THE ARK OF THE COVENANT (SHEMOT 25:10-22)

10 And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
11 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.
12 And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.
13 And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
14 And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.
15 The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.
16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.
17 And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
18 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
19 And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.
20 And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.
21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.
22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel. (Exodus 25:10-22)

10 And they shall make an ark - all Israel was to do an ark.

 

"... Why is the third person plural - they shall make - used here instead of the usual second person singular: you? R. Judah stated in the name of R. Shalom: Let all come and occupy themselves with the ark so that they should all qualify for the Torah.

Rambam explains R. Judah's statement to imply that all the Israelites should participate in the construction of the ark because of its supremely sacred role in housing the tablets of the Law, by donating articles of gold for it or helping Bezalel a little or directing their minds to it." (Commentaries by Nehama Leibovitz to Torah http://www.jafi.org.il/education/torani/NEHAMA/teruma.html)

4 To Whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Yeshua Messiah (Jesus Christ). (1 Peter 2:4-5) 

of shittim wood - «The boards for the Mishkan were made from shittim-wood, from a tree that does not bear fruit; thereby man is taught the virtue of economy: he should not waste anything of greater value when the same can be obtained by using articles of lesser value. Even the Mishkan was not to be made out of fruit-trees, since it could be made equally as effective out of trees bearing no fruit.» (Midrash Tanhuma http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/mhl/mhl04.htm)

two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof - about 1,5 ì * 0,9 ì * 0,9 ì

11 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold - here is a hint to all believers in Yeshua (Jesus) who need to have the faith in their acts (but not in the beautiful words only)

15 The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it - "Kli Yakar regards the permanent attachment of the poles to the ark as symbolic of the unbreakable links between Israel and the Torah. The poles perpetually fixed in the rings of the holy ark embodies the principle formulated by Isaiah (59, 21) that: My spirit...and My words shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants...from henceforth and forever or by Joshua (1, 8): this book of the law shall not move from your mouth." (Commentaries by Nehama Leibovitz to Torah http://www.jafi.org.il/education/torani/NEHAMA/teruma.html)


21 As for Me, this is My covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and My words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever. (Isaiah 59:21)

8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. (Joshua 1:8)

17  And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold - Commentators write it is possible that a mercy seat symbolizes the throne of God.

In Hebrew the name of a mercy seat is "kaporet" (from the verb "kaphar" -  to cover (the sins), clean, to redeem).
 
14 And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.
15 Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:
16 And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness. (Lev. 16:14-16)

Messiah Yeshua is our KAPORAH, our PROPITIATION, our ATONEMENT.
 
2 And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)

24 Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus):
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; (Rom. 3:24-25)

20 And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high - the cherubims symbolize the protection of angels

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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