Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. Hebrews 9:1-4

In Genesis, God used verbal agreements between parties. Sometimes the person created a monument of rocks to symbolize that covenant.

In Exodus, God created an ark (a cabinet that carried other things, like Noah’s ark carried people and animals) to hold a jar of manna, Aaron’s staff and the 10 Commandments. The ark was a reminder of the things God had done to carry out the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses. Each item represented important aspects of that agreement.

• Aaron’s staff – God told Aaron to lift the staff to initiate the plagues. In Numbers 17, the staff sprouted miraculously. The staff showed the importance of God’s leadership and his power through miracles.
• Manna – the miracle bread that fell from the sky which God served to the Israelites in the desert. It reminds us that God will provide. He is the bread of eternal life.
• 10 Commandments – the laws of righteous living. We must be obedient to the King of Kings.

Leadership, provision and obedience are necessary when we follow God in this world. God wanted those reminders inside the Ark so Israel would never forget how they got to be who they are.