Slideshow image

Today's reading came from 1st Kings 8 and 2nd Chronicles 5—the same account, though the version in 1st Kings is more amplified. For those with inquisitive minds—like mine this morning—a couple of details stand out and make us want to dig deeper.

The first is the mention of the poles being so long that they protruded from the inner Holy of Holies (the inner sanctuary). The priests in the inner room could see them, but they weren't so long that the public outside could. If you're wondering why, there's a concrete reason and then a guess. The concrete reason: in Exodus 25:15 the Lord commanded that the poles never be removed from the rings that held them, the same rings that enabled the priests to carry the ark. The guess: only one priest could enter the Holy of Holies each year, the poles served as a reminder to the rest of the priests that the presence of the Lord was still residing there—that His presence had not left. It was a physical reminder of a spiritual, hoped-for reality. And yet the sin of the people could remove the effects of that blessing, which is the presence of the Lord. I'll speak to that in just a minute.

Another mention here that may have given you pause is verse 9 of 1st Kings 8,

"There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt."

Verse 10 of 2nd Chronicles 5 says the same thing. But maybe, like me, you thought there was a place in Scripture that mentioned a jar of manna and Aaron's staff that budded inside the Ark as well. The passage we're remembering is Hebrews 9:4:

"having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron's rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant."

It seems plain enough that these items were in the ark… or does it? When we back up to verse 2 of Hebrews 9, we read, "For there was a tabernacle prepared…". Keep in mind that the tabernacle and the temple were two different things: the tabernacle was the tent, and the temple was the building. Our reading of verse 4 may be an assumption—that Aaron's staff and the jar of manna were inside the ark rather than in the Holy of Holies being described here. When the author of Hebrews writes "in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron's rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant," he could have been referring to the inner room and not the ark itself; grammatically, that is a possible interpretation. And when you compare that to the two places where the items were placed—Exodus 16:33–34 and Numbers 17:10—we realize that the items were set "before" the Ark and not in it. It's possible that when the ark was moved to the temple—or when it was captured by the Philistines in 1st Samuel 4–6—the two items did not travel with it and eventually lost their connection to it.

While those detours give us something fascinating to research and consider, I think there is a greater takeaway we shouldn't miss. Did you find the reading—especially in 1st Kings 8—reminiscent of any New Testament passages? I couldn't help but think of one of my favorite verses, 1st John 1:9:

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Solomon gave several passages that encouraged the Israelites to humble themselves, confess, and repent when they sinned—and he even stated that everyone sins, just as the apostle did in that New Testament passage (vv. 8, 10). If you missed this connection, go back and read verses 46–50 of 1st Kings 8.

Folks, our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). The remedy for our sin has been fulfilled in Christ, and the location of His Spirit has returned to the mobile tabernacle of our individual tents. Make no mistake: our God's desire to have a personal and intimate relationship with us—one where we are daily conversing with Him and depending on Him.

Takeaway: Maintain humility and boldly come before Him. If you have come to Jesus, He is present in your life—you don't need poles protruding, only a testimony. Go to Him and claim the promise of His forgiveness and cleansing. Walk with Him moment by moment.