5 Interesting Facts About The Ark of the Covenant

3. The 10 Commandments were Placed in the Ark of the Covenant

God told Moses to have the children of Israel place the 10 commandments inside the Ark of the Covenant, the same ten commandments that God spoke from the top of Mount Sinai. The Ten Commandments were actually two tables of stone that were given a second time and inscribed by the "finger of God." Moses broke the first set after the Israelites had built the golden calf while they were waiting for him to come down the mountain. The fact that the ten commandments were placed inside the Ark and covered from view by the Mercy Seat is significant because the 10 commandments make every man guilty of sin, and when the cherubim saw the blood upon the mercy seat judgement was stayed and mercy was granted. God's covenant with man required the blood of a substitute to cover man's sins every year until the sinless man Jesus came to cover every sin by offering himself as the final substitute. Later the Bible reveals that there were two more items placed inside the Ark: Aaron's rod that budded, and a golden pot of manna from their journey's in the wilderness. (See Ex. 25:16-21, Deut 31:26, Heb 9:4, and Rom 3:23-25)

Painting of Moses holding the Ten Commandments

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