Sermon ReCap+ May 4, 2025

The Bible teaches that all Scripture is beneficial for teaching, rebuking, encouraging, and transforming our lives. Scripture isn't just meant to help us know more about God, but to truly know God Himself. There's a profound difference between these two purposes.

What Was the Ark of the Covenant?

In Exodus 25:10-22, we find detailed instructions for building the Ark of the Covenant. Though these measurements and specifications might seem tedious to modern readers, they reveal something profound about God's character:

"They shall make an ark of acacia wood. It shall be two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. You shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and outside you shall overlay it, and you shall make a molding of gold upon it all around."

The Ark was essentially a holy container - a sacred "luggage" for the Israelites to carry on their journey. But what made it special wasn't just its gold overlay or precise dimensions - it was what it contained and represented.

What Was Inside the Ark of the Covenant?

According to Hebrews 9:4, the Ark contained three sacred items:

• A golden urn holding manna

• Aaron's rod that budded

• The tablets of the covenant (the Ten Commandments)

These holy objects were carried before the people of Israel, representing God's presence and promises. The Mercy Seat: Where God Met His People, The lid of the Ark was called the "mercy seat," made of pure gold with two cherubim (angelic messengers) facing each other with wings spread above: "The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings. They shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be turned toward the mercy seat."

Most importantly, God declared in Exodus 25:22: "There I will meet with you. And from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim on the Ark of the Covenant, I will deliver to you all my commandments."

Why Did God Put Himself in a Box?

The most remarkable aspect of the Ark is what it reveals about God's character. The all-powerful, omnipresent Creator of the universe voluntarily limited Himself to a specific location for the benefit of His people.

God, who has the ability to be anywhere at any moment, decided to put Himself in a "bite-sized form" that people could carry as they walked. This was an act of divine humility and accommodation.

God's Pattern of Making Himself Accessible

This pattern of God making Himself accessible continues throughout Scripture:

• First, God placed His presence in the Ark of the Covenant

• Then, God sent Jesus as the ultimate "Ark" - God in human form

• Finally, at Pentecost, God placed His Spirit within believers themselves

Each step represents God's willingness to humble Himself for our benefit - like a parent cutting a fine steak into tiny pieces for a child and "baptizing it in ketchup." The parent ruins the steak, but doesn't care because it's for their beloved child.

Why We Complicate What God Makes Simple

In 2 Kings 5, we see the story of Naaman, a successful warrior with leprosy. The prophet Elisha sent a messenger telling him: "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean."

Naaman's response? Outrage. He expected something more complicated, more impressive. "Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?"

Thankfully, his servants reasoned with him: "Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more when all he said to you was, 'Wash and be clean.'" Naaman finally obeyed and was healed.

We often make things complicated when God makes them simple. We prefer complexity, perhaps because it makes us feel like we're doing something significant. God accommodates this human tendency by giving us structures and rituals, not because He needs them, but because we do.

God's Invitation Without Force

God could force us to obey Him at any moment, but that's not how He operates. There's no scripture where God forces someone to do something against their will. Even in the story of Abraham and Isaac, God stopped Abraham before he sacrificed his son, providing a ram instead.

God continues to make Himself accessible in "bite-sized" forms:

• "The body of Christ broken for you"

• "A new covenant of salvation sealed with my blood, which is shed for you"

God does the impossible and unthinkable so that the impossible becomes possible for us.

Life Application

God goes to extraordinary lengths to make Himself accessible to us. He doesn't need to humble Himself or limit His presence to specific places or forms, but He does it for our benefit - so we can know Him personally, not just know about Him.

This week, consider these questions:

1. Where am I making my relationship with God more complicated than it needs to be?

2. How have I experienced God's presence in "bite-sized" forms that I can understand and relate to?

3. In what ways am I resisting God's simple instructions, like Naaman initially did?

4. How can I better appreciate and respond to God's willingness to meet me where I am?

Remember, when God blesses the world, He doesn't just bless the church - He blesses everyone. When you participate in that blessing, it might get messy, but that's part of the process. Don't be afraid to participate. As the sermon concluded, "You might get splashed with blessings. Good."