Now, I did not get out our model
of the tabernacle this morning. We're still on that basic subject.
I didn't think that we would need the model this morning. What we're going to look at this
morning, I saw this in my studies a few weeks ago, and I've been
thinking and praying about whether to bring a lesson on this or
move on to the high priest. But I thought I would. I think
it would be a blessing to us. In Scripture, there are seven
different names given to the Ark that we looked at. We looked
at the Ark and the Mercy Seat over the course of the past few
weeks. And each one of those seven names gives us a different
picture of one of the different facets of the person and work
of Christ. So I thought it might do us good
to look at them this morning. And the first one, this is the
one that is most commonly used in Scripture. Forty-one times
the Ark is called the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the
Covenant. Now, Janet and her class, children
go in there when they're three years old, and she wants them
to learn four things by the time they're in her class. First,
well, besides first, she wants them, before she sends them to
terrace, she wants them to know how to sit still and be a good
listener. But beyond that, she wants them
to know these four things. She feels like these are very
important. First, God is holy. Second, we're sinners. Third,
she wants them to know about the mercy seat. There is a place
where mercy can be found for sinners from a holy God. And fourth, she wants them to
know that covenant means promise. Now, if that's an important thing
for three-, four-, and five-year-olds to learn, it's probably important
for us to know too. God, the God of the Bible, is
a covenant God. God deals with men in a covenant. God will either deal with men
in the covenant of the law that produces death, or God will deal
with men in the eternal covenant of grace in Christ Jesus. It's
one or the other. We look at how the Ark is a picture
of Christ. Christ is the mediator of a better
covenant based on better promises. God's covenant is a covenant
of grace. It's ordered in all things, and
it's sure, because it's based on the person and work of the
Lord Jesus Christ. And all the promises of God in
Him are yea, and in Him, amen. This covenant of grace is a sure
covenant. And in Numbers chapter 10, verse
33, like I said, there are 41 times it's translated or called
the covenant, the ark of the covenant. But I want us to look
at this one. In verse 33 of Numbers 10, And
they departed from the mount of the Lord three days' journey,
and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them in
the three days' journey, to search out a resting place for them.
Now here, the ark of the covenant is not just the ark of the covenant. It's not just any covenant we're
talking about here. We're talking about the ark of
the covenant of the Lord, God's covenant. And the children of
Israel went out searching for a resting place, and they followed
the ark of the covenant of the Lord to find a resting place.
And that's what believers, not that we will do, this is what
we have done. We have found our resting place
in Christ, in the covenant of God in Christ. Christ is our
Sabbath. We've found our resting place,
and it's Christ. He gives us rest from the law.
Christ gives us rest from the works of religion and law-keeping. Christ gives us rest from the
fear of death, the fear of punishment. Our rest is found in the Lord
Jesus Christ, and we follow Him. We have rest when we follow Christ. He's the forerunner. Every step
we take, He's taken first. The shepherd goes before the
sheep and leads them out, he said. He's the forerunner. And
where is he now? He's gone into heaven to prepare
for us an eternal place of rest. And it's not just coincidence
that they followed the ark three days journey. That cannot be
coincidence. Our Lord lay in the tomb for
three days and then he was raised again. Now the ground of all
of our hope of salvation is that Christ died for our sins according
to the scripture and that he was raised again the third day
according to the scriptures. Not only did he die, he must
be raised again. He was raised again for our justification. And the reason a believer can
have complete rest in the Lord Jesus Christ is that we're justified
from all of our sins in him. because of the covenant of the
Lord that was ratified in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
They followed that same three days journey to find a place
of rest. But now look on here in verse 34. And the cloud of
the Lord was upon them by day when they went out of the camp.
And it came to pass when the ark set forward that Moses said,
Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered, and let
them that hate thee flee before thee. And when it rested, He
said, return, O Lord, unto the many thousands of Israel. Now
you know how Israel followed that cloudy pillar through the
wilderness. And when the cloudy pillar began to move, the priests
packed up everything with the tabernacle. They packed up the
ark and they put it on their shoulders on those staves to
carry it and follow the cloudy pillar. And as the priests picked
up the ark to move it, this was Moses' habit, to offer this prayer. That's the prayer. of the Old
Testament saints. Lord, send the Messiah. Send
the Messiah that you promised in your covenant. We long to
see him. Send him that he may destroy
his enemies, that he may accomplish the purpose and will of God.
We long to see him. And one day, after this prayer
was offered millions of times, he appeared. One day he appeared. And when he appeared, what many
people looking for him were there? And not many people saw him.
Simeon saw him, Anna saw him, but he did appear to his people.
And when he came, he came to defeat all of our enemies. Every
one of our enemies fled before him when he appeared. Sin is
the enemy of mankind. In Romans 6 verse 14, For sin
shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the
law, but under grace. How can sin not have dominion,
ruling power over a sinner? Because Christ put it away. That's
why. He came and put that enemy away
and it fled before him. The law is an enemy of mankind. But Paul said in Romans 8 verse
2, For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath
made me free from the law of sin and death." We are free from
the law. That's what the songwriter said.
Free from the law, O happy condition. Jesus hath bled and there is
remission. That's how we're free from the
law. Through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. That enemy
fled before him. Now look over in Hebrews chapter
2. We're free from Satan. and free
from death, free from the fear of death. We were, I hope you don't mind
me telling this story. When my dad was sick and lay
there as he was dying, at the moment he departed from this
world, we were listening to a tape of Henry's. At the moment he
departed from this world, Henry said on that tape, we don't fear
death. We don't fear death. Well, why
not? Well, look here in Hebrews 2
verse 14. For as much then as the children
are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took
part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that
had the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver them,
who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to
bondage. We don't fear Satan. We don't
have to fear him as the power of death. We don't fear the process
of death. What happens after death, I was
watching TV yesterday, one some channel somewhere is advertising. If you just watch this program
whenever, whatever day it is, they're going to show you what
happens after death. If you believe Christ, you don't have I don't
know what that process is like. But you don't have to fear, I
promise you that, because he suffered the penalty of death
for us. As a matter of fact, a believer
can look forward to death, because to be delivered from this body
of sin and death, to be delivered into the very presence of Christ
himself. We don't have to fear death,
because Christ put that enemy away for us. And this was the
prayer of the Old Testament saints. Lord, send the Messiah that you
promised. Things haven't changed much,
have they? This is still the prayer of the New Testament saints.
Even so come, Lord Jesus, even so come. Father, send your Son
again according to your promise, according to your covenant. And
when Christ comes again, brethren, we shall be free. If the Son will make you free,
you should be free indeed. Free. But now look back at Galatians
chapter 5. We have this freedom in Christ
by following him. Look at what Paul says in Galatians
5 verse 1. Stand fast therefore in the liberty
wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangled again
with the yoke of bondage. Stand fast in Christ. Believe him. Don't allow yourself
to be pulled back under bondage to the law that he has freed
you from. Now look back at Numbers 14.
You'll see why we read that verse. This is right after the children
of Israel, in their unbelief, would not believe the report
of Joshua and Caleb from the promised land. And because of
their unbelief, they wouldn't enter into the land that God
promised them. And God told them, well, then you're just going
to all go out here in the wilderness until all your carcasses lay
out there dead. Well, that was bad news. So look what they said
here in verse 40 of Numbers 14. And they rose up early in the
morning. and get them up into the top of the mountain, saying,
Lo, we be here, and we'll go up unto the place which the Lord
hath promised." Now, they didn't say that yesterday, but now they're
saying that today. "'For we have sinned.' And Moses
said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the Lord?
But it shall not prosper. Go not up, for the Lord is not
among you, and ye be not smitten before your enemies." For the
Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you
shall fall by the sword, because you are turned away from the
Lord. Therefore the Lord will not be with you." But they presumed
to go up into the hilltop. Nevertheless, here's the key,
the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, and Moses departed not
out of the camp. They didn't stay with the Ark
of the Covenant of the Lord, they followed not the Ark of
the Covenant of the Lord, they left it. And they went to the
top of the mountain on their own strength and their own ideas
and their own ways instead of staying with the Ark of the Covenant.
And look what happened to them, verse 45. Then the Amalekites
came down and the Canaanites was dwelt in that hill and smoked
them and discomfited them, even unto Hormah. They were utterly
defeated when they attempted to do something in their own
will, their own strength, their own way, rather than following
the covenant of the Lord. Now, another time that this is
talked about as being the Ark of the Covenant is in Joshua
3. When Israel came to the Promised
Land, they spent the 40 years in the wilderness, they come
back. Now they're going to enter into the Promised Land. And actually
in that chapter, the Ark is referred to as two names. And the first
one is the Ark of the Covenant. And the children of Israel followed
the Ark of the Covenant across Jordan. At that time of year,
that's a big deal, because at that time of year, Jordan is
flooded. Yet they crossed Jordan on dry
ground. The priests took that ark on
their shoulders, and every step they took towards that river,
it began to keep up upon itself, and they crossed into the Promised
Land on dry ground, through the River Jordan, just like they
left Egypt through the Red Sea on dry ground. Now, crossing
Jordan. That's always a picture of death,
physical death, leaving this earth and going into paradise.
Now, how is that possible? You hear that TV show I kept
seeing advertised yesterday. You know, what happens after
death and how do you go to heaven and so forth? Good question. How does that happen? It's only
in the covenant of grace that's ratified by the blood of the
Lord Jesus Christ. That's the only way. We go into
paradise, into the very presence of God in the Ark of the Covenant,
in the Lord Jesus Christ, who's the mediator of a better covenant.
Now last, about the Ark of the Covenant. When Israel came into
the Promised Land, the first city that was there to be taken
was Jericho. Well, Jericho's a big city, had
big thick walls, well defended city. They didn't take that city
by military might and catapults and all kinds of things. They
took that city because they followed the Ark of the Covenant, circled
that city seven times. And on the seventh day, as they
followed the Ark of the Covenant, the walls of that city fell flat
and Israel took the city, killed everyone there except Rahab the
harlot and her family, who were under the picture of the blood
of Christ. And that's how a believer, spiritual
Israel, enjoys the victory. It's because of the covenant
of grace and the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. We don't enjoy
the victory because of our good religious doings. You know, someone
told me not too long ago, well, the Lord's not blessing us because
not someone here in a different situation. The Lord's not blessing
us because we're not doing things God's way. Well, that might be
true, but now if the Lord blesses us, it's not because of or how
good Calvinists we are or something. It's the covenant of grace. Now get a hold of this. Everything,
absolutely everything a believer has or ever hopes to have is
because of grace. Because of the covenant of grace
that's promised to God's people in Christ. The covenant of grace. This ark is the ark of the covenant. In Exodus 25, verse 22, the Ark
is called the Ark of the Testimony. It is called the Ark of the Testimony
because you remember we studied this. Inside that Ark, the two
tables of the law, the two tables of the testimony were put in
that Ark. And that's a picture of Christ who was to come. Look
over at Psalm 19. Psalm 19, verse 7. The law of the Lord is perfect,
converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is
sure, making wise the simple. Well, the Lord Jesus Christ is
the testimony of God to man. And it's Christ that converts
the soul. It's Christ that makes wise the
simple. Christ is the testimony of God. He testified of the holiness
of God. God showed mankind what holiness
really is. When God killed his only begotten
Son, when the Son of God was made to be sin for God's people.
God killed him for it because God's holy. That was a testament
of God's holiness. Christ testified of the love
of God. Herein is love, not that we love
God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation,
the mercy seat, the covering for our sin. He testified the
love of God. Christ testified of the mercy
of God. We see in Christ, this is how
a sinner can come to a holy God and find mercy. In the Lord Jesus
Christ, this man receiveth sinners and eats with Christ testified
of the purpose of God. He came to save a people through
the sacrifice of himself. He didn't come to set up an earthly
kingdom, or, this is the will of the Father which is sent me,
that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but
should raise it up again at the last day. He came to testify
of the purpose of God. Christ testified to us of the
wisdom of God. Men will make up countless different
ways for a sinner to approach God. Not one of them work. Not one of them will satisfy
the justice and the holiness of God's character. It's only
in Christ that we see the wisdom of God, how God can be just and
justifier of a sinner. It's because of him that believeth
in the Son. So he is the ark of the testimony.
Then in Joshua 3, when Israel's crossing Jordan again, this is
the second name of the ark that was used in Joshua 3. The ark
of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth. Just refer to it as
the ark of the Lord. It's the ark of the Lord, the
Lord of all the earth. And Israel followed that ark
into the promised land. And Israel's going to go into
that land and they're going to possess the land. They're going
to possess it all. It's not because they have such
a mighty army. They have better, you know, weaponry
and more trained warriors and so forth. They're going to possess
the land because the Lord of all the earth is going to give
it to them just like he promised Abraham in his covenant to Abraham. And salvation is given to us
the same way. God promised salvation. to his elect in Christ. He promised
that. That's his covenant. God promised
that every sinner that comes to Christ is going to find salvation
in him. Now, the Father promised salvation.
The Son purchased that salvation with his blood and his sacrifice.
The Holy Spirit applies that salvation to everyone for whom
Christ died. Now, that's what the Lord of
all the earth did. Then you can rest assured in
this. Everyone for whom Christ died shall be saved. The Lord of all the earth is
going to see to it. He's the Lord of all the earth.
There's nothing that's outside of his control. He'll see to
it. You'll have your salvation and
you cannot lose your salvation. Impossible. It's utterly impossible
to be saved today and lose your salvation tomorrow. It's impossible. As long as the Lord of all the
earth saved you. Isn't that right? It's impossible. He's the Lord
of all the earth. Well, the fourth name of the
Ark. In 1 Samuel 3, 3, the Ark is referred to as the Ark of
God. Now, God never identified himself
with any other piece of furniture in the tabernacle except the
Ark, and he called it the Ark of God. You never read about
the candlestick of God or the veil of God. It's only the Ark
of God. See, God is so closely identified
with the person and work of Christ because Christ is God. That man,
Christ Jesus, is God. And the Ark is called the Ark
of God in the place where God called Samuel for the first time.
Scripture says at that time Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither
was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him. But you know
what? After God called him, he kept
going to Eli, saying, you called me. Finally, Eli figured out
God's calling you. You wait and you listen. And
what he says, you do. He's calling you. After the Lord
called him, I promise you this, he knew the Lord. You see, the
ark is where God said, I'll meet with men. And that's where he
met with Samuel. He called him to the ark of God.
And today, Men are called through the preaching of the gospel of
Christ, who is the very ark of God. Christ is where God meets
with men in mercy and speaks to us. That's what Paul said
in Hebrews 1, that God who in sundry times and diverse manners
spake unto our fathers in times past by the prophets, hath in
these last days spoken to us how? By his Son. That's how God speaks to us and
that's who we're called to. We're not called to that box.
or called to a person, the Ark of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Fifth, in 1 Kings 2, verse 26,
the Ark is called the Ark of the Lord God. Now before it had
been called the Ark of the Lord and the Ark of God, here it's
called the Ark of the Lord God, the Ark of the Lord Elohim, and
that word Elohim has to do with the strength and might and power
of God. This is the ark of God who has
the power to ensure that his covenant is ordered and all things
ensure. That covenant is sure because
of the power of the mediator of that covenant. Now the name
of God, Elohim, this is the name of God who is so obviously God
that scripture offers no proofs that God is. Nowhere in Scripture
will you find a proof that God is. Scripture trying to prove
to you that God is. It's so obvious. It's just a
given. Now, in contrast, there are thousands
of proofs offered to us to prove the theory of evolution, aren't
there? Scripture gives no proof that God is. Not one. You don't
need any arguments to tell you the sun is shining, do you? Even
a blind man can go outside and know when the sun is shining
because he can feel the heat of the sun. The only reason you
don't know the sun is shining is you're dead. That's the only
reason. And the only reason you don't
know that God is, is because you're dead and devoid of any
understanding. The fool has said in his heart,
there is no God. The fool says that because he's
dead. It's so obvious that God is God. You come to him and worship. I'll tell you the situation of
when the Ark is referred to as the Ark of the Lord God. It was
in 1 Kings 2. What happened before that in
1 Kings 1? In 1 Kings 1, there is a conspiracy
by three men, Adonijah, Joab, and Abiathar. Their conspiracy
was to make Adonijah king, even though everyone knew it was David's
purpose that when he died that Solomon be king. That's their
conspiracy. They worked at all love, had
a master plan. Well, in First Kings 2, guess
who sat on the throne? Solomon. Solomon sat on the throne. Abiathar was removed from the
priesthood, but his life was spared. And you know why his
life was spared? Solomon said, you bore the ark
before my father, David. His life was spared because of
his connection to the ark. That's why. Adonijah and Joab
were killed. The covenant is ordered in all
things and sure. This is the covenant of the Lord
God, the Lord Elohim. He shall accomplish his purpose. Sixth, in 2 Chronicles 35 verse
3, the ark is called the holy ark. Now again, when you look
at this in context, you'll see why. At that time in Israel's
history, they'd fallen into idolatry. And the ark wasn't kept in the
temple anymore. It was kept out with all the
other idols and religious relics and so forth. And a man named
Josiah became king, and he restored the correct worship of God in
Israel. And he called the ark the Holy Ark. That's what he
called it. And I'll tell you why he did
that. He had some wisdom. True worship of God starts with
the understanding that God is holy. That's his chief attribute,
that God is holy. And whatever, whatever God does
with me, God's still holy. And it's right and it's just.
Whatever God does with me, if God sends me to hell right now,
it's right. That's what my sins deserve.
And if God saves me, if he saves my sinful soul, I can tell you
what, it'll be right. It will be done in holiness because
God punished my sins and Christ the sinner's substitute. Whatever
God does with me and you and our loved ones, it's right. It's
holy. He is the holy God. So his ark
is called the holy ark. And last, seventh, in Psalm 132,
verse 8, the ark is called the ark of thy strength. Now, I wish
that people could get a hold of this and understand this.
Jesus Christ is no feeble beggar. He's not a weak man. He's not
a feeble beggar. He is the mighty God. In Isaiah
9, verse 6, when Isaiah gives the different names of the Messiah
who's to come, that's one of the names he gave, the mighty
God. And the Lord Jesus Christ engages
the might of God to save and protect and preserve his people
and bring them home according to the divine purpose of God.
Look at Psalm 89. God did not send a weakling to
accomplish his purpose. In Psalm 89 verse 19, Then thou spakest in vision to
thy holy one, and said, I have laid help upon one that is mighty. I have exalted one chosen out
of the people. I have laid help, I have laid
the salvation of mine elect on one who is Mighty. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
ark of God's strength. Christ is the power of God and
the wisdom of God. And the power of our message
is Christ. It's not our oratory. It's not
how well we think we can communicate with people and have some connection
with people while we're talking to them. The power of our message
is Christ. It's the power of the preaching
of Christ. that tears down the strongholds
of sin and rebellion. It's the power, the preaching
of Christ that gives men salvation, gives them a new heart, a new
will. It's the preaching of Christ.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1, verse 18, for the preaching of
the cross, the preaching of what Christ accomplished at the cross
is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved.
It's the very power of God. Christ is the power of God, the
ark of thy strength. And that's the seven names of
the ark. Seven names. It gives seven different facets
of the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. I've gone
through the study of the tabernacle and the ark and these things.
This is the third time. The first two times I was going
through it to teach it to children, I'd never seen those seven different
names before. This book is a relatively short
book. I've got commentaries on this
book that are 12 times as thick as this book itself. It's inexhaustible. And it's inexhaustible for this
reason. Every page shows us the person and work, the glorious
person of our Lord Jesus Christ. And someday, Lord willing, we're
going to come back to this, and we're all going to see something
we never saw before, and we're going to think, where have I
been? It's right here all along. I pray that God will give us
eyes to see it. All right. Lord bless you.