Ordinary Poles

And he put the poles into the rings at the sides of the ark, to bear the ark. Exodus 37:5

The Ark of the Covenant or the Testimony (both titles are fine) was a small rectangle box. You may remember Indiana Jones where Indy unearths it in Egypt, and the Nazis want to harness its power!. Thats Hollywood, but the Ark was anything but ordinary, it was overlaid with pure gold. It had an ornate lid that had Cherubim (angelic beings) stretched over the top that was called the Mercy seat. It was there above the mercy seat the Spirit of God came down and His presence Tabernacled with His people. 

This simple detail in Exodus 37 gives us of a profound spiritual truth. The Ark was special, the gold was precious, yet the ark was built to be carried. Wherever God led His people, His presence would go with them but it required willing hands and ordinary poles to bear it.

The poles were that were slid through the rings were not decorative, not wrapped in gold, but they were essential. Without them, the ark could not be moved as God intended. In the same way, the Lord often chooses to accomplish His purposes through ordinary people who are willing to carry what He entrusts to them. Ministry, service, prayer, these are the “poles” by which we help carry the work and witness of God among His people. There is nothing ornate about vacuuming after service, nothing seemingly precious about taking out the trash, or setting up chairs. Yet, those are essential in the ministry of the Lord, just like the poles that carried the ark. 

So although what you have been entrusted with may not seem extraordinary, it is essential. Whatever you put your hand to in the service of the Lord is holy work. His presence goes with you, just as it did with the ark. Therefore, no act of service is small or insignificant. Each task matters and is important to the life and ministry of the church. God wants to use ordinary men and women to help serve in the ministry, he wants to use you!
“Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong.” 1 Corinthians 1:27

Agape,
Frank