You have probably heard of the preacher who said to his congregation: "I can bring myself to believe that Noah built an ark, in which he and the wild animals were sheltered during the flood, but when it comes to making me believe that the children of Israel toted that ark around on their shoulders in the wilderness for forty years, that's too much for me to swallow." Evidently he thought there was no difference in the two arks. Noah's ark was a large boat or vessel, larger than any now made. The ark which the children of Israel had in the wilderness was a rectangular box made of wood overlaid with gold, the lid or cover of which was made of pure gold. The approximate size of this ark was 4 feet long, 3 feet broad and 3 feet high, a detailed description of it being given in `Exo. 25:10-22`. Inside the ark was kept the golden bowl of manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the two tables of the Law (See `Heb. 9:4`). The ark, together with all other furnishings of the Tabernacle in the wilderness, was a shadow or picture of good things to come. (See`Heb. 8:5`; `Heb. 10:1`; `Col. 2:17`.)
