I come from a family shaped by two very different spiritual traditions. On my mother’s side, I am a second-generation Christian — my grandfather and two uncles are in ministry, faithfully serving the Lord. On my father’s side, my grandfather and father believed in idol gods, though they never actively participated in worship. Interestingly, my grandmother on my father’s side was a Christian.
Growing up, I was exposed to both cultures. As a child, I saw idols as powerful — perhaps more powerful than anything else. At my young age, I absorbed both Christian and non-Christian influences through cartoons, movies, and stories. I was particularly drawn to idol gods because, in the stories, they could control the five elements.
While writing this blog, I’m reminded of a story about a car designer.
The Designer and the Car
Henry, a mechanical engineer for a car company, once encountered a strange situation. A car owner’s vehicle had suddenly broken down. The owner had tried everything to fix it, but failed. Eventually, he called a mechanic to take a look.
Henry, curious, offered to help. The owner, skeptical, told him, “This is a fancy car — you wouldn’t even know where the engine is.” But with a smile, the owner handed the car over to Henry. Within moments, Henry diagnosed the problem — a faulty spark plug.
Surprised, the owner asked, “How did you know that?”
Henry simply replied, “I designed this car.”
The car owner could drive and operate the vehicle, but the designer knew every detail — including the smallest part that could bring it to a stop.
In the same way, if an idol god could control elements, how much more powerful is Yeshua, the Creator who designed all of creation by His word?
Living in Two Worlds
By the time I turned nineteen, I was much like my father and grandfather — caught between two worlds. I believed in both religious systems I had grown up around, yet I never actively participated in idol worship. At the same time, my mind was being pulled toward atheism. Hours spent watching space documentaries and science programs made me question whether God existed at all.
I often found myself debating my father about the existence of God. Yet the Bible speaks plainly about such thinking:
“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.” — Psalm 14:1
Around me, friends and relatives made sacrifices to idols, hoping these rituals would cleanse their sins and earn divine favor. What I didn’t realize was that sacrifice was also a part of the Bible — but with a far deeper and different purpose. Scripture declares:
“It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” — Hebrews 10:4
Back then, I had a limited understanding of God. I knew Jesus as the Son of God, but I had no awareness of the Father or the Holy Spirit. That changed during a youth meeting when I first heard the story of the Ark of the Covenant.
The Ark and Its Holiness
In the Old Testament, priests would sacrifice the blood of pure lambs before the Ark of the Covenant in the Tabernacle (Exodus 25:10–22). The Ark represented God’s covenant presence — a sacred space where His glory dwelt.
When King David sought to bring the Ark back to Jerusalem, it was placed on a cart pulled by oxen. At one point, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah — one of the men guiding the cart — reached out to steady it. The moment his hand touched the Ark, God struck him down (2 Samuel 6:6–7).
This was not because God was cruel, but because the Ark was holy. It could only be touched and carried by consecrated priests in the exact way God had commanded (Numbers 4:15). Even well-intentioned disobedience carried serious consequences when it came to His holiness.
From the Old Covenant to the New
Under the Old Covenant, the Ark was at the very center of Israel’s worship. But when Jesus came, He fulfilled all that the Ark and the sacrifices foreshadowed.
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’” — John 1:29
Jesus’ death was the ultimate sacrifice — once and for all — removing the sins of the world. Through His blood, He established a New Covenant, not written on stone tablets stored in an Ark, but written on the hearts of His people.
“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel… I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” — Jeremiah 31:33
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” — Luke 22:20
The Beginning of My Spiritual Journey
I still attended church on Sundays, but it was the consistent hearing of God’s Word that began to anchor my faith.
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” — Romans 10:17
When I first learned about the deep connection between the Ark of the Covenant and Jesus, my understanding shifted. I began to see how the Old Testament pointed directly to Christ, and even how stories from other cultures — like the account of Noah’s flood — reflected fragments of the same truth.
It was as if the scattered puzzle pieces of history, culture, and faith were suddenly being arranged into one clear picture. And at the center of it all was Yeshua — not just one divine figure among many, but the Creator Himself.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” — Revelation 22:13
That was the turning point in my journey — moving from simply knowing about God to truly knowing Him. The One who designed the universe, the Savior who bore my sin, and the only true God who holds all authority in heaven and on earth.
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