LESSON THIRTY-FIVE

THE ARK SEPARATED
FROM THE TABERNACLE

OUTLINE

1. The Ark separated from the tabernacle:
   1. Typifying Christ leaving the formal church.
   2. Christ and the church being one and inseparable.
   3. The church losing the presence of Christ because of her degradation.
   4. The Roman Catholic Church and Protestant denominations having an outward form without the inward reality of Christ.
2. The Ark staying in the houses of two persons—Abinadab and Obed-edom:
   1. Typifying Christ being with the believers individually.
   2. Christ’s presence with the believers.
   3. Christ’s presence with the believers being movable.
   4. The believers not to be satisfied with Christ’s presence with individuals.
3. The Ark entering the Holy of Holies in the temple:
   1. Typifying Christ’s obtaining the builded church as His dwelling place.
   2. The believers being built up as the dwelling place of God.

TEXT

The tabernacle as God’s dwelling place on earth typifies the church; the Ark as God’s testimony on earth typifies Christ. According to God’s arrangement, the Ark was placed in the Holy of Holies within the tabernacle. After the children of Israel entered into the good land, because of the deterioration of the house of Aaron the priest, they presumptuously removed the Ark from the tabernacle to help them in their fighting, and the Ark was captured by the Philistines (1 Sam. 4:3-11). Later the Philistines returned the Ark to the children of Israel, and it was taken by the men of Kiriath-jearim and brought to the house of Abinadab (6:8; 7:1-2). Then it was taken by David from the house of Abinadab and put in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. Later David removed the Ark and carried it from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David (2 Sam. 6:2-3, 10-12). During this time, however, the tabernacle remained in Shiloh (Josh. 18:1). During Saul’s time, the tabernacle was in Nob (1 Sam. 21:1; cf. Mark 2:26), and later, during the time of King David and King Solomon, it was in Gibeon (1 Chron. 16:39; 21:29). Thus, the Ark was separated from the tabernacle until the building of the temple was completed. Then it was moved into the Holy of Holies in the temple (1 Kings 8:1-11).