THE ARK
Joshua 3:14-17; 1 Chronicles 13:1-4;7-12; 15:2,14,15
I had an impression about the ark, beloved brethren, and I have been encouraged by our brother’s word. We know that the ark is a type of the Lord Jesus. The acacia wood, which is durable, points to the life of the Lord Jesus when He was down here. Then we have the gold, which would relate to the glory and divinity of His person. As we have heard, we can behold His glory and we can take it on. We read here how the ark went into the Jordan. The waters stood and rose up in a heap; it speaks of the power of the Lord Jesus when He went into death. I was thinking especially of those who carried the ark. They were in accord with the movements of the ark because it was carried by being placed upon their shoulders. That is what we read of in 1 Chronicles 15, and so the Levites who carried the ark had to move together in unity. It was not possible that one would walk to the left and another to the right, or that one would walk faster than another one. They were all united by carrying the ark. I was thinking that we all should be Levites1, able to carry the testimony through. This is only possible if we are united, and that is by being in accord with the movements of the ark.
We cannot introduce any new ideas. That was why I read the passage in 1 Chronicles 13. We find there that there was a desire with David and all the people to bring back the ark, and it was a right desire. Often we might have a right desire, but then we come short in working it out. I think God greatly appreciated this desire of David’s to fetch the ark and have it among the people, the ark pointing to the glory of the Lord Jesus. The ark was to be carried on the shoulders of the bearers, who were to be identified with its glory by having it on their shoulders. They were to be subject to its movements; they were led by the ark. But then in working out the desire to bring it back, there was failure with David. The ark was put on this cart, but we see here that God was not in agreement with the way they were doing this. So we see how this breach came about and how Uzza died. In verse 12 it says that David was afraid of God and said: “How shall I bring the ark of God to me?”.
But then we see in chapter 15 that David was recovered; “Then David said, None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites, for them has Jehovah chosen to carry the ark of God, and to serve him for ever”. I believe he was recovered to the original thought of God, and we see how David was now able to bring back the ark of God. I thought that we should all have a greater impression of the Lord Jesus, of the way in which He moved down here and of the life which He led – how perfect it was! We should be impressed by the glory of His person. We should as it were bear Him upon our shoulders, as it says in verse 15 “the Levites bore the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves upon them”. How can we be preserved if we do not proceed according to the thoughts of God? It says here at the end of the verse: “as Moses had commanded according to the word of Jehovah”. We should not consider these things to be unimportant. As we already heard in our brother's word, we should contemplate the Lord's glory and we should take it on. The ark was a rectangular chest, and there were the four rings on it into which the staves went. I do not want to read too much into this, but we have often seen how the number four has been connected with what is universal. I thought about the unity which should be seen amongst the saints. It can only be so if the ark has its proper place, if we carry it on our shoulders and are guided by its movements. When the ark went into Jordan, the waters rose up in a heap; the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan and the people of Israel went over the Jordan. They speak of persons who can behold the glory of the Lord.
May we behold the glory of the Lord more and take it on. May we give the Lord Jesus His due place and be subject to Him as He is in the midst and we are led by Him. The ark, speaking of the Lord Jesus Himself, is what leads us and unites us. May we be encouraged, and may the Lord bless the word.
Word in meeting for ministry, Bad Endbach, Germany
7 October 2014
U. Pfeiffer
EXTRACT (Cont’d)
… In Luke 23 is established the great fact, that by the death of Christ you pass from the deepest darkness to the brightest place … [The thief’s] death did not entitle him to enter Paradise. It was Christ's death that obtained it for him ...
… The thief on the cross entered into Paradise, and his own death had divested him of the encumbrance of the old man in a moment. We are not free of the encumbrance as he was; he was free because he died. So the apostle says, "if indeed our outward man is consumed, yet the inward is renewed day by day" (2 Cor.4:16). Look at a saint dying and going to heaven; he gets brighter and brighter because the encumbrance is getting weaker. I say the thief went to Paradise, and that he was free from encumbrance, because he could not carry a bit of the old man into that place …
… The prodigal son entering the Father's house shows out the nature of our salvation. It is not simply for my benefit that I am there, but God has a delight in having me there … Love delights to have me in its company. If man's need were the measure of Christ's work, human joys would suffice; but, when divine love is the measure, the Father's house and the joys there are alone sufficient. It is the Father's pleasure that His house should be filled,