We all know God instructed Moses to build the Ark of the Covenant–the symbol of God’s presence among the people of ancient Israel. Moses built the Ark, but somewhere in history, it disappeared. Ever since, people have speculated on where the ark is today. Some speculate that the Egyptian Pharaoh Shishak took it in 925 B.C. Some say it is shut up in a cave on Mt Nebo in Jordan. Some say it is buried underneath the Temple mount. Ethiopians say it is in their country. Most of these theories seem to ignore what Jeremiah wrote about the need for the Ark in the future. In Jeremiah 3:16, the prophet said in the future, worship of God would need no visible aids such as the Ark. He wrote, “You will no longer wish for the good old days when you possessed the Ark of the LORD’S Covenant.There will be no need to rebuild the Ark.” Worship is as Jesus told the Woman of Samaria– the place of worship is irrelevant. God looks for people who worship Him in Spirit and in truth. Jeremiah called the people of his day to repent of their sins. If they did so, God would be merciful to forgive their sins and heal their land. Today, God still calls people to repent of their sins, to accept His Son as their Savior. Many religions offer people a way to feel good, but God’s Son paid our sin debt; He offers to forgive our sins and restore us to a right relationship with God—the One who created us and holds our destiny.
