Daily Devotions
Exodus
"Give to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts." Psalm 96:8
Text: Exodus 25 : 18-20
AN ATTEMPT TO DESCRIBE THE THRONE OF GOD
What was the Lord seeking to teach Moses as He described “the mercy seat”? The ark was more than just a mere receptacle for the Testimony (the stone tablets) that God would present to Moses! The ark, especially the mercy seat, was an attempt to describe the throne of God. In heaven, God is always attended by angels (cherubim and seraphim).
“And you shall make two cherubim of gold;
of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends
of the mercy seat. Make one cherub at one end, and the other
cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the
two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat.”
EXODUS 25:18-19
1. “Two cherubim of gold”
Gold was one of the most costly precious metals in the ancient days. It was also one of the most malleable of metals to work with! The cherubim (plural of “cherub”) were to be made of gold to befit their “status” as mighty angels that attended to the Lord as His servants!
The idea of plurality (“two cherubim”) suggests that God was well attended by many angelic beings. These two cherubim were only a part of a whole host of them. A single cherub would not convey the same idea.
2. “Of one piece with the mercy seat”
This would be a challenging thing for any “goldsmith” (This word is not used to describe a person who sells gold jewelry in the modern day usage. Rather this word is used to describe a skilled artisan who works with gold as his preferred medium). The mercy seat and the cherubim were to be made as a single piece. This is to depict “oneness”. (One illustrative significance would be the representation of “perfect harmony” among the angelic servants of God, even though there may be myriads of angelic beings in heaven.)
OTHER DESCRIPTIVE FEATURES OF THE CHERUBIM
The Lord gave further instructions as to how the cherubim were to be placed on the mercy seat.
“And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above,
covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall
face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward
the mercy seat.”
EXODUS 25:20
The wings of the cherubim would represent their power and their speed in performing their duties! Their faces would always be looking at the mercy seat, as if they were literally looking up to the Lord in great adoration. They stand ready to do His bidding at all times!