israelites. His staff symbolized God's selection of leaders to guide and represent the people in religious matters.
The Ark is sacred and represents the covenant relationship between the Israelites and God.
In the New Testament, Jesus is often called the 'New Covenant.' This means that He brought a new and special promise from God to all of us. Just like the Ark of the Covenant represented a promise between God and the Israelites, Jesus represents a new promise between God and all people, not just the Israelites.
The Ark of the Covenant held the Ten Commandments, which were like God's rules. In the New Testament, Jesus teaches us about God's rules too, like loving God, loving our neighbor, loving one another, being kind, and helping those in need.
The manna in the Ark of the Covenant represented God's provision, and Jesus provides us with spiritual 'food' to nourish our hearts and souls through His teachings and love. One of the things we do is take Communion. Communion represents a special time when we gather as a community of believers to remember and celebrate the love of Jesus. During Communion, we share bread and wine (or juice), and these elements symbolize the body and blood of Jesus.
When we eat the bread, it's a reminder of how Jesus is the 'Bread of Life' who nourishes our souls. When we drink the wine (or juice), it reminds us of the love and forgiveness that Jesus offers us.
So, just as the manna in the Ark represented God's provision for the Israelites, Communion represents how Jesus provides for our spiritual needs and reminds us of His love and sacrifice for us.
Aaron's staff in the Ark represented leadership and authority. Jesus is often called the Good Shepherd in the New Testament, which means He's our leader and guide. As followers of Jesus, we are called to be disciples and to disciple.
Disciples are like students or learners who follow their teacher to learn from them. Jesus wants us to be His disciples and follow His teachings and example. Jesus also asks us to 'disciple' others. This means that we should share what we've learned from Him with others and help them learn about Jesus, too. It's like passing on the good things we've learned, just like Aaron and other leaders in the Bible shared God's message with others.
So, just like the Ark of the Covenant was a symbol of God's special promise to the Israelites, Jesus is a symbol of God's new promise to all of us. He shows us how to live a good and loving life and offers us His guidance and care.
