[Campion]

Those items in the Ark represent three cases of disobedience to His Plan. The Pot of Manna represents the rejection of His Providence. The rod that budded represents man’s disobedience to legitimate authority. The tablets represent man’s disobedience to His Law.

That's a really, really negative view.

The manna = Christ the bread of life. The rod = Christ the true High Priest. The Tablets = Christ the new Moses, the new Lawgiver.

[Cvengr]

It’s a very positive view.

Only one day a year did the High Priest enter into the Holy of Holies, on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, and spread the blood on the Mercy Seat for the Atonement of all sin.

It isn’t the Law, nor Providence, nor Authority that saves us from the penalty of sin. It is the Blood, which covers all sin, including the sins of disobedience as represented by the three items in the Ark.

God wasn’t contained in the Ark, rather He dwelt in the Tabernacle, the Dwelling Place, and His presence known by the Shekinah Glory (Glory of His Dwelling).