On Sunday mornings this autumn we have been learning about the Ark of the Covenant.

God told Moses to make a very special box – the Ark of the Covenant. It would be a sign that God was with his people.

The Ark was built out of wooden boards and covered inside and out with gold.

On the top was a solid gold lid, decorated with two golden angels called cherubim. The lid was called the ‘atonement cover’ or ‘mercy seat’. When the high priest had sacrificed animals on the Day of Atonement he would sprinkle some of the blood on the atonement cover. This was a sign that God would forgive the people’s sins.

We don’t have the Ark of the Covenant anymore. It was lost more than 2,500 years ago, when Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed.

But we don’t need the Ark of the Covenant anymore! It was only ever a sign; it pointed to the Lord Jesus who is called Immanuel, which means ‘God with us’. Jesus promised his disciples, ‘I am with you always’ (Matthew 28:20).

We don’t need to have animal’s blood sprinkled on the atonement cover anymore. Jesus is the one who died on the cross to ‘atone’ for our sins. When we put our trust in him, our sins are forgiven completely and forever.

You can read much more about the Ark of the Covenant in Exodus 25:10-22 & 37:1-9.

You can download this activity sheet and learn more about it.