“They shall construct an ark” Exodus 25:10a
As Moses begins his first 40 days and 40 nights on Mount Sinai, the first order of business between him and God is outlined at the beginning of Chapter 24; “Now the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and stay there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the Law and the commandments which I have written for their instruction.”” Those Ten Commandments, which He spoke days before in the hearing of all the People, is Central to why Moses is called to the top of the Mountain. God is now going to write them on Tablets of Stone and give them to the People of God as a Physical Remembrance of what they heard. It is vital that we see this!
Next, as we begin Chapter 25, God describes all that will “house” those Stone Tablets, The Tabernacle, and the actual container of them, The Ark. That is highlighted in Today’s Verse. This fancy “Chest” (as the Hebrew indicates), was not just a Box that acted as a Container. This Ark was to be covered inside and out with Gold, have a solid gold cover, with solid gold Cherubim (Angelic Creatures) on each end, called the Mercy Seat. It would have gold covered poles inserted through gold rings, never to be removed, in order to carry it. It would be cordoned off in a Separate Room called the Holy of Holies and only have 1 Visitor a Year; the High Priest. And though as important as it was, it was not the Ark itself that made it Special. It was what it contained; The Ten Commandments! Those Ten Words, Spoken Audibly, Written by God Himself on Tablets of Stone. As we read these chapters, the Focus of our attention should not be on the Tabernacle, or the Ark, or any of the other Items described, but what was in the Center of it all…God’s Word!