#1542. PUT THE LAW IN THE ARK (1/7/26)

Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional (currently posted on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday) as we continue our series: I Will Dwell Among Them. 

Today, we reflect on the truth:

Putting the Law ( and later Aarons’s rod and the Manna)  into the ark recalled their past, so as to remind them to keep obeying and depending on God in the future.  

To watch this devotional, please select the link below:

In Exodus 25, they were told to only put the tablets of the Ten Commandments into the tabernacle.  Later, two additional items were placed before the Lord. Let’s look briefly at each element:

1. The tablets were to be put into the ark

The Commands that were stored inside the ark reminded them that they were to obey God -  this is what it meant to be His holy people.  To honour God’s presence and to act as His holy people meant to obey His Law. No amount of songs and ceremonies could make up for ignoring His voice!

Its true today, however slick, relevant, attractive our Christianity may be, if repentance and the pursuit of righteousness are not essential to us, we are not obeying the picture of the Tabernacle!

2. A jar of Manna was to be put into the ark (Exodus 16:32-34)

We are told:

This was to remind the people - from generation to generation of their history with God. The Manna, reminded them of their rebellion, but God’s provision and sustenance despite their rebellion. It was both a warning and a promise. 

3. Aaron's rod that budded was kept in the ark (Numbers 17:10)

Aaron’s rod that budded, kept within the ark, reminded Israel that God had chosen Aaron and his descendants for the priesthood and had vindicated that choice by a miraculous sign.

The miracle was that a dead piece of wood - a staff - produced buds, blossoms, and ripe almonds overnight. That supernatural life signified God’s appointment and approval of Aaron as high priest.

The staff reminded them that only the men that he appointed - the priests - could approach God’s holy presence. Israel, were carried into God’s presence by the priests - their names engraved on onyx stones on the shoulder of his garments, and represented by the twelve stones on his breast piece . Atonement was made for them by the priests. All this points to Christ our true and great high priest. The staff of Arron teaches us to make sure that we submit to the true high priest and make sure that you trust his offering for you! 

In summary, the Laws, Manna and rod, remind Israel of their history and who they were - they were a people who were to obey, rely upon God and seek to be right with God through priestly sacrifice. 

Response

Putting the Law ( and later Aarons’s rod and the Manna)  into the Ark recalled their past, so as to remind them to keep obeying and depending on God in the future. 

• As the Law was to be in the Ark, do we see that God has given us His Word and His will revealed in His word and it’s to be at the centre of who we are? 

• As the Manna reminded them of God’s gracious provision, do we see that Jesus is our Manna? He’s our ‘bread of life’! Despite our rebellion, God gave us life in His Son. 

• As they were reminded, by the staff, of their high priest, do we see that Jesus is our Great High Priest? Vindicated not by the budding of a rod, but by life from the dead. He’s our High priest to be obeyed, trusted and is our salvation! 

This year we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of CCP; to watch our anniversary video, please select the link below:

Community Group Study

(This week is ‘SIV’ (Serve, Invest and inVite) Week, so we’ll be focussing on this during our time together. 

1. Notices

It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News. 

2. Worship together

Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.

3. Study and pray together

(This week is ‘SIV’ (Serve, Invest and inVite) Week)

On Sunday, we continued our I WILL DWELL AMONG THEM series, reflecting on the significance of the Ark at the heart of God's Tabernacle. This week, as our Community Groups focus on our mission together, we'll remember that our calling is not simply to invite people to church, but to bring them into the holy presence of God, made available to us through Jesus Christ.

What is SIV? 

SIV stands for Serve, Invest and inVite. This is our very simple strategy to help bring our community to Jesus. We believe that God has placed us in relationships and in specific locations to be 'salt and light.' and to ‘fish for people’.  We can effectively bring people to Jesus by: 

• 'Serving' them - Demonstrating the love of Christ in practical ways; 

• 'Investing' - Investing in the ‘people of peace’ those whom we feel the Spirit is leading us. 

• 'Inviting' - Inviting them into our homes by showing hospitality and inviting them to church events, to Alpha, and ultimately, inviting them to come to Jesus through the gospel. 

In your groups: 

• Share stories – Have you had any recent opportunities to Serve, Invest in, or Invite someone toward Jesus? Let’s encourage one another by sharing stories of how we’ve seen God at work through simple faithfulness.

• Think about practical next steps – Who might God be placing on your heart at this time? Are there any “people of peace” (see note) in your life—those who seem open, welcoming, or receptive to spiritual conversation?

Pray together:

• Pray for courage, wisdom, and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit in our Serve, Invest, and Invite opportunities.

• Pray specifically for the ‘people of peace’ in our lives - that God would open hearts and deepen relationships.

• Pray for our Alpha ministry and Phil Mash who heads up this team 

• Pray for our mission in Roehampton - that He would lead us in reaching that community with the gospel. 

• General prayer: how do people want prayer at this time?