There was another box. It was the "Arc of the Covenant". We are told in Hebrews 9:4 "Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;"
The Jews then and now "see" one thing in the box. They see "the tables of the covenant" what we call "The Law". Although their eyes "see" all three, their heart perceives the one.
John 12:40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them."
What signficance have the other two items?
Let's first look a the pot of manna. Manna is bread from heaven. It taste as coriander seed and honey. It substained the Jews while they were wondering in the wilderness for 40 years.
Deuteronomy 8:3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.
Manna is bread. Bread from heaven. It saved the Jews from starvation and death. It was the "bread of life"! What else is? John 6:35 “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” Jesus is the "bread of life". Jesus is represented by tha manna!
John 6:57 "As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever." Whereas, the manna came down each day, saving the Sabbath, it was "forever" during the forty years. Likewise Jesus is forever.
Simply, Jesus is represented by the pot of manna in the arc!
In addition Aaron's Rod that budded was in the "box".
Exodus 7:12 " For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods." Exodus 7:20 "And Moses and Aaron did so, as the Lord commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood."
Forgiveness is always by the blood for without blood there is no salvation. Aaron's Rod represented the "blood of Jesus' shed in propitiation for our sins.
Numbers 17:5 "And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you." Blossoms represent life. Jesus is life... eternal life!
Likewise "the bronze serpent" was used by Moses to eat the snakes in the Wilderness:
John 3:14 “And as Moses lifted up the
serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up” The bronze snake represents Christ. Just as the bronze serpent represented Christ, so did Aaron's Rod.
Hence, whereas the Jews see the Law in the box, Christians see the law as well as Christ!
| Matthew 5:17 "Think not that I
am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to
fulfil." The New Testament (Jesus himself) says that He supplements "The Law". The Jews have the Law without Jesus to this day and Christians have Jesus assured by works (the Law). Our Old Testamanet Patriarchs in close communion with God understood the promise of Jesus in all activities of God. The manna and Aaron's Rod weren't put in the arc by accident or the "fun of it". There was a message from God. That message is the Messiah... Christ Jesus. Paul taught grace! That grace is Jesus and him resurrected. Paul was a scholar of the Old Testament beign a learned Pharisse and student of Gameliel. Paul, given the light od salvation, suddenly was blined by Shekinah Light. Once his vision was restored by God, he then had eyes that saw and ears that hear. He was a new man in Christ. That light (Truth) allowed hom to understand all that he had been taught from Scripture was about Jesus! He learned by revelation directly from Jesus. Acts 18:28 “For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.”
Galatians 1:12 " For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ."
Jesus put wisdom into the Scripture Paul knew so well. All Scripture points toward Jesus and Paul was given the Light.
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