Psalms 123:1-2, 31:1-3, 16:2

My Shepherd met me in His green pastures and laid me down in 2 Chronicles 34-35: the reforms of Josiah. 2 Chronicles 35:3 piqued my curiosity. I’ll present verses 2-4 for context:

2Chronicles 35:2 And he set the priests in their charges, and encouraged them to the service of the house of the LORD,

2Chronicles 35:3 And said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, which were holy unto the LORD, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; it shall not be a burden upon your shoulders: serve now the LORD your God, and his people Israel,

2Chronicles 35:4 And prepare yourselves by the houses of your fathers, after your courses, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son.

Moses set the dimensions for the Ark (Exodus 25:10): 2.5 cubits long, 1.5 cubits wide, and 1.5 cubits high. A cubit is generally reckoned to be 18 inches, making the Ark of the Covenant a box that was 3’-9” (3 feet, 9 inches) long, 2’-2” wide, and 2’-3” high.*  See also **.

The rim of the box was to be made like a crown. It was to be overlaid with pure gold, inside and out. Four rings of pure gold were to be set on either side of the Ark, and two poles of shittim wood, overlaid with pure gold, were to be made and set through the rings — these were used to carry the Ark. These staves were never to be removed. They were to place the Law of the Testimony in the ark.

A “mercy seat” was to be constructed of pure gold, with dimensions that would allow it to cover the ark (2.5 cubits in length, 1.5 cubits in width), like a lid fitted to the ark. Moses instructed that two cherubim should be made of gold (winged creatures, no doubt representing the angelic creatures that reside in the Throne Room of the Creator), one for each end of the Mercy Seat. These were to be positioned so that their faces looked toward one another, with their faces positioned so they were looking toward the center of the Mercy Seat, with their wings stretched toward one another, meeting at the middle. The ark was to be placed behind the veil, in the “most holy place” (Exodus 26:34; 1 Kings 6:16; 8:6; 2 Chronicles 5:7).

God promised He would meet with Moses and commune with him from His place over the Mercy Seat, in the space under the wings of the cherubim. (For all of this, see Exodus 25:10-22).

When was the ark removed from the most holy place of Solomon’s Temple?

In an earlier devotion, I traced the movement of the Ark: during the wilderness wanderings, it was carried by the Children of Israel and placed in the most holy place at each encampment. After Israel conquered Canaan, the ark rested in the most holy place of the Tabernacle at Shiloh (Judges 18:1) and remained there through the time of Joshua to Eli (1 Samuel 1-4). In the final days of Eli and his vile sons, Israel carried it out of the Holy of Holies into battle with the Philistines, and it fell into their hands (1 Samuel 5-6). It spent a short time in the Philistines’ “House of Dagon.” The Philistines sent the ark away because of the severe chastisement that came upon them, and it was returned to Israel. However, the ark was separated from the Tabernacle from that time forward. It was not returned to its resting place in the Most Holy Place until Solomon returned the ark there after he built the Temple; this was a period of more than 80 years.

It was delivered to the Israelites at Beth-Shemesh. They profaned it, and God destroyed 60k, so after some deliberation regarding who would be worthy to keep it, it was sent to Kirjath-jearim, in the house of Abinadab.

Meanwhile, the Tabernacle was moved to Nob (1 Samuel 21-22), but no one thought to return the ark to the most holy place.

King Saul ordered the massacre of the priests at Nob, and the Tabernacle became devoid not only of its ark, but also of its priest (1 Samuel 22).

The Tabernacle was moved to Gibeah (1 Chronicles 16:39; 21:29), where it remained during David’s reign.

No one considered returning the ark to its place in the holiest during the days of Saul. Nor did any think to enquire of the Lord at the ark (1 Chronicles 13:3). But when David became king, he thought upon the ark of GOD and desired to bring it to Zion. But God did not put it on David’s heart to return it to the Tabernacle (1 Chronicles 13).

David’s first attempt to move the ark to Zion failed because the people did not follow the Law of Moses regarding the proper manner of transporting the Ark (1 Chronicles 13). Later, David understood from the Law the proper way to do this (1 Chronicles 15:2), and the Ark was brought to Zion.

Nevertheless, it was not returned to its place in the Tabernacle. It seems this was by God’s choosing; He did not desire His presence to be returned to the most holy place of a defiled tabernacle.

It remained separated from the Tabernacle throughout Samuel’s life and Saul’s reign. It remained separated from the Tabernacle for an additional 40 years during the reign of David. It was never returned to the Tabernacle of Moses. It was not returned to the Holy of Holies until Solomon built the Temple.

Solomon profaned Zion and the Temple. After Solomon died, and five years into the troubled reign of his son, the Egyptian Pharaoh, Shishak, was allowed by Rehoboam to plunder the Temple of its treasures (c 925 BC, 1 Kings 14:25-26; 2 Chronicles 12:2-9). Many artifacts are named, but the ark is not mentioned as among the treasures taken by Shishak. It is reasonable to assume that the ark was removed and hidden.

From the history we have already provided, it is possible God moved out of the Holy Place of His Temple when Solomon turned his heart, and the heart of the people, to worship the gods of Canaan. It would not be unlike Him to remain aloof from the Temple for many years. The fact is, there is no mention of the Ark from the dedication of Solomon’s Temple until the reign of Josiah—a period of about 300 years of silence.

However, most believe the ark was present in the Holy Place during the reigns of Joash and Hezekiah. Since these revivals included a cleansing of the Temple and restoration of Temple worship, yet no mention of the ark is found, it is reasonable to assume it was there (2 Chronicles 29-31).

For this reason, most believe the ark was removed from the Temple during the years of Manasseh’s outrageous blasphemy (2 Kings 21): he placed idols within the Temple, built altars to other gods inside the Temple, he practiced witchcraft, and promoted child sacrifice. If God providentially removed His presence from the Tabernacle of Moses because of the perversity of the priests, Eli, and his sons, Hophni and Phineas, it seems highly unlikely He would not say, in effect, get me out of here, when Manasseh reigned as a Satan worshipper (1 Corinthians 10:20).

Josiah says something that might provide a clue about how the ark was used during the period of its exile from the Holy of Holies in the Temple.

First, there is no mention that the ark was “found,” as, for example, when Hilkiah found the book of the Law within the Temple (2 Kings 22:8).

Second, it was in use, that is, apparently, the holy teaching priests were stewarding the ark and carrying it in some circuit of worship.

Josiah stated that they were going to make a change. The priests would no longer carry the burden of the ark; instead, it would be returned to its place behind the veil in the Temple: Josiah “Said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, which were holy unto the LORD, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; it shall not be a burden upon your shoulders: serve now the LORD your God, and his people Israel” (2 Chronicles 35:3).

This devotional is already much longer than usual, and I must conclude. The mystery of the ark’s current location continues to intrigue the faithful.

Along the still waters, I walked with my Shepherd, wondering about all of this and what it means to us for whom this is written (1 Corinthians 10:11; Romans 15:4).

Our body is the Temple, and our heart is the holy of holies (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:17-19; 2 Corinthians 1:22; Galatians 4:6—the place of His presence in the New Testament Temple). Has God removed His Presence from a defiled Temple? God continued to be “with” Judah throughout the histories of Samuel, Saul, and David, even though His particular presence had been withdrawn from the Tabernacle. God had not yet cast off His people during the time of Manasseh’s profound rebellion. I am reminded that there was a reason the Holy Spirit had not dwelt in the hearts of men. It was because Jesus Christ had not yet been glorified (John 7:38-39). His death on the Cross secured for GOD a permanent dwelling in the hearts of believers (Ephesians 1:13-14). However, even when GOD dwelt between the cherubim and in the Tabernacle and later the Temple, He did not always fill the House of GOD with His particular and glorious presence.

I think the question here is, where is the “ark.” It is permanently connected with the presence of GOD, by His Spirit, dwelling in our hearts. Is your heart wandering about in the world? Is it seeking the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:15)? If today the ark is where your heart is, where is your heart?

In the valley, He called to my heart: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Have you cleansed your hands and purified your heart for the LORD? (James 4:8). Are you dragging idols into His Temple and setting them in the “holy place”? Covetousness is the sin of idolatry (Colossians 3:5). If we fill our hearts with sin, His Presence will not manifest.

The answer to the question, why does He remain in me is the Cross and the blood shed there. The answer to the second question, why is His Presence withheld? It is because we have set down our cross and turned our affections toward idols.

At the table, happily, He did not hesitate to anoint my head with His oil or fill my cup with His grace. Goodness and mercy hurried behind as we entered the harvest.

Praying for revival! 🙏

Going live asap:

https://rumble.com/v75y2ku-shepherds-pasture.html

[*Most students settle on what is called the common cubit (18 inches), but some favor what is called the royal cubit (20.4 inches, rounded up to 21 inches). If the royal cubit is used, the ark would have been 4’-3” x 2”-6.5” x 2’-6.5”. The debate notes that Egypt used the Royal Cubit and that Moses grew up in Egypt for the first forty years of his life. This argument fails to account for the fact that he was in Median as an adult, from 40 to 80 years of age, where the common cubit would be used. Another argument notes that the royal cubit is described in the Bible in Ezekiel in connection with the Third Temple (Ezekiel 40:5; 43:13), but it fails to note that the description does not use the Egyptian designation “royal cubit.” To state the “large cubit” the Bible describes it as a cubit (the common designation) plus a “hand breadth” (Ezekiel 40:5; 43:13 — a handbreadth is between 3-4 inches, closer to 3, and generally calculated as a three inch span). If there were a word or expression in Hebrew for a “royal cubit,” it would not be necessary to say “a cubit and a handbreadth.” The word cubit has one meaning. Since the Hebrew would have to add “a handbreadth” to describe what the Rabbin call the long cubit, it seems reasonable to expect this would have been stipulated by Moses in his description. Furthermore, it seems very unlikely that, at the time of Moses, God would be okay with using an Egyptian measurement for His Holy artifacts intended for use by His Holy People in His Holy Tabernacle. Why He uses the “long cubit” (a cubit and a hand breadth) for the Third Temple is a matter of speculation. Probably, the best guess is that the Third Temple comes after the time in history when God has incorporated the believing Gentiles as His covenant people (Romans 11:17-21; 1 Peter 2:9-10). The context of Revelation 11 suggests the standard cubit, or reed, was used to measure the Temple (Revelation 11:1—note, the “reed” is a writing instrument, and the “rod” is a scepter, or a cudgel, a cane, or a baton of royalty). The instruction was not to measure the Temple with the “reed” but to record the measurement with the reed, which would be a rod of judgment.]

[**The shittim refers to sticks of wood from the Acacia tree. It seems most plausible that the reference is to boards cut out of the trunk of the acacia tree. The Acacia is known for its long, hard, and pointed thorns that are needle-sharp, with hooks, and can easily tear into the skin. It’s a curious speculation, but it makes me think of the thorns used to make a crown to set upon Jesus’ head in mockery. Also, is it possible that the instruction was to use “sticks” from the Acacia, that is, the branches of the tree, with their barbs, so that the ark would be virtually untouchable? This construction would discourage touching the Ark, and require it to be carried as prescribed by Moses in the Law.]