Why was the Ark of the Covenant important to the children of Israel? Because it (and its content) was a symbol of his covenant with them. We serve a covenant-keeping God, y’all. And He wanted Israel to be reminded of that. With the Ark came the very presence of God. The Word says that he came and dwelt in the mercy seat (which were the wings of the cherubim, fashioned on the lid), and was enthroned. His spirit hovered. He was THERE.
God gave specific instructions in His word regarding how to transport the Ark. There were rings on the sides. Poles went through the rings and it was to be carried on the shoulders of the Levites and covered with a large veil made of skins and blue cloth. It went before the people when they wandered in the desert. It went with Joshua when they marched around Jericho. After the defeat at Ai, Joshua tore his clothes, grieved, and cried out to the Lord before the Ark. When the temple was built, the Ark was placed in the Holy of Holies where only the high priest went once a year on Yom Kippur, the day of atonement. He was the only one that was permitted to go in. In fact, they tied bells and a rope on the ankle of the high priest so they could hear if he stopped moving. That way they would know if he died (possibly due to some breach in protocol) and they could grab the rope and pull his body out under the curtain because they couldn’t go in after him. The bottom line is: They KNEW that THE PRESENCE OF GOD DWELLED WITH HIS ARK.
Even the enemies of Israel knew that the Presence of God dwelled with the ark. You can read in 1 Samuel about what happened when the Philistines stole the Ark. It is almost comical how they played a game of hot potato with it, passing it around from place to place because nobody wanted the consequences of possessing the stolen Ark of God that was clearly supposed to be with God’s people. After much trouble and plagues, the Philistines eventually came to their senses and HAPPILY (and VOLUNTARILY) sent it home with gifts of gold in tow. “Sorry y’all. Our bad. You can have it back. No, seriously. Please, take it back. We don’t want it.” (That’s a whole ‘nother story, but a good one!)
Years later when David returned the Ark to Jerusalem, it had to, obviously, be transported. For whatever reason, the decision was made to put it on a wooden ox cart to carry it. That was NOT how God had told them to move it. When the cart came to the threshing floor (I keep telling y’all, all KINDS of things happened on the threshing floor. Here is yet another lesson learned there,) the ox stumbled and one of the men reached out to steady the Ark. God struck him dead. Why? Because he and the people were disobedient and treating the Ark as common. They were NOT acting as if it carried the presence of God.
The presence of God – the Spirit of God – is not to be carried on an ox cart.
King David took 3 months to recoup from that incident. He went back, he prayed and researched the law, and sought God. David was a man after God’s own heart and he wanted to please the Lord. So THIS time when they transported the ark, they did it correctly. It was carried on the shoulders of the Levites. And every time they took 6 steps, they stopped, offered a sacrifice, danced before the Lord, and praised Him.
So, here is the picture. Before Jesus came and redeemed us, the presence of God, for the most part, had to be visited. For the common man, being in the presence of the Lord was not an everyday event. It dwelled in a specific place. Only the priests could get close. The people came to the temple or tabernacle to be near His presence. Then Jesus was crucified and resurrected, and the Lord poured out His spirit on the day of Pentecost. We are now the vessels of the 
presence of God. We are the carriers.
The point is this: the presence was ALWAYS meant to be carried on the shoulders of His people. Yes, we carry it differently now, because he dwells IN us, but we were ALWAYS meant to be carriers! So let that percolate and drip on down into your spirit. If you are a Believer, YOU are a carrier of God! You are a carrier of the Presence and the Spirit of the Living God who laid the very foundations of the Earth! My friend Robyn says, “We are carriers of the glory!” And carrying the presence of God is JUST as important now as it was in the Old Testament. It’s JUST as much of a responsibility. You ought to go through your day knowing that He CHOSE YOU to be His dwelling place. You house His RUACH, literally in Hebrew, His spirit or His breath. The Spirit of God brings life. Honor it. Carry it. Allow it to dwell in you. Don’t make the mistake of treating it as if it were common.
John 6:63 NIV The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you–they are full of the Spirit and life.
Genesis 2:7 NIV Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Galatians 6:8 NIV Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
Isaiah 44:3-4 ESV For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They shall spring up among the grass like willows by flowing streams.
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