CONSTRUCTING THE MERCY SEAT

In Exodus 26:34 God told Moses to put the atonement cover on the Ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy Place. This was The Mercy Seat. We know that The Mercy Seat represented God’s presence among the people. God’s Throne on this earth was to be made of solid gold with two cherubim formed over it. These two holy angels would be looking down and covering the ark with their wings. They faced one another. The cover of their wings was spread to enclose the cover.

The gold covering was formed of one solid piece of gold. That same one piece of gold covered the angels. The book of Samuel speaks of how the cherubim together formed a seat for Yahweh. (1 Samuel 4:4)

MEASUREMENTS AND PLACEMENT OF THE ARK

The measurements of this “lid” over the width and breadth of the Ark were 2.5 cubits long and 1.5 cubits wide. This area where the Ark and its contents were placed was considered to be the most sacred place on the earth. The articles inside the ark, the two tablets of the law, the golden pot of manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded were considered to be the most sacred articles of the earth.

THE ANCIENT RITUAL OF ATONEMENT

This was to be a place that the High Priest could enter only once a year on The Day of Atonement. It was when he brought the blood that atoned for the sins of the people and sprinkled it over the Mercy Seat. Everyone knew this was the place where God dwelled. It was from here He dispensed mercy to men when the blood of the atoning sacrifice was sprinkled over the Mercy Seat.

Only through the offering of this blood could the condemnation of the law be taken away. In Hebrew the words “Mercy Seat” translate to “Kapporeth” which means “to cover” or “to wipe out.” This term occurs 27 times in the Masoretic Text of the Hebrew Bible.

This same symbolic ritual was used, year-after-year on The Day of Atonement. This existed until God sent Yeshua Messiah as a once for all atonement that covered all of our sins forever.

A MORE PERFECT COVERING

Once Messiah came there was no more need for animal sacrifice at the Mercy Seat. The temporary sacrifices that did not last were no longer required. The permanent covering for the Mercy Seat of Heaven had been provided by Messiah when He died on the cross. No other sacrifice was needed from that point forward.

However, the people of Israel of which we speak in today’s lesson, had not yet seen or known the Messiah. They still needed to carry out the yearly ritual sacrifices on The Day of Atonement. These needed to confess their sins. To do this they placed their hands over a sacrifice whose blood would be applied for atonement by the High Priest. He would sprinkle this blood upon the Mercy Seat within The Holy of Holies.

SHOULD WE STILL OBSERVE THE DAY OF ATONEMENT?

Today, we HAVE seen and known The Messiah. Does this mean we should not be observing a Day of Atonement?

Good Question.

Yes, our sins have been covered for all eternity by the perfect blood of Jesus. We can come to God the Father through the atoning blood of Christ. No question about that. This is very clear. Today, we are under a more perfect covenant. It is a covenant where the laws of God are not carved in stone inside a box. They are now carved into our hearts, minds and souls.

At first glance, one would think it might no longer be necessary to observe this day. However, let’s think further. When does the blood of Christ cover our sins? Isn’t it whenever they are confessed? Do you have any un-confessed sin in your life right now?

HUMANS ARE SO IMPERFECT

No matter how many times you are faithful to pray or confess, no one is ever perfect enough to confess all of their sins. It was actually the same for Israel. They could not go running to the tabernacle and confess every little sin all the time exactly when it was committed. No, they took the sacrifices as often as possible. Also they confessed as best they could, but lots of time, things were still out there. Some things were always left undone, even though their hearts were in the right place.  

These old Israelites, like us, needed a special time of examination. They needed a set aside time of prayer with God for confession of sins. An ANNUAL time of coming completely clean was necessary.

WE ALL HAVE SINS OF OMISSION

People commit sins they are unaware of. Sometimes they simply forget to confess. How many times have you caught yourself forgetting to admit to God that you have sinned? The chance to receive forgiveness goes by the way side. You simply do not remember it anymore.

CONFESSION IS A CRITICAL PART OF ATONEMENT

Even though Jesus offered atonement once for all, the sins being atoned must STILL be confessed. So what happens to those unrealized or forgotten or overlooked sins? If your heart is intent on being forgiven by God, you ask Him to cover all of the sins you have omitted when asking for forgiveness. You might even ask God to bring them to your mind so that you CAN confess them.

PURPOSE OF THE DAY OF ATONEMENT

This is what The Day of Atonement is all about. In the days of the wilderness tabernacle the theory was the same. The day was for the priest to seek atonement from the un-confessed sins of the people, as well as sins that had been accidentally committed within the place of worship inside the tabernacle. The tabernacle was to be cleansed. Then the people were to be cleansed by the blood sprinkled on the Mercy Seat. The purpose was to cleanse the WHOLE sanctuary.

Are we not all living stones making up the tabernacle of God today? Sometimes we just need a little housekeeping. We need to clean up those crumbs that have been swept under the rug when no one was paying attention.

JESUS PROVIDED TOTAL ATONEMENT BUT WE MUST CONFESS

I’ll bet you haven’t heard that explanation before.  This fact bothers people sometimes. That is because they cannot conceive of not being totally forgiven. They don’t realize God HAS actually already forgiven them. However, once a year atonement must still be considered.

This is simply a set aside time to examine our hearts and thoroughly cleanse the House of God.

NO GRACE AND MERCY WITHOUT REPENTANCE

Our churches have are so completely consumed with grace and mercy that they often forget repentance and confession. The first thing is only possible if you have the last thing. I’m sorry to be the bearer of such news, but all of your sins still need to be confessed. Confession comes before atonement.

This commanded Holy Day (the most sacred day of the year) is simply a time of serious, humble examination. Examination of our individual hearts and of the work of the Church as a corporate body. Today this Day of Atonement from the blood of Christ applied by His approaching the Mercy Seat, is still a vital part of being a Christian.

Now is a good time to read through the Book of Hebrews. Consider how Christ’s death surpassed the sacrifices and ministry of the Aaronic priesthood. Hebrews 10:22 admonishes us to do this: “Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.” We come before God with the faith of that High Priest who entered The Sacred Place with the blood of the sacrifice.

Christ has covered us with His mercy and forgiveness. Now we can go boldly before the throne of God and confess our sins. They need to be confessed so that atonement can be applied.

CLEANSING FROM HIDDEN SINS

The Day of Atonement is also a good time to pray the prayers of the Psalmist concerning hidden sins. Hidden sins must be atoned in order for the living body of Christ to be completely clean and pure.

The aim of this continued symbolic observance is to make possible God’s continued presence among His people. Today’s congregations do not offer any more sacrifices. This is because the final sacrifice of Jesus was perfect in every way. We simply humble our souls before God.

HAS THE CHURCH FORGOTTEN HOW TO BE HUMBLE?

Today, as the Church that honors Messiah, we must look at God’s ways and conform to them. We should do so with humble hearts. Pride is the way of men. Humility exemplifies the heart of Yeshua Messiah.

HAS THE CHURCH FORGOTTEN TO FIGHT AGAINST EVIL?

To become sensitive to the evils of our age is to become sensitive to the evils which press upon us and tempt us. True submission is seeking the best interest of the other, rather than our own interest.

We must sincerely remove the evil from our places of worship and come before God corporately and individually as pure and atoned congregations made that way by the blood of Christ.

This act requires dealing with “unknown” and “unnoticed” sin in our lives. It was not for those sins which atonement had already been made that the Day of Atonement was given. The day was given for those sins which had not yet been recognized and those for which a sacrifice had not yet been offered.  Each and every sin must be atoned.

In the keeping of the Day of Atonement we recognize that the sacrificial system God established assumed that some sins which were not recognized as such at the time they were committed would come to the attention of the individual at a later time.

CONFESSION OF UNKNOWN AND UNRECOGNIZED SINS

 The Day of Atonement is based on the fact that we can confess and be forgiven for even these unknown and unrecognized sins.

God’s mercy and kindness has covered all the bases. There is nothing that He has left undone or not provided a way for us to be saved from our own foolishness.

THE GOAL IS TO DO ALL THAT WE CAN TO KEEP GOD WITHIN OUR CAMP

On the Day of Atonement we must keep in mind that the issue at stake is whether or not God will continue to abide within the camp. This all depends upon the cleanliness of the camp, the tabernacle, and the people who come to worship. If the uncleanness of the people continues to contaminate the dwelling place of God, even when the Day of Atonement has been provided to remove their sins, God will turn His back away. God is holy.  He cannot dwell among sin.

Much of the significance of this fact is seen in the study of the sacrifice of The Red Heifer.  I will not go into that here, but that too was a type of cleansing for the tabernacle and the people who came to worship there.

SHOULD CHURCHES STILL OBSERVE THE DAY OF ATONEMENT?

All of the above information is why I think it is a critical time in America for every church to observe the Day of Atonement. It should be observed as presented in God’s Holy Day Calendar found in Leviticus, Chapter 23. It is apparent from studying the wilderness tabernacle and the ancient rituals that we must not continue sinning in plain sight while worshiping God. We cannot do this and expect Him to honor our salvation.

The church must rise up and keep God’s ways in spite of our culture’s opinions and beliefs.

ABSENCE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD

The most dreaded evil for Israel was the absence of God’s presence in the midst of the people. This should also hold true to the church of today. Look around and try to wake up. We are a nation in apostasy. Many of us have gone out to worship the golden calf. Our nation has become very selfish, greedy and materialistic in nature.

We must turn back to the ways of God. Also, we must be true to the days He gave us in which to remember His ways. It is as simple as confession and turning around. Keeping this day of fasting before God is not hard or complicated. Those of us willing to do this will always have access to God’s Mercy Seat through the atoning blood of Christ.

THE GOOD THINGS THAT HAVE COME

It is clearly stated in Hebrews 9:11-14:

“Now the Messiah has appeared, the high priest of the good things that have come. In the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands (that is, not of this creation.) He entered the Holy of Holies once for all, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who are defiled sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of the Messiah, who through the eternal spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to serve the living God?”

Let us cleanse ourselves from dead works and serve the living God. Yes, let us always remember to come before the Mercy Seat.

MERCY SEAT PREFIGURES PASSION OF CHRIST

Let us all come to realize and remember how the role of the Mercy Seat on the Day of Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement) prefigures the passion of Christ, who brought the GREATER atonement. We must remember how this ancient ritual foreshadowed the truth that brought the fruit of the new covenant.

THERE IS A CALM, A SURE RETREAT

Consider how it was that Moses was instructed to have Bezalel and Oholiab oversee and supervise the skilled craftsmen who worked so skillfully to create the Mercy Seat. Try to visualize how these angels on top of the Mercy Seat guarded and protected the Divine Presence of God among His people. This was long enough for God to come among the camp and declare COMPLETE mercy and forgiveness for the nation. I recall an old, old song penned by Hugh Stowell back in 1828. The song was called “At Your Mercy Seat” 

“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. There is a place where Jesus sheds the oil of gladness on our heads. A place that all besides more sweet; it is the blood bought Mercy Seat.“

Friends; my prayer for you today is that God’s mercy and forgiveness fill your heart with joy and the oil of gladness flows freely throughout the coming week.

I hope that we inside God’s church may all forever be aware of where that mercy and forgiveness comes from; that precious Mercy Seat where God dwells within the deep chambers of our hearts.

May the church rise together this year and humbly fast on God’s appointed Day of Atonement.

Let the unity of the church and the love of God’s people destroy the divisions of the world and bring peace.

VERSE

Exodus 26:34 – Put the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant law in the Most Holy Place

PRAYER

Father, Our prayer today is for Your mercy and forgivness to fill our hearts with joy. May the oil of gladness flow freely throughout the coming week. May Your Church stay forever aware of where that mercy and forgivness comes from. We know there now exists a precious Mercy Seat where You dwell within the deep chambers of our hearts. Help Your Church to rise together this year and humbly fast on the appointed Day of Atonement. May our unity and love combine with Your love to destroy the divisions of the world and bring peace. Amen

SONG

At The Mercy Seat by Be Inspired:https://youtu.be/5WFbpH4hPmg?si=M0OnqItmJn4_T2A1