The Mercy Seat

The Mercy Seat Exodus 25_10-22

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

4:03 PM

Moses and the Children of Israel left Egypt with a high hand and were on their way to the Promised land. Their journey was full of drama, (You think Facebook has drama) intrigue, suspense and danger.

One of the things that happens early on was a fresh encounter with God. According to Exodus 12:1 it was "Three months to the day after the Israelites had left the land of Egypt they entered the wilderness of Sinai."

New American Commentary - New American Commentary – Volume 2: Exodus.

They encounter some mighty things while they were camped in this area for almost a year according to Numbers 10:11.

One of the important things that happened while they were in the Sinai wilderness was, God giving them their worship code.

Part of this code included:

A portable building called a TabernacleFurnishings for this TabernaclePriestly garments and rules of conductSacrificial laws, prayers, and offerings

While we don't have time to cover all of these things this morning, I would like to draw your attention back to our Bible reading. There you discover a special piece of furniture, that was to be constructed. It had specific instructions, and conditions. It was called the Ark of the Covenant.

It was a rectangular box made of wood about 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high. It was covered in pure gold. There was an ornate crown of gold around it. On each corner a ring was placed so long rods could be placed through them and thus carry it on the priests shoulders. These wooden rods were also covered in pure gold.

This Ark of the Covenant came with some special rules:

It was placed in the Most Holy Place in the tabernacleNo one was supposed to look at it, not even the High Priest who went into the Most Holy Place on the day of Atonement once a year - he was to carry with Him a smoking sensor that would fill the room with a smoky cloud.No one was supposed to touch it - it was a physical representation of the very Presence of Jehovah God in their midst.

Then the next part is where I want to focus our attention this morning - It was the construction of what the KJV calls the "Mercy Seat"

Mercy Seat - I like the sound of that don't you! What is mercy? It’s like Divine compassion. Some modern translations put it "Loving Kindness" I'm so thankful when I came to God there was mercy extended to me, I'm thankful that every day I am treated with more and more of God's mercy God's loving -kindness is just dumped on me.

Jeremiah the weeping Prophet once wrote:

It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. Lamentations 3:22

Perhaps Newell put it in a more familiar way in his Gospel Song:

Mercy there was great, and grace was free; Pardon there was multiplied to me; There my burdened soul found liberty At Calvary.

The mercy seat covers verses 17-22

This "Mercy Seat" was to be made of pure gold. According to the Bible there was no wood used in it's creation. It was made to fit on top of the Ark of the Covenant like a lid. Josephus claims it had hinges, and lifted like a lid.

On top of this "Mercy Seat" was two pure gold Cherubim's one at each end facing each other with their wings touching each other.

I want to spend some time this morning talking to us about this "Mercy Seat". Is it just ancient history or does it have some significance to us today?

The Mercy Seat represents three things:

A Seat / Throne - When we use these terms - it was not something you could or would sit on. In fact there was no furniture in the tabernacle that was used to sit.

It was considered a Seat or a Throne - because that is where the presence of God rested while they utilized the Tabernacle to worship God. Verse 22 tells us that is where God would speak and meet with His People. When you come to the New Testament you find the writer of the book of Hebrews exhorting the people to "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16 Now to the ancient Jewish worshipper this was impossible - they could bring to the priest their sacrifice but he could only offer it upon the altar outside the tabernacle. But when Jesus died on the Cross the veil separating the people from the Most Holy Place was torn in two from top to bottom - giving us access to God on High! Now we can come boldly - come without fear of dying from exposure to the presence of God Himself. Come without fear of being denied, Come without fear of being ignored. But we can come boldly unto the "Mercy Seat" the "Throne of God" and obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Isn't that wonderful - God is so gracious and merciful. A Covering - But maybe a seat/ or throne doesn't really give us the right perspective. If you are reading from the NIV or NLT this morning or perhaps other versions they will use the word - "COVER" This "Mercy Seat" is rightfully translated as this. It covered the Tablet of Ten Commandments - which gave them "guidance for the development of interpersonal, divine-personal, and social relationships as they grew into a unified nation." It covered Aaron's Rod that budded - we don't have time to go into all the details of that story but it simply means that "God demands accountability to His elected leadership and to Himself" It covered the Golden Pot of Manna - that gives us the truth that, "God is the Provider of human necessities." But what about us? Does it apply to us today? Well Paul says in the Book of Romans that

Romans 3:24-25 (KJV)

24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

That big word "Propitiation" is a powerful word. Simply put this morning without going into a lot of technical jargon - it means that "Jesus became our Mercy Seat" "Our Mercy Covering" That when we come to "Calvary where Jesus the Mercy Seat is and cast ourselves upon His mercy why Brothers and Sisters something amazing happens. I think the songwriter put it best:

Calvary covers it all

My past with its sin and stain

My guilt and despair

Jesus took on Him there

And Calvary covers it all

A Place where Heaven & Earth Come together - Not only does the Mercy Seat represent the "Throne of Grace" and "Christ Himself" But I lover verse

22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel. It was a place where Heaven and Earth came together. Have you ever heard the old saying, "They prayed heaven and earth together." It's not just "praying through" It is where the God of Creation - the God who spoke the world into existence - speaks to you or helps you answers your prayer, meets your need, turns your sorrow into joy, brings gladness out of pain and sadness, takes what is twisted and wrong and in just and makes it straight, and right and just again. The one who Picks up the Broken pieces and puts them together again. No wonder this was such a special part of the worship of Israel. I'm thankful we don't have to have a golden object up here to depend upon God to come and speak to us, and help us - But He is here right now. No wonder Hugh Stowell wrote hundreds of years ago:

1

From every stormy wind that blows,

From every swelling tide of woes,

There is a calm, a sure retreat—

’Tis found beneath the mercy seat.

2

There is a place where Jesus sheds

The oil of gladness on our heads,

A place than all besides more sweet—

It is the blood-bought mercy seat.

3

There is a scene where spirits blend,

Where friend holds fellowship with friend;

Though sundered far, by faith they meet

Around one common mercy seat.

4

There, there on eagle’s wings we soar,

And time and sense seem all no more,

And heaven comes down our souls to greet,

And glory crowns the mercy seat.