Our death and resurrection in and with Christ can be described easily in a few words. But the actual experiencing of the transition from self life to Divine Life consists of a prolonged series of trials. Our patience and faith are severely tested. Sometimes a considerable period of time goes by before God brings to our attention the exceedingly great wisdom of His strategies in our life.

If we are willing to remain under the hand of God during times of trial and suffering, God's wisdom and power will be revealed in our life and the complete victory will come in precise timing. If we reassert our own wisdom and desires, God may draw back for a season and teach us the same lessons in a different situation.

The beautiful Veil that represents the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the supreme example of the kind of victory through death we have just mentioned, represents also our own death in the Lord. The Veil is our death.

It is only in our death that we will be able, through the Holy Spirit, to conquer the enemies who at the present time are living in our land of promise. Self must wither and die and Christ must be formed in us, if we are to enter the rest of God.

Our land of promise consists of all the promises of God to us. Chief among these promises is that we are being made a royal priesthood to God and that we shall serve God throughout His creation forever. Because of the directive of the Father, Christ will receive the nations for His inheritance and the farthest reaches of the earth for His possession. We Christians are coheirs with Him.

The Ark of the Covenant

And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. (Exodus 25:10)

The Ark of the Covenant was located in the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle of the Congregation. It was a chest made of acacia wood. Using our equivalent of eighteen inches per cubit the Ark was three feet nine inches wide, two feet three inches deep, and two feet three inches high. It was covered inside and outside with refined gold.

Inside the Ark of the Covenant were placed the "testimony," the two tables of stone containing the Ten Commandments. The Ark contained also a memorial jar of manna and Aaron's rod that budded. By the side of the Ark there was a copy of the writings of Moses (Deuteronomy 31:26).

It is important to note that the carrying poles always remained in the receptacles on the sides of the Ark. When the Ark was placed in Solomon's Temple (II Chronicles 5:9) it seems that the poles were partially drawn out so the little Ark of the Covenant could be noticed in the midst of the elaborate cherubim that Solomon made.

Then, as the anointed priest went into the Holy of Holies of Solomon's Temple on the Day of Atonement, the extended poles would guide him to the Mercy Seat. It was dark in the Holy of Holies except when God chose to brighten it with His Glory.

The poles remained in the Ark. The Ark is always ready to move on. The saint is always to be pressing on toward the fullness of God's Glory in Christ.

To be continued.