1 Come now, you rich people, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you.2 Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten.3 Your gold and your silver have corroded, and their corrosion will serve as a testimony against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!
James 5:1-3
Do not trust in wealth. That sentiment is clearly stated at the beginning of James 5. And the teaching is strong and forceful.
Do not trust in wealth. Money is uncertain. Finances can be gained and can also be lost. A portfolio can grow and expand, or, it can contract and lose value very quickly. Do not trust in these earthly things because they can let you down.
Do not trust in wealth, dear Christian. Trust in the Lord. God is your supply, your provision and your source.
In Exodus 25, God commanded the people of Israel to build what would be known as the ark of covenant. It was an ornate chest that symbolized the greatness and might of God. This “ark of the covenant” is featured prominently in Israel’s history at different points in the Old Testament.
The ark still teaches us much today even though we are no longer under the law. It still has meaning and teaches us principles for our time. An examination of these principles will follow.
First, the ark symbolized the purity of God. The ark was to be overlaid with pure gold inside and out. (Exodus 25:11) The purity of God would be memorialized through the purity of the gold. God is pure and holy and the ark would serve as a reminder of that fact.
Second, the ark symbolized the presence of God. The ark would dwell in the most holy place of the tabernacle and later in the same place in the temple. (Exodus 40:20-21) It would remain as a perpetual illustration to remind the people that God was with them. They would be His people and He would be there God.
Also, the ark symbolized the purposes of God. The ark would serve as an illustration of the covenant of God with His people. The mercy seat or “atonement cover” was placed on the top of the ark and there the High Priest would place the blood of the sacrifice to atone for the sins of the people. (Leviticus 16:14) The mercy of God would be found through the sacrifices remunerated each year on the Day of Atonement.
What does this mean for Believers today? We need to be in awe of the purity of God. In a world that is filled with impurity, God’s purity shines forth like the sun.
We should realize that God dwells with us as well. He indwells us through the power of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 3:16) We no longer look to an object because He is with us at all times.
Finally, the ark instructs us about Jesus. It is through the blood of Jesus that our sins are ultimately removed and we are forgiven. (Hebrews 10) His sacrifice was accepted and fulfilled the entirety of the law for us.
As Paul says “but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57) Be blessed today!
mrtonyfrench 