Lessons from the Arc

I was asked to do the message at our church this past weekend.  During the week, we all stood in awe as a huge swiveling tractor-like piece of equipment rolled into town and took out the school's cement/stone wall in order to widen the road they are building.  The wall fell over like those cardboard bricks they made for kids years ago.  It got me thinking about the wall of Jericho.  I read the story again and ended up back in Numbers where God instructed the people how to move with the Arc and how to camp with it.  The Arc is a picture of Jesus Christ.  It was wood (man) and gold (God) at the same time.  It was of primary importance, but not seen.  Whether the people were moving around in the desert or camping, the Arc was central.  When they moved, six tribes went in front of the Arc and six tribes remained behind it.  When they camped, three tribes camped on each of the four sides of the tabernacle where the Arc was placed.  Christ was central whether they were 'at home' or 'in the street'.  The Old Testament is full of pictures of Christ.  They are fascinating and convict me of the fact that the folks who wrote down those stories MUST have had help.  Glory to God.  How could they have possible known that they things they wrote about were to take on new meanings thousands of years later.   Our God is an awesome God.  He reigns!!

AND THEN!!!   AND THEN!!!   There's the story of crossing the Jordan River.  After years of being in the middle...always in the middle, the Arc comes forward and the priests stand in the edges of the river with it.  The river dries up and the people all cross without getting wet.  The Arc (Christ) went first into the river (death) so that the people could cross without getting wet (dieing).  Christ took the sting out of death by going there first.    Oh, my!