[aMorePerfectUnion]

"But for us to understand each other, you have to tell me what you mean by “venerate.”

Obedience to God's command is not equal to veneration of objects. Really, that is all that it is necessary to know.

Here is the Latin root of venerated. I copied and pasted from Dictionary.com. (My Latin is not very good. Greek, OK. English, OK. French, gone. Italian, mediocre. Spanish, one notch above Italian!)

"Latin venerātus, past participle of venerārī to solicit the goodwill of (a god), worship, revere, verbal derivative of vener-, stem of venus, presumably in its original sense “desire”; see Venus)

It is clear the Israelis were not venerating the objects in the ark. Nor were those who brought cloths back to try to heal others.

[Mrs. Don-o]

The definition you posted indicated a range across three meanings. They were:

• (def. 1) to solicit the good will (of god)
• (def. 2) to worship
• (def. 3) to revere.

So in the definition you offered, there was a range from what is a proper to a (g)God, and what is proper to an honored person, place, or thing.

It's important to know this, because if I say I revere my old High School Algebra teacher, it does not mean I think she is a divinity. If I revere the flag of the United States of America, it does not mean I adore it. If I revere the Constitution, it does not mean I have made it into an idol.

So, properly distinguishing between these meanings, I would say it is always wrong to adore a person or an object, it is not wrong to revere them.

That was just what was done in respect to the Ark of the Covenant.

• It was placed in what was believed to be the most sacred place n earth: in the innermost part of the Temple.
• The altar of incense was placed before it.
• It was anointed with blessed oils.
• It was placed under the guardianship and care of the Levitical priesthood.
• handling it casually or carelessly was considered sacrilegious
• only a consecrated man (like Eleazar) could have charge of the Ark
• people carried it in a festal procession, and sang and danced before it
• Joshua and the elders of Israel prostrated before the Ark.

I could multiply these examples, but you get the idea.

The respect and reverence shown o the Ark of the Covenant was in every case cited above pleasing to God, and in some of those cases was specifically done at His direction.

This is not idolatry or adoration of a false God.

It is (per the definition you cited) veneration, def. 3.