Ark of the Covenant

During the time of Moses, the Ark of the Covenant was a symbol of God’s presence for the children of Israel. In Exodus chapter 25: 10 – 22 The Lord gives explicit instruction to Moses for building the Ark. In verse 22 the Lord says, “There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites. Throughout scripture we see the Ark traveling with the children of Israel through the desert, residing in the tabernacle (Exodus 26: 34) captured by the Philistines in 1st Samuel chapters 4 – 6, and resting in the Holy of Holies in Solomon’s temple.

In many ancient pictures depicting the Ark, the cherubim atop the ark have been drawn in many different poses. It is believed that when the presence of the Lord was strong in the holies of holies, the cherubim would bow down in reverence to Him. After the temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. the Ark of the Covenant seemed to disappear off the face of the earth. Throughout history, many archaeologists have spent their entire career searching for the Ark.

In reverence to the Holiness of His presence, tithing, and worship, our Pastor was moved to build a replica of the Ark for New Life. During service our offering and tithes are collected separately. All are invited to participate in the offering ceremony, but the tithe is reserved for tithing members. As tithing members we believe we are commanded in Malachi 3:10 to tithe 10% of our ‘first fruit’ earnings. After members have personally deposited their tithe into the Ark, we pray and recite the tithing declaration below:

New Life Tithing Declaration

Lord I dedicate this tithe to you, the first fruit that comes into my hands. This is my obedience to the covenant of Malachi 3:10. Thank you Lord for rebuking the devourer for my sake and opening the windows of heaven for me to be blessed. Receive my tithe as an act of worship.