Ark
-means “box, chest, coffin”
-used for “coffin” for Joseph (Gen 50:26) and used as a “collection box” of King Joash (2 Kings 12:9-10).
-instructions to build it were given to Moses on his first ascension up Sinai that was 40 days.
-“Song of the Ark” (Numb 10:35-36)
Summary of the travels of the Ark
-After the conquest, it was variously located at Gilgal, Shechem (Josh. 8:30–35; Deut. 11:26–32; 27:1–26), or Bethel (Judg. 20:26, Judges 20:18, ), and Mizpah (Judges 20:1) , wherever the people of the Israel were gathered for worship. (The verses in Judges refer to a place where the LORD was enquired, which goes back and forth between Bethel and Mizpaph (in Judges 20), while at the same time they say God is at Shiloh (Judges 21:19)
-Finally, it was permanently located at Shiloh, where a “temple” was built to house it (1 Sam. 1:9; 3:3).11 M. Pierce Matheney Jr., “Ark of the Covenant,” ed. Chad Brand et al., Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), 113.
-Ark taken by the Philistines in 1 Sam 4 for 7 months (1 Sam 6:1).
-When ark was taken into battle, tabernacle and altar were left in Shiloh. This is possibly when Shiloh destroyed. Tabernacle and altar moved to Gibeon at this time?
-Returned to Beth Shemesh until 70 men were killed for looking upon it.
-carried to Kiriath-jearim where it remained about 20 years and then some. (1 Sam 6:18-7:2) (see notes below regarding the 20 years.)
-Obed-Edom’s house for 3 months (2 Sam 6:10-11).
-placed in David’s tent (2 Sam 6:12-13, 1 Chron 15 and 16)
-placed in Solomon’s temple
-unknown when the ark was removed and to where since then.
Summary of travels of Moses’ tabernacle/altar
-containing the ark at Gilgal (during Josh’s conquests), Bethel, Mizpah, Shechem, and finally at Shiloh.
-ark removed from tabernacle for battle at Shiloh. Tabernacle and altar remain.
-at some point tabernacle and altar move to Gibeon (2 Chron 1:3-6; 1 Chron 16:39; 1 Chron 17:5; 1 Chron 21:29)
-tabernacle and altar are brought to the temple where they rejoin the ark (1 Kings 8:4; 2 Chron 5:5).
Questions
-how was the ark taken into battle during the judges and conquests when that would involve entering the Holy of Holies? -Unless the tabernacle was taken down around it as if it were being moved like in the wilderness, and the whole thing carried about.
-what happens to David’s tabernacle? And why wasn’t the temple kept open like David’s tent but instead made to be like Moses’ tabernacle?
In Kiriath-Jearim 20 years?
It appears that the ark was here for 20 years before Samuel called for a revival. Then, of course, it was there longer (for the rest of Samuel’s life, including all of Saul’s reign and some of David’s)