Don’t Look Inside The Ark

1 John 2:2 - And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.In the movie, Raiders Of The Lost Ark, the people who tried 2 look inside the ark were struck dead. What was inside the ark that brought judgment 2 those who looked into it?

The Bible tells us that the ark held the two tablets of the Ten Commandments, the pot of manna and Aaron’s rod. (Hebrews 9:4) These items were tokens of man’s rebellion. The two tablets of the Ten Commandments represented man’s rejection of God’s standards. The manna represented man’s rejection of God’s provision, and Aaron’s rod, man’s rejection of God’s appointed priesthood.

God did not want 2 look at these tokens of rebellion. He wanted 2b merciful 2 His people, so He instructed them 2 place the items in the ark and 2 cover the ark with its mercy seat, which is also the place where the blood of the animal sacrifices was sprinkled.

Once a year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies 2 sprinkle on the mercy seat the blood of the animal that had been sacrificed. The two cherubim on the mercy seat stood as guardians of God’s righteousness and holiness.

Representing God’s eyes too, they looked at the blood on the mercy seat. As long as the blood was there, the entire nation of Israel was forgiven. God’s judgment passed over them and they were blessed for another year. (Leviticus 16)

Today, the blood sprinkled on the mercy seat is not the blood of bulls and goats, but the precious, eternal blood of the Son of God! (Hebrews 9:12) Jesus is our “mercy seat” for “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world”. The word “propitiation” in the original Greek text is the same word as “mercy seat”. (Romans 3:25, Hebrews 9:5)

Beloved, God does not see your sins and count them against u bcoz He sees His Son’s blood. He sees His Son’s perfect work that has more than satisfied Him. God does not want u 2 see your sins either. He does not want u 2 look inside the ark by focusing on your sins. He wants u 2 focus on Christ and His finished work!

Beat The Odds With The Favor Of God

Ruth 2:2 - So Ruth the Moabitess said 2 Naomi, “Please let me go 2 the field, and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor.” And she said 2 her, “Go, my daughter.”

Do u look at yourself and see only lack in the natural? Do u say, “I don’t have a good education”, “I am poor”, “I am too old” or “I am a divorcee”? I have good news for u. As a blood-bought believer and child of God, u have the supernatural favor of God! 

In the Bible, Ruth was a poor Moabite widow who went with her mother-in-law 2 live in Bethlehem, a Jewish town where the inhabitants considered Moabites outcasts. But she did not wallow in self-pity and moan about being a poor widow of the wrong race in the wrong place. Instead, she believed that God would favor her and she declared, “I will find favor in the field that I glean from.” 

In the natural, Ruth had everything going against her. But bcoz she trusted in the favor of God, she not only became the wife of Bethlehem’s richest man when Boaz married her, she also became the great-grandmother of David and had her name included in the genealogy of Jesus Christ even though she was not a Jewess! That is what God’s supernatural favor did for her. That is the kind of blessing God’s supernatural favor can give u. 

A church member shared how, due 2 unforeseen circumstances, she was late for a job interview. But she confessed God’s favor on herself b4 the interview and miraculously, the interviewers shortlisted her for a 2nd interview. 

There were about 40 other applicants with the right experience. And though she lacked the relevant experience, by the favor of God, she got the job which came with better pay and a car allowance that fully subsidized her car loan. Her new company was even willing 2 pay for her petrol and cell phone expenses — all bcoz she believed and confessed that she had the favor of God! 

Do not look at what u do not have in the natural and see lack. Trust in the favor of God and u will see blessings which your natural abilities cannot bring!