And the poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the Holy Place before the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside. And they are there to this day.
The ark had travelled for generations. Priests carried it on poles through the desert, across the Jordan, and through the wars of Canaan. Now it rests in the innermost room of the temple. The first thing recorded there is a small detail about the carrying poles — a detail still true "to this day."
Journey's End
The poles belonged to a travelling ark. In the temple, that travelling ended.
C. H. MackintoshThe desert sand would give way to the golden floor of the temple (1 Kings 6:30). The ark's wanderings would come to an end; there was "neither adversary nor misfortune," and therefore, "the poles were drawn out."
Older translations read "they drew out the poles" here, where the ESV says the poles "were so long" that their ends could be seen.
What "Drew Out" Means
The original instruction in Exodus was that the poles were never to be taken from the ark. So what happened here has been argued over.
George DavisonThis verse has caused much debate. Were the poles removed from the ark entirely, or withdrawn to one end? Every picture of the ark I have seen shows the poles along the back and the front. I am sure this is a mistake. The words "drew out" show that they ran along the sides of the ark and stuck out at the front end, pointing towards the house. They were not taken right out but withdrawn to one end. This showed that the Levites would no longer carry the ark. It had been commanded in Exodus 25:15, "The poles shall remain in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it."
One writer treats the two passages not as a problem to solve but as a mark of how exact the picture-language of these objects is.
An Outline of Sound WordsThere is no contradiction in this, but rather a beautiful example of the accuracy of typical language.
A Memorial in the Place of Rest
The poles stayed on the ark even after the journeys ended.
J. N. DarbyThe poles the priests had used to carry the ark were now the memorial of their journeys with God. In His faithfulness He had led them and kept them safe, and He had brought them into the rest He had prepared for them.
Seen Inside, Hidden Outside
The verse notes who could see the ends of the poles, and who could not.
H. L. RossierThe poles of the ark witnessed its long journey through the wilderness. From now on they are useless and serve no more. They remain as witnesses of the past in the very place of rest… This was plainly the rest of God, and it had all the more value because it came with a permanent reminder of what had gone before. Only, to be sure of this rest and to enjoy it, you had to enter the Holy Place. Those outside could take no account of it. The final rest of God is the portion of those who dwell with Him, of the priests who dwell in His house.
Still in the Wilderness
One writer applies the timing of that withdrawal to where we stand now.
A. J. PollockThe poles were not to be withdrawn till the Ark found its final resting place in the Temple in the land. So God would teach us that we are still in the wilderness.
The Rest That Remains
The poles speak of God travelling with His people. Their withdrawal points to a day when that travelling is over for good.
Samuel RidoutGod cannot enter into His rest until He brings His people into it too. So everything waits until the conflict with sin is over forever — settled by God, and settled for eternity. Then, and only then, will the poles be withdrawn. That is when our Lord's walking with His blood-bought people through the wilderness will be over: "So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God" (Heb. 4:9). Even then the "poles" will be visible, in memory of the past, and be the cause of fresh and eternal outbursts of praise.
Summary
- Carried — The poles existed so the ark could travel. While they stayed in place for lifting, Israel was still on the move, and God moved with them.
- Drawn — Not pulled right out, but drawn back to one end. The old command that they never leave the ark still stood, and the carrying was over.
- Kept — Left in place, they became the memorial of every journey God had led His people through. They stood as witnesses of the past inside the place of rest.
- Hidden — Only someone inside could see their ends. Those who dwell with God enjoy His rest; outsiders cannot take account of it.
- Coming — Our travelling is not yet finished, so the poles teach us we are still in the wilderness. When the rest comes, they will stay visible as the cause of endless praise.