Loving Lavishly Part 5

Jesus in the Tabernacle (Lecture 10)

The Mercy Seat

(Read Ex. 25:17-22)

The word “mercy” in Hebrew is racham רַחַם meaning compassion or deep compassion. It also means “womb” and refers to the deep love of a true mother or father to their child. It is the essence of checed חֵסֵד or God’s favor and lovingkindness.

Exodus 25:17–22 ESV

“You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and a half its breadth. And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end. Of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. And you shall put the mercy seat on the top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I shall give you. There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.

After having made the sacrifice at the Brazen Altar, on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), the priest returned to the brazen altar, took a basin of the sacrifices blood, and returned to the Holy of Holies.

Leviticus 16:14 ESV

And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat on the east side, and in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.

There, dipping his fingers into the basin of blood, he sprinkled blood over the Mercy Seat seven times (Lev. 16:14). The blood made it possible for God to show mercy to the nation of Israel. The seventh time spoke of the completed atonement.

Leviticus 16:5 ESV

And he shall take from the congregation of the people of Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.

The high priest would then choose two goats of equal size, colour, and value from among the people of Israel (Lev. 16:5). He would then cast lots to determine which of the two goats was to be slain and which was to be set free. He then tied a piece of scarlet cloth to the horn of the goat for azel (KJV scapegoat) and another around the throat of the one to be slain. The one to be slain was then sacrificed as a sin offering before the Lord. Like the blood from the bullock, the blood from this sin offering was placed on the horns of the brazen altar, on the horns of the altar of incense, and on the Mercy Seat seven times. The people waited to see if the priest would return from the Holy of holies and if God has accepted their sin offering. When the high priest parted the gate of the Tabernacle court with his hands raised toward the people, shouts of joyous praise were lifted and echoed throughout the wilderness, as if having been raised from the dead, because God had accepted their repentance and forgiven their sins. While they celebrated the mercy of God shown them, another priest led the scapegoat away into the wilderness away from the camp for a distance of about 12 miles. When the priest arrived at the designated spot, he would take the scarlet cloth from the goat’s horn, and tear it in half. He would then take one half and tie it back to the goat’s horn and take the other half back to Israel.

Isaiah 1:18 ESV

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

According to Jewish tradition, when God had fully accepted the sin offering, the scarlet cloth tied to the scapegoat’s horn became pure white, as a symbol of God’s gracious promise in Isaiah 1:18; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Interestingly, this seemed to have stopped around the time that Jesus Christ was crucified.

Leviticus 16:10 ESV

but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the Lord to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel.

The word azal (scapegoat; Lev. 16:8, 10, 26) in Hebrew, denotes the idea of a complete and entire removal; thus when God removed Israel’s sin it was completely removed from among them. However, those sins being cast onto a bullock or goat or taken outside the camp never transformed the fallen nature of the people or cleansed their conscience. It only sought to remove it from their remembrance until such time as they sin again. Only through Christ was this accomplished.

Hebrews 10:4 ESV

For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

2 Corinthians 5:2 ESV

For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling,

Hebrews 9:11–12 ESV

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.

The priest would then take the skin, the flesh, and the dung of the sin offering (bullock and goat) and burn them outside the camp (Lev. 16:23-27).

1 Timothy 2:5–6 ESV

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

Hebrews 13:11–12 ESV

For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.

Matthew 16:24 ESV

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Christ was a sin offering for us. He became an outcast condemned to endure our sufferings and take on the penalty of death for our sins (1 Tim. 2:5-6) outside the camp of Jerusalem (Heb. 13:11-12). Today, we are expected to share in his sufferings. When we face persecutions and insults we are to rejoice in his sacrifice knowing that we have eternal life and we live our lives separated from sin until his return. We are to take up our cross daily (Matt. 16:24) and live as living sacrifices unto the glory of his name. Heb 4:16

Hebrews 4:16 ESV

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

When the blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat, representing the divine throne of God, it transformed from a throne of judgment to a throne of grace. Today, that atonement comes through the blood of Jesus Christ. His blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat and has now given us the opportunity to come boldly before the throne of grace (Heb. 4:16) for repentance and forgiveness of sins. It is through the mercy of Christ’s blood that we are reconciled in right relationship with the Father in heaven.

1 John 4:10 ESV

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John 4:10 tells us, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” The word in Hebrew for propitiation is kaphar meaning to cover; make atonement for; to make reconciliation; but also it means to purge. The Hebrew word for purge is taher which means to make purify and make morally clean. (Read Romans 3:23-26)

Romans 3:23–26 ESV

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

It was above the Mercy Seat that the shekinah (dwelling presence of God; not in the bible but taken from the concept of panyim meaning before ones face and from the word shakan meaning to dwell, settle, or establish) was ever present with God’s people. Often, in the Old Testament it is used in conjunction with the manifested glory of God (theophany). When God delivered Israel from the bondage and slavery of their past in Egypt, their enemy Pharaoh pressed in from behind as they faced the Red Sea (an obstacle to their future requiring faith in God’s goodness). But God made a way of escape that they might move forward into His plans and purpose for them. From then on His presence was made manifest before them reminding them that He would lead them. When Christ returned to heaven, he warned his disciples that, like Pharaoh and Israel, the enemies of this freedom He had brought us, would come pressing down upon their necks. And James was the first to experience it. But Christ promised that if they would but wait upon the Father that the presence of God would be with them, go before them, and be their strength. And so God did just that through the Holy Spirit. Christ took that scarlet cloth around his neck and became a sacrifice for your sins. He took that scarlet blood and covered you with it that you might escape the penalty of death. In this, he removed the power of the enemy to press upon you with the temptations of the flesh; he made a way of escape that you might move forward to His plans and purposes for your life; He made a way that you may have the presence of God dwelling within you through the power of the Holy Spirit.

What greater love is there than this? This is Lavish Love. How will you respond to such a great love?