Freelance writer Lupie Riley

Thought:  For hundreds of years biblical scholars and treasure hunters have been on a search to find the Ark of the Covenant.  God’s first agreement with the Israelites was that he would make his presence known by a special container lined with gold, topped with two golden Angels (called cherubim).  Inside were the tablets of stone with the Ten Commandments, a golden jar with manna, and Aaron’s wooden cane that budded. This ark was housed in the Israelites temple, the Holy of Holies, and represented God’s presence that priests could approach only once a year.  The temple sacrifices included the shedding of animal blood, a precursor to the shed blood of Christ.

After Christ made his appearance on earth with a new agreement, it would take his bodily sacrifice to atone for the sins of mankind. Rising on the third day, he defeated death that Satan had brought into the world through our first parents’ disobedience.  It was then when the curtain was torn into the Holy of Holies, and we were able to have direct contact with God through our faith in Jesus.  At this time the physical ark disappeared, and the quest began.  We no longer needed the physical ark to have access to the great I AM.  We now have that one on one  through faith in Christ and our spiritual rebirth. We are adopted into God’s family and become his children.  He now resides in his temple, our bodies. “Haven’t you yet learned that your body is the home of the Holy Spirit God gave you and that he lives within you? (I Cor. 6:19).”

Do we need the actual ark of the covenant today?  I would say not, because God is within us through the Spirit of Christ. “ But Christ, God’s faithful Son, is in complete charge of God’s house.  And we Christians are God’s house—He lives in us! (Heb. 3:6).”

There’s an interesting verse in Revelation that speaks of the ark being in Heaven. “Then in Heaven, the temple of God was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen inside (Rev. 11:19).” Do we need to pursue our search for the physical ark in our day?  “And so, dear brothers, now we may walk right into the very Holy of Holies where God is, because of the blood of Jesus.”  Our conscience now contains God’s laws, the ten commandments that convict us of any wrong doing. “I will write my laws into their minds so that they will always know my will and I will put my laws in their hearts so that they will want to obey them (Heb. 10:16).”  It is incredible to think that we can now have this personal relationship with the Creator God, the great I AM through Jesus Christs sacrifice on the cross.

Prayer:  Father God, thank you for this new agreement provided by Jesus shed blood (the lamb of God.  You now live in your temple, my body, through faith in Christ Jesus. Amen

Verse:  John 1: 12-13 “But to all who received him, he gave the right to become children of God.  All they needed to do was to trust him to save them.  All those who believe this are reborn!—not a physical rebirth—resulting from human passion or plan—but from the will of God.”

Married 58 years, four children, nine grandchildren and three greats.  I've been a freelance writer for over 40 years.  Working on a book at the present.  My priorities are God first, family, country. Look me up on Google search by my name Lupie Riley, click on first link. Faithwriters.com