The Ark And Mercy-seat

by G. Prasher | Category: The Tabernacle | Nov 1959

We now come to consider the vessels of the most holy place of the divine sanctuary. These consisted of the ark and the mercy-seat with the cherubim spreading out their wings on high, covering the mercy-seat.

The ark was of acacia wood covered with pure gold. Its measurements were two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half broad, and a cubit and a half high. It had a crown of gold round about, and there were four rings of cast gold, two on either side, for the staves.

Shadows of our Lord are again before us here, the wood speaking of His humanity in all its beauty and purity, and the gold reminding us of the glory of His Deity.

The mercy-seat was made of pure gold, and its length and breadth agreed with the measurements of the ark. No mention is made of its thickness. It is here at the ark with its blood-stained mercy-seat that we seem to be face to face with

"MERCY'S VAST, UNFATHOMED SEA."

The mercy-seat was the cover of the ark, it rested upon it. In this we are reminded that if the mercy of God were to reach man it could only be through the Lord Jesus the one Mediator between God and men, "Himself Man Christ Jesus who gave Himself a Ransom for all; the testimony to be borne in its own times Gazing hereon we may hear the Spirit saying Herein was the love of God manifested in our case that God hath sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him Herein is love not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (John 4.9, 10 R.V.M.)

In the New Testament the mercy-seat is mentioned once, as in Hebrews 9.5, where the cherubim of glory are said to overshadow the mercy-seat (hilosterion). It is clear that the Lord Jesus is spoken of as the Mercy-seat.

A COVERING FOR SIN

The Mercy-seat was part of the furniture of the Tabernacle and therefore it had to do with the people of God, not as individuals, but as a collective people It was from thence that there was communion with Moses, in commandments for the people (Exodus 25. 22). Before proceeding with its primary teaching for a collective people, it is useful to recall some of the elementary principles of God towards individuals.

It is, however, in the root of the Hebrew word that we glean the thought which the Spirit would have us grasp in the teaching of the mercy-seat. Kapporeth is from kaphar, to cover, or cover over. The pitch (kopher) which Noah spread over his ark excluded the waters of the flood, and so there was a covering from the judgement for those inside the ark. The blood of the victim which Aaron sprinkled on and before the mercy-seat made a covering for sins, and so there was forgiveness for the guilty. Together with the covering or atonement at the mercy-seat there was also the confessing of all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, even all their sins, over the head of the live goat, which was sent away into the wilderness (Leviticus 16). Indeed these two, (1) the uncovering of sin and (2) the covering by atoning blood, must accompany each other if the blessing of forgiveness is to be enjoyed by the sinner. Christ is the Mercy-seat, and He bears the marks of death, that death which He died ... unto sin once, and so the covering before God is complete, but to enjoy the expiation made the Sinner must acknowledge his sinfulness.

It would appear from Psalm 32 that David had for some time covered over his guilt, and was loud in his complaint on account of God's hand being heavy upon him. Then at length he says:

I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid:

I said, I will confess my transgression unto the LORD;

And Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. (Selah)."

Then he could say:

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, 'whose sin is covered.

Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no guile."

Joseph's brothers covered their sin for over twenty years. The blood-stained coat was recognized by Jacob as the garment he had made for his favourite son. The deception on the part of the brothers was complete. God, however, was working out His plan, and under the most humiliating circumstances, of these "true men," Judah was heard to exclaim, "God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants" (Genesis 44.16). Reconciliation to Joseph soon followed this confession. It is much better to be humiliated in time, before it is too late for repentance. This is the sad feature in the story of Judas, the betrayer of the Lord. When he saw that the Lord was condemned, he repented himself, and brought back the ill-gotten gain, and went away and hanged himself. He had covered his guilt too long. Oh to learn the lesson of humiliation and confession! It was there that we commenced with God, and it is thus that we must go on with Him. The publican's prayer, " God be propitiated (hilastheti) to me the sinner," well befitted us.

"HE IS THE PROPITIATION FOR OUR SINS;

and not for ours only, but also for the whole world" (1 John 2.2).

There is a place where Jesus sheds

The oil of gladness on our heads;

A place, than all beside more sweet,

It is the blood-stained Mercy-seat."

"There I will meet with thee," said God to Moses, "and I will commune with thee from above the mercy-seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel."

We are caused to think of the condemnation of both Jew and Gentile as seen in the early chapters of the epistle to the Romans, followed by the propitiation in chapter 3 with its resultant blessings namely: justification, reconciliation and glorification on the positive side: with no condemnation, no accusation and no separation on the negative side. All these are set out in grand form by the Spirit in the first eight chapters. When, however; Romans chapters 9~11 are passed, we are given instruction relative to the kingdom of God, which is associated with the house of God. A wonderful climax is attained in chapter 8 in the glorification of those who are called; but another climax is found in chapter 15.6 in connexion with the kingdom of God, in the desire of the apostle that "the God of patience and of comfort grant you to be of the same mind one with another according to Christ Jesus: that with one accord ye may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Since He has glorification in store for us, to say the least, we ought to aim at glorifying God now. To do this aught we must be together according to His word and will.

THE THRONE UPHELD

The cherubim were made of one piece with the mercy-seat, their wings spread out on high covering the mercy-seat. Covering the throne of God appears to be the work of the cherubim. "Thou wast the anointed cherub that covereth" is stated of the king of Tyre in Ezekiel 28. We believe Satan is here referred to under the figure of this king, and the exalted sphere he filled prior to his fall is thus indicated. It should be noted, however, that this word translated covering is sakak, the sense of which is, to fence in. The word is also translated defence, and affords the thought that the divine throne 15 defended against all that fails to agree with the holiness of God. The cherubim have been referred to as the "bodyguard" around and over the throne of God.

MERCY AND TRUTH MEET

As we consider the cherubim over the mercy-seat the truth expressed in the Psalm 85 seems to emerge

"Mercy and truth are met together;

Righteousness and peace have kissed each other."

Again in Psalm 89 we read:

Righteousness and judgement are the foundation of Thy throne:

Mercy and truth go before Thy face."

Truth, righteousness and judgement are in keeping with the holiness

of the LORD. The foundation of His throne would be destroyed were

He to countenance evil. Righteous judgement must be meted out.

Divine justice must ever be satisfied.

Where, then, is this manifested in the mercy-seat? In reply let us notice the words of Exodus 25.20, "Toward the mercy-seat shall the faces of the cherubim be." We might ask, At what were they gazing? Surely the answer is that they looked upon the stains of blood upon the pure gold of the mercy-seat. These were the evidences that a death had taken place for the transgressions or sins done aforetime. As God looks upon His Son He sees the Lamb slain,

and therefore He can "be just, and the Justifier of him that hath faith in Jesus" (Romans 3.25, 26).

"Mercy and truth unite,

Oh! 'tis a wondrous sight, All sights above.

Jesus the curse sustains, Guilt's bitter cup He drains, Nothing for as remains,

Nothing but love."

David the king of Israel spared his son Absalom, who should have known the sword of judgement. Soon he was fleeing from his throne and from the city of Jerusalem. "The king kissed Absalom," with all those sad, subsequent events. God waits to kiss the returning sinner, and yet His throne is stable, and this because we are reconciled to God through the death of His Son" (Romans 5.10). How precious it is that grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ!

"Mercy and truth preserve the king:

And his throne is upholden by mercy" (Proverbs 20.28).

FOUR LIVING CREATURES

In Revelation chapter 4 are seen four living creatures in the midst of and round about the throne of God, and this vision given John in Patmos has much that resembles the visions of God that Ezekiel saw. The close association with the throne which these wonderful beings have suggests the position of the cherubim; and the fourfold character, with other features which they possess, contain much that is mysterious and beyond our ken. At the same time we judge that the faces contain links with the Gospel stories. Following the order in Revelation we have the lion, the calf, the man and the flying eagle. May there not be some connexion between the lion and the Gospel by Matthew, between the calf and Mark, the man and Luke, and the flying eagle and the high soaring flight of the Gospel according to John? One thing we are sure about is that those wondrous creatures are connected with the government of God; and the glorious One set forth in the Gospels, having all authority, is Head of all principality and power (Colossians 2.10). Courage, strength, intelligence and swiftness are indicated in the cherubim, but on the mercy-seat we behold God's love.

STAVES TO BEAR THE ARK WITHAL

The staves were made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold. On the journey through the desert, and also in the land of Israel, these staves would distribute the weight on the shoulders of the Levites. The family of the Levites had the honour of bearing the burdens on their shoulders. They knew what fellowship in service meant. They would also learn to keep step with their fellows. This is still of great importance. In assembly life there is much to be done, burdens to be borne, and these should not be left to one or two. Where there are those capable there should be a shouldering of the burdens together, and all should be done decently and in order, for God is not a God of confusion.

When David made a new cart, after the fashion of the Philistines, to bring up the ark of God, which is called by the Name, even the Name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubim, he was sharply drawn back by the judgement-hand of God. His sincerity could not avail while he acted contrary to the divine ordinance. Then he learned that "None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites." "And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the LORD." See 1 Chronicles 13 and 15. It is still of prime importance that God be served according to His word.

THE PLACE WHERE I WILL DWELL

The mercy-seat was the Divine throne. God dwelt between the cherubim. His glory filled the house. See Exodus 40.84. The desire of the heart of the LORD was at length fulfilled, and He rested in the midst of His redeemed people. Let us keep well before us what led up to this happy result - His being able to say, "This is the place of My throne, and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel " (Ezekiel 43.7). Firstly they bad to be redeemed and separated. This was by the blood of the lamb, and by the waters of the Red Sea. They had to enter into a covenant with their God, a covenant of obedience, as in Exodus 24, and on the condition that they would obey His voice, and keep His covenant, the house was built according to the divine pattern, and filled with the glory of the LORD. To be His house today the same solemn truths are involved. It is not enough to have the blessings of redemption, of reconciliation, and the hope of eternal glory, all of which are purchased by the precious blood of Christ our Saviour; but, as is manifest in Peter's first epistle, there is the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ before there is mention made of the saints being built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood. In every age the house of God is a privilege conditioned by obedience on the part of the people of God. Time and again it has been forfeited by reason of disobedience. These facts, which are incontrovertible, displace all possibility of all the children of God being in the house of Cod today, since it is obvious that many disregard the way of the truth. The epistle to the Hebrews, well termed the Leviticus of the New Testament, is the epistle of the house and priesthood. There Christ is seen as Son over God's house, and also Great Priest over it, and He conveys a solemn message to every saint in the words,

While it is said, Today if ye shall hear His voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation"

(Hebrews 3.15).

There is much solemnity also in the words of the LORD to Ezekiel

"If they be ashamed of all that they have done, make known unto them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof" (43.11); and surely it is still but right that we should be ashamed of the perverted ways which are not in agreement with the ways of the Lord.

G. Prasher | Nov 1959
The Tabernacle