Daily Bread - DEC/18/07
Leviticus 16:2 - And YHWH said to Moses speak to your brother Aaron so that he does not come whenever he wants into the Sanctuary within the Curtain in the front of the kapporet which is upon the Ark and he will not die; for within the cloud I will appear upon the kapporet.
The mercy seat (Hebrew-'kapporet') was the most unique altar of the Old Testament. The mercy seat - which was made of pure gold - was the lid of the ark of the covenant (Exodus 26:34). It was here that God would appear in His glory cloud once a year during the time of purgation (Leviticus 16:2). Yet, at the same time, it was also the place where God's voice could be heard throughout the year as He would make known His will to the high priest (Exodus 25:22; 30:6; Numbers 7:89). It was the mercy seat that made the holies of holies what it was. It was the most holy place of all because God would come down in the midst of His glory and abide there. Wherever God's presence was revealed in this manner the place was filled with His holiness and glory. Just as no one could come near the mountain when God's presence had descended upon Mount Sinai neither could anyone come into the holy of holies unless they had been sanctified by God to do so (Leviticus 16:2; Exodus 19:8,21,24; Hebrews 12:20).
The mercy seat was viewed as a replica of the throne of God (2 Samuel 6:2; 1 Chronicles 13:6; 1 Samuel 4:4; Psalms 99:1; Isaiah 37:16). It has been noted that in the enlarged version of the cherubim's scene in the temple that Solomon built in 2 Chronicles 3:10-13, the wings formed a place for the invisible God to sit (Mettinger 1982: 19-14). There is also at least an indication that the lid itself could be viewed as the floor of the throne room or the footstool of God (1 Chronicles 28:2; Psalms 99:5; 132:7). When Ezekiel saw the throne of God descending upon the temple he saw something that was very similar to what was pictured on the lid of the Ark. The throne of God was over the heads of the cherubims and in between them in a similar area to the place where the blood would be applied were the coals of fire (Ezekiel 10:1-4, 18-19; 11:22).
Be blessed,
Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org
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