A picture of forgiveness

I just have to share what I learned in Sunday School yesterday! In a previous post, I wrote about forgiveness after reading the book Amish Grace. God is still teaching me more on this subject! Yesterday, in Sunday School, I learned for the very first time the significance of the items in the ark of the covenant and how that was a picture of God's forgiveness through the covering of Christ's blood.

Hebrews 9:4 mentions the items in the ark of the covenant: the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. Have you ever wondered why those items were chosen?

This past year, in our Tapestry of Grace Year 1, my children and I learned about the ark of the covenant. Yet I never thought deeply about the contents! First,the jar of manna... God's provision for a complaining and grumbling people. It was the perfect food for them, yet they were discontent. Aaron's staff that budded....Numbers 17 tells the story about Aaron's budding staff. God had told Moses to get twelve staffs, on from each tribe. The staff belonging to the man He chose would sprout to "rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites" said the Lord. The next day, they saw that Aaron's staff had sprouted, budded, blossomed and produced almonds! Numbers 17:10 says, "The Lord said to Moses, 'Put back Aaron's staff in front of the Testimony, to be kept as a sign to the rebelious. This will put an end to their grumbling against me, so that they will not die.'" This was a picture of God's loving heart acting in mercy to His people to keep them from sinning with their grumbling. And lastly, the stone tablets.... Dueteronomy 10 tells us about these tablets. They were not the original ones - those were broken when Moses threw them down after seeing the people with their golden calf. God replaced the tablets and they were to be put in the ark.

Each of these items illustrate sin against God by His people. Yet, they each also show God's mercy and grace. The provision of manna, the guarding from sin, the replacement of the tablets help us to see His love despite the failures. These items, reminding the people of their sin were hidden inside the ark of the covenant.

Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would come and sprinkle blood on the lid of the ark with a branch from the hyssop plant. The ark represented the sins of the people and the sacrificial blood was to purify from sin. David wrote in Psalm 51 verse 7 "Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." The fulfillment of this was later when Jesus offered His blood for our sins. What a loving, forgiving and gracious God we have! He never overlooks our sin, yet He provides a way for us to be made clean and forgiven.

This picture of God's forgiveness in the ark was a whole new concept for me. I thought it was just too good and exciting to not write about! I hope it was a blessing for you as well.