The Ark
You don’t have to be a detective to spot a discrepancy between the basic description of the Ark and the luxury surrounding it, nor to ask how slaves in the wilderness could produce such expensive gifts, nor how the curtains could work in the open air and on the move. Here are two worlds which helps to explain the confusing terminology (Ark, Tent of Meeting, Tabernacle) subsequently.
Originally a simple box that contained the Ten Commandments (Deut 10:1), the theological significance of the Ark varied over the years. In Numbers, it is a sign of the divine presence on the battlefield; in Shiloh, a symbol of the invisible God, and in Jerusalem God’s ‘throne’, a salutary reminder of how Focal Points may remain substantially the same but be differently interpreted, depending on time, place and circumstance.
One thing, however, is constant. The Ark is the Focal Point where God meets his people and where his people turn to meet him. Details of how it works are in short supply and not surprisingly it would be different in post-exilic Judaism from what it was in the wilderness as each generation has to find its own way of exploring that experience and the nature of its tangible expression, be it Ark, Tent of Meeting, Tabernacle, or whatever.
The second ‘constant‘ is that continuing those traditions still calls for personal sacrifice and commitment. Its very existence and maintenance depends on the willingness of the faithful to give it top priority with sacrificial giving of their most valued possessions. Meeting with God does not come cheap, and the cost is not simply money. Surrendering treasured possessions, traditions and convictions is painful, and reaching understanding and a common mind in any community can be a long haul.
Success depends on people recognising that Focal Point and contributing to it. Our gifts are crucial and the test is not what faith does for us, as if meeting with God was collecting ‘the goodies’, but what our gifts contribute to God’s Covenant of unconditional outgoing love awaiting response. Such a Focal Point is treasured not for itself but solely for meeting with God and derives some benefit from its mobility and flexibility. Prayer & Reflection