January
23, 2018
“Each of
you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or
under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
2
Corinthians 9:7
I want to share with you how
the Ark of the Covenant points us to our Merciful God.
The Ark Contained:
- Golden Urn holding Manna (Bread from Heaven) - In spite of all God’s provision, the Israelites complained.
- Aaron’s Staff that budded (Numbers 16) – He was the man chosen by God to be the high priest. The Lord did this to end the grumbling about His chosen leadership.
- Tablets of the Law of God. All of us fail to keep the law - God’s standard is too high for us. We don’t keep the law, so it reminds us of our failures. We desperately need God’s grace and mercy.
These three things were
kept in the ark as a reminder of the rebellion against God. What is inside the ark reminds us of our sins.
The Ark is covered under
the mercy seat, the place where once a year the high priest reminded the people
that their sins were covered by the blood of the sacrificial lamb - which all points to the ultimate
sacrifice of Jesus.
We are a Hebrew
people. We too are on a journey to the Promised
Land. God has invited us to meet Him
right where we are. All ground is holy. And we are reminded over and over to worship
God, our creator and provider, right where we are! The tabernacle was made portable to show us
that God is with us, and when Jesus was born, God showed us Himself as our
Immanuel – “God with us.”
“The
sacrifice you want is a broken spirit. A
broken and repentant heart, O God, you will not despise.” Psalm 51:17
The iworship Bible asks, "Do you always talk with God in a certain location? Expand your comfort zone by reaching out to Him in a new or unusual place. Since God is always with you, recognizing His presence in each corner of your life will point out areas you still need to give Him."