These poles were so long that their ends, extending from the ark,
could be seen from in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the
Holy Place; and they are still there today. 2 Chronicles 5:9
When Uzzah
touched the ark accidently in 2 Samuel 6 and died, it showed a lack of respect
for the ark. Now, the priests made sure
they handled it carefully, not with their hands as Moses directed, but with
poles—long poles, as far away from the precious ark as they could.
The poles,
here, seem extra long possibly to show extra respect and extra care. Nobody wanted to take any chances. This was the last resting place (they
thought) of the ark and it would never need to be moved again.
The point
here that we need to apply here today is to show a healthy respect for God and
his power and judgment. We can become too
friendly and “buddy-buddy” with God that we forget to fear him too.