Testimony of Mercy and Grace

Exodus 37:1-9 

1 Then Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood; two and a half cubits was its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height. 2 He overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside, and made a molding of gold all around it. 3 And he cast for it four rings of gold to be set in its four corners: two rings on one side, and two rings on the other side of it. 4 He made poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold. 5 And he put the poles into the rings at the sides of the ark, to bear the ark. 6 He also made the mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits was its length and a cubit and a half its width. 7 He made two cherubim of beaten gold; he made them of one piece at the two ends of the mercy seat: 8 one cherub at one end on this side, and the other cherub at the other end on that side. He made the cherubim at the two ends of one piece with the mercy seat. 9 The cherubim spread out their wings above, and covered the mercy seat with their wings. They faced one another; the faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat.

The ark was a wooden box overlaid with gold, with the testimony of God’s word and covenant on the tablets of stone.  The gold lined the inside as well as the outward visible areas, making it pure and beautiful no matter where you looked at it.  Before the temple was built in Jerusalem, it needed the rings and poles to carry it from place to place as God led His people, and the High Priest would seek mercy before its seat on top where the Lord came to speak words to Moses and direction with needed correction to the priests who followed him.  Angels who serve God were molded on top as a reminder of who was Lord and Master, and who should be bowed down to in worship in His presence.  The mercy seat on top is where God forgave upon hearing the repentance by the priests on behalf of the people of God, which is symbolic of Christ’s seat which we now as His kingdom of priests can openly approach for grace and mercy (Hebrews 4:15-16).  We can look to that eternal seat of God’s mercy where Christ sits and worship as the angels who now worship in bowing to Him in the heavenly tabernacle.  This is the testimony of mercy and grace, no longer placed in a box and hidden behind curtains, but freely approachable by the way Christ Jesus made for us through Himself.  Let us boldly approach that seat of mercy, each new year and each new day!