The story of the ark’s removal to Jerusalem is vintage Old Testament so far as most of us are concerned. It features a storm-and-battle God, fearful and yet rejoicing believers, and a great deal of religious uncertainty. Reading it from the vantage point of the latter years of the Twentieth Century, we are apt to question its relevance for our day. But let’s not write it off with undue haste. We are never quite as sophisticated as we think we are and, inversely, the pioneers of faith are never quite as simple-minded as we might be led to believe.
Some Background
The ark, you will recall, was a representation of the presence of God. Writes Norman Gottwald, “The ark was a portable box, probably representing an imageless throne. It accompanied the Hebrews in their wanderings and went with the…