He said to the Levites, who instructed all Israel and who had been consecrated to the LORD: “Put the sacred ark in the temple that Solomon son of David king of Israel built. It is not to be carried about on your shoulders. Now serve the LORD your God and his people Israel. - 2 Chronicles 35:3

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 5, 2014): 2 Chronicles 35

As a science fiction lover, I have to admit that there is a special place inside of me reserved for Area 51. Officially known as the Nevada Test and Training Range or Groom Lake, Area 51 has been the subject of so much science fiction speculation that it is hard not to consider it as one of the most appealing places on this planet for Science Fiction fans to want to visit – even if all we can really do is stand outside of the gates, miles from the actual Facility. One of the most endearing and enduring rumours about Area 51 is that it is the home of members of an extra-terrestrial species who crashed their space ships on the earth near Roswell, New Mexico in June or July 1947. Some of the activities that are supposed to be taking place at Area 51 include –

• The storage, examination, and reverse engineering of crashed alien spacecraft (including material supposedly recovered at Roswell), the study of their occupants (living and dead), and the manufacture of aircraft based on alien technology.
• Meetings or joint undertakings with extraterrestrials.
• The development of exotic energy weapons for the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) or other weapons programs.
• The development of means of weather control.
• The development of time travel and teleportation technology.
• The development of unusual and exotic propulsion systems related to the Aurora Program.
• Activities related to a supposed shadowy one world government or the Majestic 12 organization.

And subjects such as Area 51 also carry us into the argument about how much we really need to know. Do we have a right to know everything – or are there some things that are beyond our need to know – or even more specifically, are there some things that it is dangerous for us to know (military attack plans during times of war would definitely fall into this last territory.)

In the eyes of the people, the Ark of the Covenant was a very mysterious piece of furniture. The Ark was believed to be the actual place where God sat on the earth. According to the Bible, the Ark was intended to be kept in a room that called the “Holy of Holies” at the one extreme end of the Tabernacle or the Temple – and this was the Area 51 of ancient Israel. The Ark was not to be removed. Once a year, the High Priest would enter the room to make atonement for the people (not surprisingly this day was called the Day of Atonement.) And that was it – one person, once a year physically confronted the Ark of the Covenant. What went on behind the curtain that closed off the room the rest of the year was unknown – and it seemed that it was beyond the people’s need to know. But over the years respect for the Ark dwindled. The Ark began to be a novelty item. During the days of Samuel, the Ark was actually carried into battle (something it was not supposed to be subjected to) and then lost to the Philistines. The Philistines eventually returned it – but it spent a couple of generations sitting in a barn. David finally brought it to Jerusalem when he moved the Tabernacle to his city. When Solomon built the first Temple, the Holy of Holies was again recreated for Ark and the Ark was hidden away. But among the people rumors grew about its power – a power that is evidenced in the 70’s Science Fantasy movie “Raiders of the Lost Ark” – the original Indiana Jones movie.

The Ark in Judah began to be treated with less and less respect. It might have been that Hezekiah, the great-grandfather of Josiah, even showed the Ark and other temple treasures off to foreign envoys – an action that the Bible says hastened the Babylonian Captivity. And then, apparently during the days of Manasseh and Amon, The Ark was actually removed from the Holy of Holies. What had been sacred now became vulgar. It was open to the eyes of anyone who wanted to see it. And that was a practice that Josiah came to understand was wrong. And so he commanded that the Ark be placed back into the Holy of Holies – and that it was never to be removed again. This was to be a return to the ancient ways, then the High Priest was the only one that was allowed in to see the Ark of the Covenant – and even he could only enter the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement.

I am not sure what Area 51 holds, but I do know that not everything is to be reveled – no matter how curious we might be. Our curiosity has never been reason enough for everything to be made public. And it is precisely because the Ark was revealed that it quickly became simply “lost.” Zerubbabel’s Temple, built after the exile, also had a Holy of Holies, but the room was empty. The Ark was missing – never to be returned.    

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Habakkuk 1