The Tabernacle of God: The Ark of the Covenant (part 2)

Exodus 25:17-22

The second part of the ark of the covenant is the mercy seat. It is the lid with two cherubim on top of it. It was important that their wings touch in the middle. Later, when Solomon built the temple, there were two massive cherubim that spanned the entire room that was called the Holy of Holies, and their wings also met in the middle. As we will see, this has important meaning.

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“You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width. And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat. And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat. You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.

Exodus 25:17–22

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Remember that the bottom of the ark, the part that is actually called the Ark of the Covenant, represents the righteousness and justice of God. It is this attribute of God that demands justice and judgment for sin. It is God's righteousness that condemns man to Hell because he (man) has violated the law of God, and justice must be satisfied. This is why the law (10 commandments) were placed in the ark.

The second part of this, as stated above, is called the Mercy Seat. It represents exactly what it sounds like, the mercy of God. Remember that the ark was a box, and the mercy seat is the lid for that box. What a beautiful picture that the righteous justice of God was covered by His righteous mercy. We will see, this was not an arbitrary covering; it came with a cost.

Leviticus 16:14 says, "He shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times". This verse is referring to a ritual that took place on the "Day of Atonement". One day a year, no more and no less, the High Priest would sacrifice a bull on the altar in the courtyard of the tabernacle. The blood would be caught in a bowl and then carried into the tabernacle. Incense would be offered on the altar of incense, and then the High Priest would pass through the veil into the Most Holy Place, or the Holy of Holies.

This part of the Tabernacle represented the very throne room of God. The High Priest would take the blood and sprinkle it 7 times on the mercy seat. Blood had to be shed and offered to God as a sacrifice to meet the requirement of the law, and in so doing, the people received God's mercy. Seven represents the completeness of the sacrifice.

Once a year, the High Priest acted out what Jesus would actually perform one time only for the sins of all the world. God the Father was not interested in the blood of bulls, sheep, and goats. It was the precious blood of His sinless Son that would appease the demands of righteousness and atone (cover) the sins of anyone who would seek God's mercy. His perfect offing completely covers our sins.

There is one more picture associated with the Mercy Seat that I like. Psalm 99:1 says, "The LORD reigns; Let the peoples tremble! He dwells between the cherubim; Let the earth be moved!" Actually, the Bible says 6 times that God dwells between the Cherubim. Ezekiel describes the cherubim being around the throne of God. When the sacrifice was offered, if God accepted the sacrifice, His glory would rest between the wings of the cherubim. It was a sign of approval as if to say, "and God saw that it was good" or maybe "It is finished". He rested in His mercy, not His justice.

While the blood of Jesus was sufficient to pay the price for the sins of all humanity, it only covers those who come to receive that payment. Those who are unrepentant do not receive that sacrifice for their sins. So, it is in the law that they face God. Isn't it interesting that false teachings convince people to throw themselves before God based on the merits of their own actions. God, judge me to see if I am worthy. One crime is all it takes to make a person a criminal. Yet, God made a way so that we can fall before Him and His mercy because of the sacrifice for our sins. People run from this as though it is the most absurd and outlandish idea ever. How in the world could anyone believe that God would pay the price Himself for His creation to be forgiven of their sins? We reject the easy for the impossible.

Father, I pray that if anyone reading this has not trusted You as their Savior, they would understand what Jesus did and receive His sacrifice for their sins. May they understand that Jesus met the requirements for Your righteous judgment so that they can receive Your mercy. I pray that those of us who have already accepted this would always worship You because "Worthy is the Lamb!"