What was inside the ark of the covenant?

TL;DR:

The ark of the covenant was a container that housed the mercy seat where God would meet His people. Various items were inside the ark of the covenant at different times; each was intended to help the people remember God's faithfulness.

what does the bible say?

The ark of the covenant, a sacred container of acacia wood overlaid with gold inside and out, featured a golden mercy seat with angel statues. It served as the place where God met His people (Exodus 25:22), initially in the tabernacle during the wilderness journey and later in Solomon's temple. It housed the tablets of the Ten Commandments, symbolizing God's covenant with Israel (1 Kings 8:9). Additionally, it contained a jar of manna, signifying God's provision during the desert wanderings, and Aaron's staff, confirming the priesthood's authority (Hebrews 9:4). There are some differing accounts in the biblical narrative on the ark's contents, which are explainable. The key is that the ark of the covenant symbolized God's faithfulness and His ongoing relationship with His people.

from the old testament

The ark of the covenant was a box of acacia wood overlaid with gold both inside and out. It had a golden cover called the mercy seat with golden angel statues spreading their wings above. It was the place God chose to meet with His people (Exodus 25:22). The ark of the covenant was first built for the tabernacle, or tent of meeting, while the Israelites traveled in the wilderness. It was later placed in the temple.
When God was instructing Moses about the ark of the covenant from Mount Sinai, He said, "You shall put into the ark the testimony that I shall give you" (Exodus 25:16). First Kings 8:9 and 2 Chronicles 5:10 both record that during the dedication of Solomon's Temple, "There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone that Moses put there at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the people of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt" (1 Kings 8:9).
Two other items are also linked to the ark of the covenant: a jar of manna and Aaron's staff. When the Israelites wandered through the desert after escaping Egypt, the Lord provided bread-like wafers, called manna, for them every morning. He commanded them, "Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt" (Exodus 16:32).
Later, after Aaron and his descendants were called to be high priests, other Israelites rebelled, doubting that Aaron and the Levites were truly appointed by God. In order to confirm their calling, God asked Moses to collect the staff of each tribe's leader and place it in the tent of meeting overnight. "On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds" (Numbers 17:8). "And the LORD said to Moses, 'Put back the staff of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebels'" (Numbers 17:10).

from the new testament

Hebrews 9:3–4, in describing the tabernacle, records, "Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron's staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant." It seems that at some point in time, all three items were inside the ark of the covenant.

implications for today

There are a few possibilities for how 1 Kings 8:9 saying that only the tablets were inside the ark of the covenant and Hebrews 9:4 saying that the tablets, manna, and staff were inside the ark can both be true. Perhaps during Moses' time, all three items were kept inside the ark of the covenant, but when the ark was captured by the Philistines (1 Samuel 4:11), the Philistines may have removed the manna and the staff. Or potentially Solomon removed those two items and set them beside or before the ark of the covenant when he dedicated the temple and its contents to the Lord (1 Kings 8:4–11). Or perhaps the manna and staff were normally kept before or beside the ark, but were placed inside the ark of the covenant whenever the tent of meeting was moved from place to place. It could also be that when Hebrews 9:4 lists all these things as being inside, it is referring back to the Most Holy Place.

Certainly we know that the tablets, manna, and staff had great significance for the Israelites. Each item is associated with the ark of the covenant at some point. What is most important is that God asked His people to keep specific mementos reminding them of His work in their lives. These things were to be a sign for generations to come of what God had communicated and what He had done.

understand

The tablets of the Ten Commandments were placed inside the ark as a sign of God's law and presence among His people.
At some point, a container holding manna, the bread-like substance provided by God to sustain the Israelites during their wilderness journey after leaving Egypt, was placed in the ark.
The staff of Aaron, which miraculously budded and produced almonds as a confirmation of Aaron's authority as high priest and the legitimacy of the priesthood, was also placed in the ark at some point.

reflect

How does the presence of the tablets of the Ten Commandments inside the ark of the covenant reflect God's desire for His people to live in obedience and holiness?
Reflect on the jar of manna placed in the ark. What lessons about God's provision and faithfulness can you apply to your own lives?
Consider Aaron's staff that budded miraculously. What does this reveal about God's affirmation of His chosen leaders and the importance of spiritual authority?

engage

How do the tablets of the Ten Commandments, manna, and Aaron's staff collectively represent God's relationship with His people?
Discuss the differences in the accounts of what was inside the ark over time (e.g., Exodus, Kings, Hebrews). How do these variations deepen our understanding of God's interactions with Israel and His covenant promises as well as what He communicated?
How can the symbolism of the ark of the covenant, including its contents, guide our understanding of worship and spiritual leadership today?