Who emptied the ark?

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Please note that the following verse says only the law was in the ark when it was placed in the Temple. --------- 2 Chronicles 5:10 --------- 10 [There was] nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put [therein] at Horeb, when the LORD made [a covenant] with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

When it was in the Tabernacle it also contained the Manna and Aaron's rod. What happened to them? Does the Bible address this?

-- Anonymous, November 14, 1998

Answers

I agree with Jim, That's A Good Question. To find the answer it may be necessary to look into what historians have to say. Just a thought.

-- Anonymous, November 17, 1998

Good question brother Bob, I can't find any reference to why the ark had been emptied of the rod of Aaron or the pot of manna. Perhaps when the son's of Eli were killed and the ark was taken by the Philistines they removed the rod and pot of manna. 1 Sam 4 This is just a poor guess.

Jim

-- Anonymous, November 16, 1998


The Tabernacle was emptied throughout the years maybe by the Philistines or through Priest that were corrupt. The Ark of the Covenant with the Tables were not recovered after the Babylonian Captivity, according to Historic sources that I have found on my PC BIBLE STUDY. The Temple had whole new furnishings including the Ark. The Temple's dimensions were different than the Tabernacle. Yet, in Hebrews 9:3-4 we see that Aaron's rod and the Manna in the Golden censor were in the Tabernacle, as well as the broken law. Heb 9:3-4 3 And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; 4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; (KJV)

-- Anonymous, November 18, 1998

The Lord commanded that the testimony that He gave to Moses be put into the Ark of the Covenant. Exodus 25:16 says, "And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee." These were the ones that Moses made for the purpose of keeping them for all generations. Deuteronomy 10:5 says, "And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the LORD commanded me." The golden censer of manna was added by Moses as God commanded. Exodus 16:32-34 says, "And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations. As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept." Aaron's rod was added too. Numbers 17:10 says, "And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not." This of course is where the writer of Hebrews gets Hebrews 9:4. It says, "Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;" Yet, in I King 8:9 says, "There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt." and again as it is paralleled in II Chronicles 5:10 So, where was the Ark of the Covenant. Well, after it left the wilderness and crossed the Jordan under the leadership of Joshua, it came into the Promised Land. It remained in the Promised Land kept by the Levites, though sometimes under priests that were not faithful to God. At one time while kept by Eli and his sons, Hopni and Phineas, the light went out in the "temple of the Lord" where the ark was too. 1 Samuel 3:3 says, "And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;" This was judged by the Lord, especially when the people did not acknowledge Him when going against the Philistines. 1 Samuel 4:10-11 says, "And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain." The Ark of the Covenant was in the possession of the Philistines. It was there for seven months. First it was in Ashdod, where it showed the Philistines that God of Israel was superior over their god named Dagon. (I Samuel 5:1-7) It was carried to Gath where the Lord plagued the people with tumors brought in by mice. They sent it to Ekron. 1 Samuel 5:9-12 says, "And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts. Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people. So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there. And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven." They sent away the ark of the God of Israel not empty. So, they had to have opened the Ark of the Covenant. They do not mention what was the contents. So, it could of been taken out prior by Levite priests, or by them. They did add to the Ark of the Covenant a trespass offering. 1 Samuel 6:4-5 says, "Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords. Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land." The men of Beth-she'mesh received it, but they were killed when they opened the Ark of Covenant without authority from God. The only contents mentioned was the trespass offering given by the Philistines. 1 Samuel 6:19-20 says, "And he smote the men of Beth-she'mesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter. And the men of Beth-she'mesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us?" It was retrieved from the men of Kirjath-je'arim. 1 Samuel 7:1-2 says, "And the men of Kirjath-je'arim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD. And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjath- je'arim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD." It was brought up before the Philistines again by Saul in I Samuel 14:8. David brought the Ark of the Covenant into the city of Jerusalem, even though it cost him one of the Levites in doing so who reached out and caught the Ark when it stumbled on the new carts that were carrying it. New carts were not to be used, only the staves carried by the priests themselves. 2 Samuel 6:4 says, "And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark." It dwelled in the city pitched in a tent in Jerusalem, until Zadok another priest took it out of the city and than brought it back into the city. We see that Ark of the Covenant containing only the testimony was placed in the Temple. 2 Chronicles 5:10 says, "There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put therein at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt." Scripture does not say who took out the golden censer filled with an omer of manna or Aaron's rod, or even the five golden emerods and five mice as a trespass offering made by the Philistines, but the two tables which Moses put in there were still kept in the Ark of the Covenant. The only way the Law could be kept under the Mercy Seat of God. For on its own the Law could not be kept, except by Jesus Christ who was pointed to us by the Law. Galatians 3:24 says, "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." The Lord commanded that the testimony that He gave to Moses be put into the Ark of the Covenant. Exodus 25:16 says, "And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee." These were the ones that Moses made for the purpose of keeping them for all generations. Deuteronomy 10:5 says, "And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the LORD commanded me." The golden censer of manna was added by Moses as God commanded. Exodus 16:32-34 says, "And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations. As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept." Aaron's rod was added too. Numbers 17:10 says, "And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not." This of course is where the writer of Hebrews gets Hebrews 9:4. It says, "Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;" Yet, in I King 8:9 says, "There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt." and again as it is paralleled in II Chronicles 5:10 So, where was the Ark of the Covenant. Well, after it left the wilderness and crossed the Jordan under the leadership of Joshua, it came into the Promised Land. It remained in the Promised Land kept by the Levites, though sometimes under priests that were not faithful to God. At one time while kept by Eli and his sons, Hopni and Phineas, the light went out in the "temple of the Lord" where the ark was too. 1 Samuel 3:3 says, "And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;" This was judged by the Lord, especially when the people did not acknowledge Him when going against the Philistines. 1 Samuel 4:10-11 says, "And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain." The Ark of the Covenant was in the possession of the Philistines. It was there for seven months. First it was in Ashdod, where it showed the Philistines that God of Israel was superior over their god named Dagon. (I Samuel 5:1-7) It was carried to Gath where the Lord plagued the people with tumors brought in by mice. They sent it to Ekron. 1 Samuel 5:9-12 says, "And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts. Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people. So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there. And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven." They sent away the ark of the God of Israel not empty. So, they had to have opened the Ark of the Covenant. They do not mention what was the contents. So, it could of been taken out prior by Levite priests, or by them. They did add to the Ark of the Covenant a trespass offering. 1 Samuel 6:4-5 says, "Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords. Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land." The men of Beth-she'mesh received it, but they were killed when they opened the Ark of Covenant without authority from God. The only contents mentioned was the trespass offering given by the Philistines. 1 Samuel 6:19-20 says, "And he smote the men of Beth-she'mesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter. And the men of Beth-she'mesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us?" It was retrieved from the men of Kirjath-je'arim. 1 Samuel 7:1-2 says, "And the men of Kirjath-je'arim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD. And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjath- je'arim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD." It was brought up before the Philistines again by Saul in I Samuel 14:8. David brought the Ark of the Covenant into the city of Jerusalem, even though it cost him one of the Levites in doing so who reached out and caught the Ark when it stumbled on the new carts that were carrying it. New carts were not to be used, only the staves carried by the priests themselves. 2 Samuel 6:4 says, "And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark." It dwelled in the city pitched in a tent in Jerusalem, until Zadok another priest took it out of the city and than brought it back into the city. We see that Ark of the Covenant containing only the testimony was placed in the Temple. 2 Chronicles 5:10 says, "There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put therein at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt." Scripture does not say who took out the golden censer filled with an omer of manna or Aaron's rod, or even the five golden emerods and five mice as a trespass offering made by the Philistines, but the two tables which Moses put in there were still kept in the Ark of the Covenant. The only way the Law could be kept under the Mercy Seat of God. For on its own the Law could not be kept, except by Jesus Christ who was pointed to us by the Law. Galatians 3:24 says, "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith."



-- Anonymous, November 21, 1998


I believe we will not know until we approach Christ at the heavenly mercy seat as to what happened to all the other articles save the two stone tablets. All the other options are possible, but there is no determination found in Scripture. As Moses says, "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law" (Deuteronomy 29:29). When the actual reason for the Ark being reduced in content is revealed then we will be able to rejoice in it and apply the truth. Speculation is only that and we must be confident that God had a perfect reason for allowing or causing it to happen. To all in the class, as this is probably my last communcation with some of you, walk with the Lord and magnify his name, you will always have my love no matter where the paths of Christ take us all.

-- Anonymous, November 25, 1998


I'm a little late getting to this one-everyone else has done a good job of describing the facts, and I guess it's a bit inconclusive as far as scripture goes as to what happened to the jar of manna and the "budded rod" of Aaron.

The one thing that did come to me was more in the spiritual context of why these items would have been taken away, yet the law would remain. I referred back to Isaiah 6:10 which speaks:

(Isa 6:10 KJV) Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

(Isa 6:11 KJV) Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,

(Isa 6:12 KJV) And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.

In the NT, John refers to this "spiritual blindness" that God brough over Israel in John 12:40.

Israel had every opportunity, time after time to follow God, and yet they continuously turned to idolatry and back to the world. Could God's removal of the very signs of His provision and His guidance (through the tribe of Levi)be symbolic of the spiritual blindness He brought to them in order to turn their hearts back to him (which we await today to happen in the time of Jacob's Trouble)?

I wonder who it was that took them out physically? Did he die? Someone had to take them away! Could it be that the "glory of the Lord" departed from Israel, and then Aaron's rod just became a plain old stick, and the jar of manna just an ordinary relic?

It's been a good class...I hope you all will stay in touch. May the Lord richly bless each and every one of you and your families during this Blessed celebration of the Birth of our Savior.

Mark

-- Anonymous, November 30, 1998


I really appreciated Brother Marks spiritual application. His point about God removing his provision was excellant. I don't have the answer on this question yet but I will know the answer someday. I, at first quickly decided we could rule out the possibliity that man (any man) removed it. We know that even a well meaning man died when he touched it. Then I realized that God instructed man to add the Golden censor, and Aaron's rod to the Ark. So apparently, God did allow man to touch it (in order to open it)under certain circumstances. We also know that under certain circumstances man was not even allowed to approach it such as when it was in the Holy of Holies. This leads me to think that under other circumstances and in obediance to God's instruction, a High Priest, properly covered by the blood did remove them and God has not revealed the act nor His purpose yet. Is it possible that His purpose is stated in the Bible but hidden to us? We clearly know this ---God did hide the Manna--- We will eat some of it some day. Please read Re 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth [it]. When The Lord saved me, the Pastor called me up by saying "Brother George come up here" and I thought Praise God I already have a new name (:>)

-- Anonymous, December 01, 1998

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