THE MERCY SEAT

SERIES: THE TABERNACLE

TEXT: EXODUS 25:17-22

PREACHER:  REV. DR. WILLY MUTISO.

Forgiveness and reconciliation were made possible because the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled upon the mercy seat once a year on the Day of Atonement.

The root word for mercy or “Atonement cover” is the Hebrew word that is spelled as “Kaphar” which means “to cover.” To make atonement or reconcile, to appease, placate, forgive, cancel or annual and firmly to cleanse, forgive, pardon, purge away, put off.

It was at the mercy seat where man’s sin is covered by the blood. It is there that God makes atonement for that sin and reconciles man to Himself.

Just like reconciling your check book, there was a debt that was owed by mankind that he could never pay. It was writing the checks on our relationship with God when there was nothing in that account to cover the cheques written.

Mankind had no means of making deposits into his “sin debt account.” The human beings had sold his eternal soul to sin and satan in exchange for an eternity without God.

At the mercy seat, the payment for that debt was made not by man, but by God. For God only could give something that was worthwhile as repayment for our debt of sin.

God paid every debt we owed, and He redeemed or bailed us out of jail of slavery to sin and devil and then signed over all that heaven has to us as joint heirs to His only son, Jesus Christ. He cancelled our debt of sin with His own blood upon the mercy seat-Colossians 2:10-14. Let us notice:-

1. THANK GOD FOR THE MERCY SEAT.

• Since this mercy seat was such a powerful and important symbol for every one of us, I thought we should spend more time on understanding the mercy seat.
• It was made of solid gold to the exact dimensions of the Ark of the Covenant.
• It was beautiful piece of furniture, the most beautiful in the tabernacle but its natural beauty could never compare with its beauty in the realm of the spirit.
• The book of Romans has many experiences to this great place of furniture and its fulfilment in Christ.
• The mercy seat and God’s mercy displayed there does not give us license to sin and live as we want.
• The mercy seat was placed on TOP of the Ark, that was to serve two-fold purpose, both as a lid for the Ark of the Covenant and as mercy seat where God’s presence would dwell in the midst of the people.
• It was from the mercy seat that God would speak to Aaron as Israel’s High Priest.
• This was the place where the blood of the slain sacrifice had to be sprinkled as an atonement for the sin of the nation before God would speak.
• The High Priest could not enter the Most Holy place without blood applied to his own flesh because God has nothing to say to man apart from Jesus Christ and His work of redemption.
• All we have- The Holy Spirit prosperity, healing and salvation-All comes through the blood.
• Under the O.T covenant accepted the blood of a sinless animal as atonement for sin, but this was only a shadow of the blood of Jesus Christ which would be shed for us.
• As we stand sprinkled with the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, God can be merciful just and the justifier of all who believe or have faith in the blood of His dear son-Romans 3:23-278.
• The blood that was shed at the Brazen alter is brought to the Ark of the Covenant and sprinkled upon the mercy seat and God is satisfied-2^nd 3:5-6.
• At the Brazen Alter the letter of the Law meant death but at the mercy seat, the spirit of the law fulfilled in Christ brings life.
• The mercy seat was not something to be taken lightly, it was a very serious business with God.
• What happened if a man tries to approach God by by-passing His requirements of the bloodstained mercy seat-1^st 6:19-20
• When we stop seeking mercy, we come under the penalty of the law and that penalty is death.
• If a man wants to look at the tables of stone which had no life in them, we will have set aside the BLOOD. If we reject the blood we fall to the level of the law which can only bring death to fallen man.
• The law could only thunder, demand, command and condemn. It was God’s perfect standard of righteousness.
• But the law was powerless to deliver anybody.
• Jesus Christ had to die to vindicate the righteous claims of God and satisfy divine
• Because Jesus Christ died and was judged for us, now we can be restored to fellowship with God.
• The mercy seat was the only seat in the entire tabernacle, it is called a seat and yet no man ever sat upon this seat. It is a place reserved only for the son of God-Heb. 10:11-14.
• The fact that Jesus Christ “sat down” is significant of His finished work. Christ presented His own blood at the THRONE OF GOD and having done so, He sat down. He is now seated as our HEAVENLY HIGH PRIEST after the order of MELCHIZEDEK.
• Christ is now seated not on a MERCY SEAT but on a throne of pure GOLD, a seat of deity, even the ETERNAL SON OF GOD.
• So we see that the O.T MERCY SEAT has now become THRONE OF GRACE (KITI CHA REHEMA-KITI CHA NEEMA).

20. OTHER DETAILS OF THE MERCY SEAT-Exodus 25:18-20.
21. The Cherubim.

• The cherubim and the mercy seat were one seamless piece of gold, melted into a large block from the jewelry and offerings of the mercy seat represents Jesus Christ.
• These Cherubims are not angels because angels can have no part in the MERCY SEAT.
• Angels are not made one with Jesus Christ and cannot be connected with our salvation.
• So what was the arrangement of this single piece of beaten gold?
• The father, the son and the Holy Spirit are one in our plan of redemption.
• So, we see the father and the Holy Spirit gaving down with satisfaction upon the blood-stained mercy seat representing the son and finished work of redemption.
• Father, son and the Holy Spirit all coming together as one to commune with man because of the blood of the sacrifice

2. The Shekinah.

• Above the mercy seat and between the two Cherubim, the High Priest could witness the very presence glory and brightness of God in a visible manifestation.
• From this bright light and glowing power God spoke in audible voice-Numbers 7:89.
• The Hebrews called this manifestation of the visible glory or brightness of God the “SHAKINAH.”
• The Ark of the Covenant is the only piece of furniture upon which God dwelt in brightness with a visible presence.
• No oil was needed here. The priest did not ever need to trim the wicks, for there were no wicks!!
• This light was permanent and it flooded every corner of the Holy of holies.
• There was no dark corner or place in the Holy of holies. It was filled with the light of God’s love-1^st John 1:5-7.
• Although the lamb stand in the Holy place had light the source of light was the oil and the wicks which had to be trimmed all the time, daily.
• Let us never forget that everything in the church becomes nothing more than an empty form and meaningless ceremony of “The presence,” “The Shekinah” is not there!!
• The “Shakinah” which is the presence of God, the “glory of God” must be manifest in the church otherwise the service is dead-Heb. 1:1-4.
• Without Jesus Christ the head of the church, there is no church without the presence of the Holy Spirit there is no (SHEKINAH) glory.
• Jesus Christ must be seen in us and around us-Matt. 5:14-16.
• May God help us to shine with HIS SHEKINAH in this dark world.
• WHEN A SEAT OF MERCY BECAME A THRONE OF GRACE.
• God’s relationship with man in the Old and New Testaments are contrasted.
• When God set up residence on earth, He called HIS THRONE the MERCY SEAT. But at calvary both the name and the location changed-To the Throne of Grace-Exodus 25:17-22 and Hebrews 4:15-16.
• God is holy, just but he says “When you approach me-first and foremost I want you to realize I AM MERCIFUL.
• MERCY “is when God does not give us what we deserve”
• The devil does not understand mercy because he did not receive and mercy-Gen. 3.
• The devil is the force behind all false gods of this worls-2^nd 4:4.
• All the gods of this world must be “appeased” but not so with JEHOVAH-Lam. 3:22.

1. Mercy in the Old Testament-Heb. 9:6-7.

• Every year on the Day of Atonement” sins were “pushed back” one more year. God said “You will not yet be judged for sin”-Isaiah 30:18.
• God postponed judgement or was merciful because something better was coming!

2. A New Covenant- 9:11-12.

• When Jesus was on earth, He became the perfect sacrifice for sin. At His death, the veil was rent-Mark 15:38. This symbolized that the way was now open into HIS PRESENCE.
• The position has changed-1^st 6:19.
• The name has changed-Heb. 4:16, “The seat of mercy” has now become “Throne of Grace.”
• Grace- “when God gives us what we do not deserve.”
• The work of Christ at Calvary brought us freedom, life, healing presence-Acts 2:37.

CONCLUSION

• The throne of grace is greater and better than the throne or seat of mercy.
• Now by the grace of God we are saved, changed and born again.
• What a glory we have received because of Jesus Christ.