The ark is the housing of the Testimony — Exodus 25:16,21. It was made during the time of Moses while the Israelites were in the Sinai desert seemingly at the same time as the Tabernacle — Exodus 37:1-9. It contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant — Hebrews 9:3,4.

The tablets mentioned in this case are the new stone tablets chiseled out by Moses and written on by the LORD — Exodus 34:1. Moses had thrown down and broken the first version after he discovered that the Israelites had made a golden calf and began worshipping it while he was up on Mount Sinai — Exodus 32:19.

During Samuel’s time, the Philistines had captured the ark while in battle with the Israelites — 1 Samuel 4,5. However the LORD visited them (the Philistines) with devastation and afflictions that they were compelled to return it after staying with it for only 7 months by sending it back on an unguided cart with a guilt offering — 1 Samuel 6.

The ark then ended up at Beth Shemesh where the Israelites received it, sacrificed and celebrated. In the furor 70 men dared to look into the ark and were immediately struck down by God — 1 Samuel 6:13-20.

After its brief stay at Beth Shemesh, the ark was moved to Kiriath Jearim in Abinadab’s house on the hill where Eleazar (Abinadab’s son) was consectrated to guard the ark of the LORD. There it remained for 20 years — 1 Samuel 6:20 - 7:2.

King David then got his men to move the ark from Abinadab’s house to Jerusalem. Unfortunately it didn’t get there without incident. The LORD struck down Uzzah (Abinadab’s son) for reaching out and taking hold of it when the oxen carrying the cart stumbled. The Bible makes mention that this was an irreverent act on Uzzah’s part — 2 Samuel 6. The ark was not designed to be carried directly but rather by making use of the poles that would be inserted into rings on two of its sides — Exodus 25:14,15.

In fear of the LORD, King David decided to leave it in Obed-Edom’s where it stayed for 3 months. Interestingly, when the ark was in an Israelite’s possession, their whole household got blessed just like Obed-Edom’s did — 2 Samuel 6: 11,12.

Eventually, it did get to Jerusalem where King David placed it in a tent which he had prepared for it — 2 Samuel 6:17.

The ark remained in Israelite possession in Jerusalem until King Solomon finally completed the temple into which it was moved to — 1 Kings 8:1-21. At this point it’s worth noting that the Bible mentions that there was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses has placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD had made a covenant witht the Israelites after they came out of Egypt — 1 Kings 8:9.

While the ark rested in the temple thereafter, the Bible doesn’t give an account as to what might have happened to it during (or after) the Israelite exile and consequent raiding of the temple by the Babylonians. In Daniel 1:1,2 it’s mentioned that they took articles from the temple of God and carried them off to Babylon to put them in the treasure house of their God — see 2 Chronicles 36:18-19 also. These two passages don’t give specifics on what ‘articles’ refers to unlike the description of the fall the Jerusalem in 2 Kings 25:1-26 which goes into more detail. Unfortunately, it’s still inconclusive as the Ark isn’t on the list.

13 And the pillars of brass that [were] in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brasen sea that [was] in the house of the LORD, did the Chaldees break in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon. 14 And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away. 15 And the firepans, and the bowls, [and] such things as [were] of gold, [in] gold, and of silver, [in] silver, the captain of the guard took away. 16 The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD; the brass of all these vessels was without weight. 17 The height of the one pillar [was] eighteen cubits, and the chapiter upon it [was] brass: and the height of the chapiter three cubits; and the wreathen work, and pomegranates upon the chapiter round about, all of brass: and like unto these had the second pillar with wreathen work.

Design

The design of the ark was given to Moses by the LORD while he was up in the cloud on Mount Sinai. The details are in Exodus 25:10-22. Eventually it was made by Bezalel to those exact specifications, see Exodus 37:1-9.

The Chest

• Made of acacia wood — Exodus 25:10, 37:1.
• Was 2½ cubits long and 1½ cubits wide — Exodus 25:10, 37:1.
• Overlaid with gold in and out — Exodus 25:11, 37:2.
• It had 4 feet — Exodus 25:12, 37:3.
• Had two gold rings one side and the other — Exodus 25:12, 37:3.

The Carrying Poles

• Made of acacia — Exodus 25:13, 37:4.
• Overlaid with gold — Exodus 25:13, 37:4.
• Were to be used to carry the Ark — Exodus 25:14, 37:5.
• Were never to be removed from the rings — Exodus 25:15.
• They were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary but not from the outside the Holy Place (in King Solomon’s temple) — 1 Kings 8:8.

The Cover

• Made of pure gold unlike the chest — Exodus 25:17, 37:6.
• Was 2½ cubits long and 1½ cubits wide just like the chest — Exodus 25:17, 37:6.
• To be place on top of the chest/ark — Exodus 25:21.

The Cherubim

• Made out of hammered gold — Exodus 25:18, 37:7.
• Were two with each placed on each end of the cover — Exodus 25:19, 37:7,8.
• One piece with the cover — Exodus 25:19, 37:8.
• Are to have wings, spread upward and overshadowing the cover — Exodus 25:20, 37:9.
• The Cherubim are to face each other — Exodus 25:20, 37:9.
• Overshadowed the ark and it’s carrying poles — 1 Kings 8:7.

1. What did God mean by the Testimony in Exodus 25:16,21?
2. At what point is the gold jar of manna and Aaron’s staff mentioned in Hebrews 9:3,4 added to the ark?
3. See 1 Kings 8:6-11.