The Covenant Box

Inside the Holy Tent, where God would meet with the people of Israel, there was to be a holy box.

The Lord told Moses exactly how big it should be and what it should look like. It was to be made of acacia wood and covered with gold on both the inside and the outside. It was to have rings on the sides, through which poles would go so it could be carried.

Moses was told to put the stone tablets—on which the commandments were written—inside the Covenant Box.

How can I remember all God’s rules?

Do you sometimes have trouble remembering things? God knows how easily we forget rules and instructions, especially a long list of them. That is why God wrote the commandments on stone tablets that would last a very long time. And to make sure the tablets would not be lost or forgotten somewhere, He told Moses to put them safely inside the Covenant Box.

However, now the people would not be able to read the commandments whenever they wanted. So Moses told parents to teach the commands to their children. He also told them to write the commandments on their doorposts, to wear them on their foreheads, and to tie them around their arms, so they would not forget a single command (Deuteronomy 6:4–9).

An even better way to remember God’s rules (and obey them) is to write the commandments in your heart. That means, if your heart wants to please the Lord, the Ten Commandments become just two: love the Lord with all your heart, and love others as you love yourself (Matthew 22:37–40). Now that is a lot easier to remember!

Verse for today

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11

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