The Ark of Yahweh in Redemptive History

Book excerpt: The Ark of Yahweh in Redemptive History is an exegetical and theological study of the Ark of Yahweh throughout the Old Testament. The ark, which appears as the centerpiece of Israelite existence in Old Testament times, is widely understood as the unique symbol of God's special presence. Yet, this monograph is to underline that the ark functioned as a revelatory tool of Divine attributes, although many proposals on the function of the ark in the Old Testament have been presented: fetish-chest, bearer of God's image, a miniature temple, God's throne, footstool, a simple receptacle, a war-palladium, and spatial center of amphictyony. In particular, The Ark of Yahweh in Redemptive History shows that Yahweh led his people to faith using the sacred object in history and that the ark was, in the long run, a disposable object for the people of older covenant in the process of redemptive history.