The “Lost” Ark and the Mercy Seat – Part II

On Wednesday, we talked about the two elements that make up the Ark of the Covenant: the Ark or the box, and the lid or the Mercy Seat.

Today we’ll discuss a little of the background of the kings that were in place around the time the ark left Israel.

Kings Hezekiah and Manasseh

Hezekiah was one of the good kings of Israel. One of the things that characterizes the accounts of the different kings is that the Bible says whether they did evil or right in the sight of the Lord. Hezekiah was one that did right. We know that the ark and the mercy seat were in the Temple during Hezekiah’s reign. We can glean this from Hezekiah’s prayer to God:

Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God,  You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth.” –2 Kings 19:15.

The key phrase here is “above the cherubim.” Yesterday we described the mercy seat as having cherubim at each end and God would meet with the people from between the two cherubim.

Unfortunately, Hezekiah’s son, Manasseh–who succeeded him–was not like his father.

He did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord dispossessed before the sons of Israel. For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he erected altars for Baal and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel had done, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. He made his son pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and used divination, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord provoking Him to anger. Manasseh seduced them to do evil more than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the sons of Israel. –2 Kings 21:2-3, 6, 9. (Emphasis mine.)

Manasseh eventually repented of his sin. However, the Bible still records him as doing evil and does not look at him favorably. The bottom line, Manasseh was a very wicked king. Interesting to note, that when Manasseh became king, he was only twelve years old! He ruled until he was 67. For 55 years Israel lived through this wickedness.

King Josiah

Josiah was even younger than Manasseh when he became king: eight years old! He reigned until he was 39. The Bible says he did right in the sight of the Lord.

For in the eighth year of his reign while he was still a youth, he began to seek the God of his father David; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, the carved images and the molten images. –2 Chronicles 34:3.

This verse gives me much hope in teenagers. Josiah was 16 years old when he began to seek God. Four years later, when he was 20, he began to clean up the kingdom and rid it of all the evil of Manasseh. Parents of teenagers: there is hope!

Six years later, after clearing out everything, they started repairing the Temple. Josiah sends messengers to Hilkiah the high priest and delivers funds that had been collected to repair the Temple. In the process, Hilkiah finds the book of the law of the Lord that was given by Moses. He gives it to one of the messengers–Shaphan–who brings it back to Josiah. He gives Josiah a report of everything that’s being done at the Temple and then reads from the book of the law to Josiah.

It came about when the king heard the words of the law that he tore his clothes. Then the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying, “Go, inquire of the Lord for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book which has been found.” –2 Chronicles 34:19-21.

Josiah sends a dispatch of Hilkiah the high priest, Shaphan the scribe and his son Ahikam, Abdon, and Asaiah who is Josiah’s servant, to go and meet with God to inquire of what he is supposed to do now that Moses’ book of the law has been found. A good king will always send his priest–in this case, Hilkiah–to speak to God for counsel. Only the high priest had access to the Holy of Holies where the ark and mercy seat are. Remember, this is where God said he would meet with his people.

But watch what happens next!

Huldah the prophetess

So Hilkiah and those whom the king had told went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, the keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter); and they spoke to her regarding this. –2 Chronicles 34:22.

Where did this group go? Did they go to the ark and the mercy seat? No, they didn’t. Why?

She said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Tell the man who sent you to Me, thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am bringing evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the curses written in the book which they have read in the presence of the king of Judah. Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore My wrath will be poured out on this place and it shall not be quenched. But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus you will say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel regarding the words which you have heard, because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and against its inhabitants and because you humbled yourself before Me, tore your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you,” declares the Lord. “Behold, I will gather you to your fathers and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, so your eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring on this place and on its inhabitants.”‘” And they brought back word to the king. –2 Chronicles 34:23-28.

It’s a long passage, but it’s important to read it all for several reasons. The question was posed: why is the high priest and his group going to a prophetess and not the ark and mercy to speak to God? Is it possible that the ark and mercy seat are not around or not readily available to them? You might also say that they should not have gone to the prophetess. That is the reason for reading this very long passage. It’s clear that God is sending a message to Josiah through this prophetess. It also adds further evidence that the ark and mercy seat are not in the Temple at this point.

Still not convinced? Let’s look at what Josiah says a little later, after he receives the message.

He also said to the Levites who taught all Israel and who were holy to the Lord, “Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel built; it will be a burden on your shoulders no longer.” –2 Chronicles 35:3.

Why would Josiah give the command to put the ark in Temple? Because it wasn’t there up to this point! Where was it? You can glean from the last part of the verse that the Levites–the only group authorized by God to carry the ark–had been carrying it around for a while. Is it possible that the Levites–during the terrible reign of Manasseh–took the ark from the temple and hid it somewhere far away to protect it from Manasseh? What the text does not indicate is that the Levites followed Josiah’s order. It does not say that they actually returned the ark to the temple.

The death of Josiah

Josiah and all the people then celebrated a very special Passover. It was the first Passover celebrated according to what God commanded since the days of the Judges.

After all this, when Josiah had set the temple in order, Neco king of Egypt came up to make war at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to engage him. –2 Chronicles 35:20.

This is an odd passage if you are paying attention. It says that right after Josiah prepares the temple, he’s suddenly going out to make war with king Neco. Why?

But Neco sent messengers to him, saying, “What have we to do with each other, O King of Judah? I am not coming against you today but against the house with which I am at war, and God has ordered me to hurry. Stop for your own sake from interfering with God who is with me, that He may not destroy you.” –2 Chronicles 35:21.

Stunning! How many times have I read that passage before and never “got it.” King Neco is telling Josiah that he’s going to war with the Assyrians on God’s order!

However, Josiah would not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to make war with him; nor did he listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to make way on the plain of Megiddo. –2 Chronicles 35:22.

Josiah did not “listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God.” Is it possible that the ark had been hidden in Egypt by the Levites and in Neco’s possession? How else can you explain the Bible clearly saying that King Neco had orders “from the mouth of God?” Is Josiah going to battle with Neco because he knows Neco has the ark! How else do you explain Josiah going to war without apparent cause?

Good king Josiah is shot and killed by archers during the battle. I can’t help but think back on prophecy given by God to Huldah where God says that Josiah will be gathered to his fathers and “gathered to [his] grave in peace” so that he will not see God’s wrath poured out on his people. It was all part of God’s plan. You’d have assumed that Josiah would live to a ripe old age. Instead he was killed by an arrow at 39 years old.

What’s next?

The next post we’ll look at intriging passages from the Bible about Jesus’ Throne.

May He Increase!