What Is Inside the Ark of the Covenant?
1. The Significance of the Ark of the Covenant
The ark of the covenant was the most sacred object in Israel’s worship. Constructed under Moses’ leadership according to God’s instructions (Exodus 25:10–22), it was a wooden chest overlaid with gold, placed in the Holy of Holies of the tabernacle and later the temple.
The ark represented God’s throne on earth, the place where His presence dwelled among His people. The mercy seat, the cover of the ark, was where blood was sprinkled on the Day of Atonement for the forgiveness of sins (Leviticus 16:14–15).
What made the ark holy, however, was not only God’s presence above it but also its contents, which bore witness to His covenant with Israel.
2. The Stone Tablets of the Covenant
The most foundational contents of the ark were the two stone tablets, inscribed with the Ten Commandments.
God commanded Moses: “You shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you” (Exodus 25:16).
These tablets represented the covenant relationship between God and His people.
They testified to God’s holiness and Israel’s obligation to live in obedience.
The presence of the tablets inside the ark showed that God’s covenant was at the center of Israel’s worship. Later, 1 Kings 8:9 records that by Solomon’s time, only the tablets remained inside the ark, highlighting their enduring centrality.
3. The Golden Jar of Manna
Hebrews 9:4 lists a golden jar of manna among the ark’s contents. This preserved sample of the miraculous bread served several purposes:
Reminder of God’s provision – manna sustained Israel throughout the wilderness (Exodus 16:32–34).
Symbol of dependence – it testified that life came by God’s word, not human effort (Deuteronomy 8:3).
Foreshadowing of Christ – Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35).
The manna pointed beyond itself, showing that God alone provides life, ultimately fulfilled in Christ, the true bread from heaven.
4. Aaron’s Staff That Budded
Another item identified in Hebrews 9:4 is Aaron’s staff, which miraculously budded during Israel’s rebellion (Numbers 17:8–10). God commanded it be kept “before the testimony” as a permanent sign of His chosen priesthood.
The budding of the dead staff demonstrated God’s power to give life.
It confirmed Aaron’s divinely appointed role as high priest.
It foreshadowed Christ, the eternal High Priest who intercedes for His people (Hebrews 7:23–25).
Aaron’s staff symbolized both God’s authority and His provision of a mediator for His people.
5. Variations in the Ark’s Contents
The Bible records differences in what was inside the ark at various times:
During the wilderness period, it contained the tablets, manna, and Aaron’s staff (Hebrews 9:4).
By Solomon’s temple dedication, “there was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone” (1 Kings 8:9).
Scholars suggest the manna and staff may have been removed or lost, or perhaps placed beside the ark (cf. Exodus 16:33–34; Numbers 17:10). This change reflects stages in Israel’s spiritual journey: God’s provision in the wilderness gave way to covenant permanence in the land.
6. The Ark and God’s Presence
The ark’s significance was not only in what it contained but in what it symbolized.
The ark represented God’s throne among His people (1 Samuel 4:4).
The tablets inside showed His covenant law.
The manna and staff pointed to His provision and priestly authority.
Altogether, the ark embodied God’s kingship, His covenant, and His presence—a reality fulfilled in Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, “God with us.”
7. The Ark and the Gospel Fulfillment
The ark of the covenant pointed forward to the Gospel in several ways:
Christ as the Word – just as the tablets held God’s law, Christ embodies and fulfills it perfectly (Matthew 5:17).
Christ as the Bread of Life – the manna foreshadowed His provision of eternal life (John 6:51).
Christ as High Priest – Aaron’s staff anticipated His everlasting priesthood (Hebrews 7:24).
Christ as the Mercy Seat – His sacrifice is the true atonement (Romans 3:25).
The ark was never an end in itself but a shadow of the greater reality. In Christ, the contents of the ark find their ultimate fulfillment.
Conclusion
The ark of the covenant contained symbols of God’s law, provision, and priesthood: the stone tablets, the golden jar of manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded. These items told Israel’s story and testified to God’s presence among them.
While the ark itself has long vanished from history, its meaning remains central. Each element points to Christ—the Word made flesh, the Bread of Life, the eternal High Priest, and the one who brings God’s presence to His people.
To ask what was inside the ark is ultimately to ask what is at the heart of God’s covenant with humanity: the promise fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Bible Verses about the Contents of the Ark
Exodus 25:16 – “And you shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you.”
Exodus 16:32 – “Moses said, ‘This is what the Lord has commanded: Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”
Numbers 17:10 – “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Put back the staff of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebels, that you may make an end of their grumblings against me, lest they die.’”
1 Kings 8:9 – “There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone that Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the people of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.”
Hebrews 9:4 – “Having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant.”
Deuteronomy 8:3 – “And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
John 6:35 – “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.’”
Hebrews 7:24–25 – “But he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”
Romans 3:25 – “God put forward [Christ] as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.”
Matthew 5:17 – “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
