Day 13: The Mercy Seat

And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. Hebrews 10:5

Scripture reading for today:
John 10:4
When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.

The mercy seat-the lid of the ark-was also covered with gold and two cherubim sat on top of it facing each other, wings touching and looking down-almost we can consider this a position of prayer. 

And it was here that once a year-on the Day of Atonement (the 10th of Tishrei, first month of the Jewish calendar-app. September 24/25) that the High Priest would enter to make the sacrifice for the whole nation. Not that they were forgiven, but the sins were taken away and placed on the scapegoat that was led away into the wilderness. It will not be until the final sacrifice-the death of our Savior, that the sins were gone completely-forgiven and forgotten.   The procedure is outlined in the 16th chapter of Leviticus. For us, today we get an interesting word, ‘propitiation’.

In Hebrews, the unknown author jokingly refer to as ‘Bob, the writer of Hebrews’ says ‘…the cherubim of glory were above it overshadowing the mercy seat…’ The Hebrew word here used is transliterated into the Greek as ‘hilasterion’, which means ‘propitiation’. In the New Testament we see how ‘propitiation’ works. For there was only one way for the sins to be completely booted out-a substitute of such magnitude had to be offered. Remember, ‘someone had to die’.

At the death of God the Son-Jesus Christ, the sacrifice made was so great as to satisfy the requirements of God the Father-holy and just. For that is what justice is-a punishment for wrongdoing. To just say ‘I’m sorry I robbed the liquor store’ and expect the judge to say ‘Ok, since you’re sorry that’s good enough’ is not justice. There is no recompensation, no payment for the sin. And we tend to forget that although we can ‘repent’, say we are sorry and get forgiven, it still comes at a cost. That’s where ‘propitiation’ comes in. Christ, pure and innocent, steps forward and doesn’t say ‘Oh, come on judge. I forgive them, so should you’. No. Christ, pure and innocent steps forward and says: ‘Judge, they are guilty before a Holy God. There is a price of blood that must be paid and here-I have done that’.

That is what the mercy seat is all about-Christ shows us mercy by presenting Himself as the sacrifice for us. And God the Father shows mercy by recognizing the innocence and accepting the sacrifice. Someone had to die, and someone did. All we need to do now is believe and accept this great gift.

Scripture reading for today:
Hebrews 10:1-12
For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;